78 years later: Touchet siblings learn about letter their dad wrote during World War II

A Vermilion Parish family was thrilled and saddened to read a letter their father wrote in 1945.
The siblings of the Touchet family from the Prairie Gregg area, located south of Erath, were recently given a copy of a letter that ran in the Abbeville Meridional on Saturday, April 14, 1945.
Their father, Joseph “Villy” Touchet, who was stationed on a Navy ship overseas during World War II, wrote the letter.
Touchet wrote a personal letter to his good friend and once neighbor, Adolphe Bertrand. The letter was printed in the Abbeville Meridional. Touchet would have been 20 years old when he wrote the letter. Adolphe would have been around the same age.
In the letter, Touchet explained to Adolphe how hurt he was to learn of Adolphe’s older brother, Henry, who was killed. Henry, who was in the Army, was killed while fighting.
Touchet was best friends with the Bertrand brothers.

Here is a part of the letter:

“Funny how we were always close. In fact we were just like brothers and that is why I took it so hard to hear about Henry. I couldn’t help but cry and I don’t think the boys on this boat thought it was funny to see a grown-up cry.”
Touchet told Adolphe that Henry was a “swell guy” and was his brother “Not in blood but in love. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.”
Well, the letter has meant a lot to Adolphe and his family because they kept a copy of the letter that ran in the Meridional 78 years ago.
Brenda Bertrand Thibodeaux, the daughter of Adolphe, and family members were aware of the letter. It was kept with Henry’s war items in Adolphe’s home. Unfortunately, Henry’s body never made it back to the United States. Instead, he was buried in Belgium.
Earlier this month, Thibodeaux decided the Touchet siblings should get a copy of the letter their dad wrote to her father. Thibodeaux’s parents are deceased, but she managed to keep war memorabilia that belonged to her father (Adolphe) and uncle (Henry).
She located one of Touchet’s daughters, Wendy Touchet Parich, and set up a lunch date to hand over a copy of the letter. “I had the letter, and I felt like the Touchet family would want to read it,” said Thibodeaux.
Donna Touchet Fleming said she was unaware the letter existed.
“I was feeling proud but sad,” said Fleming after reading the letter. “I did shed quite a few tears on that day. However, the letter also showed me what he went through. These people risked their lives for this Country.”
In the letter, Touchet explained to Adolphe that he had been in the Navy for six long months, and the conditions were unpleasant.
Touchet described it: “We’ve been through hell, fire and high water. None of it has been easy.”
He was aboard the USS Banner, which was a troop and cargo transport boat.
Touchet was also a Higgins Boat pilot and was part of the invasion of Okinawa on April 1 of 1945.
Fleming was not surprised that her father had written the letter. He did enjoy writing letters to his future wife while on a ship.
Because of Touchet’s letter writing, he convinced his wife, Adley, to marry him.
Touchet returned to Vermilion Parish after serving four years in the Navy. He was a carpenter in Vermilion Parish and passed away at the age of 65.
Touchet was married to Adley Desormeaux Touchet, They had seven children. Names of the children are Rodney, Wayne, Wendy, Jeffery, Joey, Donna and Tony.
Adolphe’s and Touchet’s siblings plan to keep a copy of the letter.
“I am happy that the Touchet family could read the letter. It meant a lot to my father,” said Thibodeaux.

Letter Written by Joseph Touchet

Here is a typed version of the letter that ran in the Abbville Meridional in 1945. The Meridional did not make any grammer changes to the letter. It was written by Joseph “Villy” Touchet to his friend Aldophe Bertrand after learning that Aldophe’s brother was killed in the war. Touchet was in the Navy overseas when he wrote to the Bertrand family, who were living in Vermilion Parish.

Misses Buddy Who Gave Life For His Country

The following letter was written by Joseph “Villy” Touchet S@/c to Adolph Bertrand of Erath.
Dear Aldolphe and Aunts:
I received your letter and Christmas card and was very glad to hear from you. I am in the best of health and highest of spirits and hope this letter reaches you likewise.
Funny how we were always close. In fact we were just like brothers and that is why I took it so hard when I heard about Henry. I couldn’t help but cry and don’t think the boys on the boat thought it was funny to see a grown-up crying. I guess they knew it was one of my loved ones that was dead. I face it like I faced plenty things before. I have a big job to do, and I am willing to do it. Plenty of my buddies were missing and probably some are manning a gun next to me will probably be next but we try not to think about that. Don’t take it too hard because he died so you and all the others could live in a free Country. It might seem funny to hear me talk about this way. Well, if only people back home could see what kind of a country this is they would know why a guy changes when he’s been here.
Adolphe, Henry was your brother, he was a swell guy. In a way he was my brother too, not in blood but in love. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.
I’ve been overseas now for almost 6 months and I mean it really seems longer than that. We’ve been through hell, fire and high water. None of it has been easy.
I’ll keep on praying and know that my prayers will be answered.
We guys in the Navy can never tell when we will get a leave. Let’s hope it will be before too long.
Let me hear from you soon.

Always,
Villy