The Red-Ribboned Letters

E. Philip Trapp

The Red-Ribboned Letters is a love story based on letters preserved from World War II and framed within a historical novel. Tally Dugan, a colleen of twenty-one, came to San Diego when her brother, a badly wounded Marine, was transferred to the naval hospital for intensive treatment. Tally found employment at Convair, an aircraft manufacturing company, shared a rented house with two other workers, and became part of a clique called the Inner Circle, a female support group with their loved ones in the war.

With a surge of patriotism, felt by so many during WW II, Tally became a volunteer at the naval hospital and a hostess at dances held for servicemen. At one of these dances at the Coronado Hotel on St. Patrick's Day, Tally met Cory Zigler, a young naval officer in the Amphibious Corps. A whirlwind romance ensued before Cory left for the Pacific campaign. Their love flourished on letters, as did the love of thousands of others who pitted thier emotions against the turmoils of war.

Step back in time to relive the essence of young love and continue the journey for half a century to the finding of the red-ribboned letters and the surprising conclusion in 2003.