2LT Theodore Rowman
8th Armored Division, 106th Cavalry Recon Sqad
KIA 15 October, 1944
near Foret-de-Parroy, France
All my life growing up something was missing. It wasn't until I heard the song,
"Daddy's Little Girl" that I realized what the sadness I always felt really was.
When I found AWON, I knew I was not alone, and that a lot of my feelings were shared
by many. Growing up, I guess I didn't know how to communicate what my sadness was.
After World War II, life went on for the widows and the parents and brothers and sisters.
In many cases, family members had their memories of their loved one to fall back on,
hopefully to help with their loss.
When I heard the word Orphan, to me that word did mean sadness. I have very little memory
of the 3 years I had a dad. I remember uniforms, parades, traveling on trains and being
with my grandparents so that mother could move ahead to get settled at the Army base where
my dad went to OCS.
I am fortunate to have such wonderful pictures of him in his uniform, his Purple Heart,
the American Flag, and I've recently received a beautiful picture of his grave site at the
Epinal Cemetary in France. I also found the location and the cause of death. After reading
Lost in the Victory, I realized that no two stories are alike, even though it was
one war.
I am not sure I can go to France to finally see his grave, but someday I will be with my dad
in a better place.
-- JoAnne Rowman Morrissey --
