In the early 20th century, WWII was going on. A town in South Carolina, there were two teenagers: Peter Callaghan and Helen Scott. Now Peter and Helen were idolized as the ‘it couple’, and they knew it, too. Peter was about eighteen or nineteen, and towered over the average guy. Every girl wanted him, but none of those girls could ever have him because he belonged to Helen. She was about seventeen and was as short as Peter was tall. Helen was also very slender, especially compared to Peter well-built frame. She looked like a pin up girl that soldiers took with them when they went to war. Neither of them was ready for what was about to come in the following week.
Earlier that week everyone heard about the draft, but Peter had no thought of it affecting his own life. A couple of day after hearing about the draft he got a letter from the United States Marine Corps stating:

“Dear Peter Callaghan,


The United States Marine Corps have




drafted you into the war.


Arrive at post 0600 tomorrow.”
After Peter read the telegraph, his boyish smile slowly faded from his face and ran his slender fingers through his sun-kissed hair, then made a deep sigh.
At that time, Helen walked up to him and was just about to ask him if he wanted to go to the Ice Cream Parlor. She saw that he looked distracted and very upset about something. In her mind, she was sure it had something to do with the telegraph in his hands. She walked up to him with caution.
“Hello Peter, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing Hel. But what has you over here so quickly?”
“I live right across the street Peter. There has to be something bugging you, you’re never this distracted. What is it Peter?” Helen asked more profoundly and more impatiently.
“Well Helen I don’t wanna scare you or make you worry about me…”
“PETER WHAT IS IT?!?” Helen interrupted.
“ I was just about to say, before you got all hyper on me. Now as I was saying, I’ve been drafted to war.” As Peter spoke each word, his voice got lower and more solemn.
“ Oh. Peter, when did you find out?”
“Just now. I don’t want you to worry about ‘cause it’s my problem and I leave tomorrow morning. Early.”
“ TO WAR!?!” Helen screamed.
“No Hel, no. Now just calm down and take a walk with me and I’ll explain it to you.”
Peter calmed her down and explained what was about to happen. He also told her that during basic he couldn’t really write to her because he’d be going through a lot of training in a short amount of time to be ready to be shipped out. He was being shipped to the Guadalcanal, but he didn’t tell Helen. Peter didn’t want her worrying about him in a combat zone.
The next day, Helen woke up to see Peter one last time before he was to report to basic training.
“Helen, I’ve never told you, or any other girl for that matter, that you are so important to me and… and… I love you baby. I know this is really bad timing to tell you this but I…”
She put a finger to his lips and spoke softly, “I love you, too Peter.” And then gave him a kiss goodbye.
“This isn’t goodbye, though. I’ll be back and we will be together once again.” Peter yelled this out the window as he drove away to basic.
“ No it’s not. This is far from it.” Helen spoke softly to herself as she hugged the jacket he gave to her before he left. Then he drove out of site.
A couple of months passed before Peter came back from back from basic. He looked different and acted different…. Like a Marine. But one thing didn’t change during basic and that was how much he loved Helen.
So after having a welcome back party with some friends and family, he went over to Helen’s house.
“ Hello Mrs. Scott, is Helen home?”
“ Oh my, Peter! Don’t you make a handsome Marine! I’m sorry but Helen isn’t home, but she did say to give this letter to you if you got here before she did.”
After Mrs. Scott handed him the letter, he could only think of the worst: she left him for another guy. Finally, he got up the nerve to open it and read to himself:

“Dear Peter,

I have been missing you so much. All I could think about was

the day you left and the day you would arrive back to me. I’m guessing

since you got this letter you got back before me. But don’t
worry, I’ll be back soon and tell you about why I’m not there.





Love,






Helen”
At about seven or eight at night, Helen came and found Peter sitting by the tree where they had met 2 years ago.
“So what is it you have to tell me Hel?” Peter asked sounding very hurt and upset.
“ Oh, Peter. I told you not to worry. I’ve joined the Red Cross. Which also explains the outfit.” Helen giggled as she told Peter.
Peter asked her why and she said she was alone here by herself and also wanted to help out with the war since he was going to fight in it.
“No you’re not going to any combat zones. NO!” Peter told her, very abruptly.
“ All right. I’ll stay here and collect goods and medical supplies.”
“ Thanks Hel. I just don’t want to worry about you getting hurt that’s all. And besides I love you” Peter said with a cute smirk on his face.
“ Yeah, yeah. Beside I’m not doing it cause you asked but because I want to. I love you, too.” Helen was laughing as she said this.
A week later Peter and Helen went there separate ways for the war. He traveled to combat zones and she traveled the nation. Months passed and both were too busy to write or talk. But then a year came and Helen got a strange letter from Mrs. Callaghan stating that Peter was MIA and no one knew where he was.
Helen began to cry and none of the other Red Cross ladies knew why until Helen showed them the letter. They sent her back to South Carolina to recuperate and be with her family.
Peter, after being unconscious for hours, woke up and found himself alone in the jungle. He thought they would send a search party after the fighting died down. When it did, no one ever came for him. He knew if the Japanese didn’t find him nature surely would; so he made a makeshift house to carry out the rest of the war until he could be found.
Years passed and suddenly the war was over, but no one knew where Peter was. The Marines have a saying, Semper Fi, meaning Always Faithful, and that’s what Helen was. She never loved anyone else like she loved Peter again. Peter never forgot about Helen.
Peter finally decided if he was going to get back to Helen he would have to try for himself. He succeeded in returning to America. He was returned to South Carolina but no one knew about it. And taking this into his advantage, he watched Helen for a couple of days to make sure she wasn’t seeing anyone or worse, married. After awhile he was sure she wasn’t. He was shocked because she was most beautiful girl he ever saw.
So the next day, he went and knocked on Helen’s and door and to her complete surprised it was Peter. After reunions with friends and family, Peter and Helen took a walk to there spot and talked and caught up with each other.
“Helen, have something to ask you and it’s very important so please hear me out okay?”
“What is it Peter? I’m all ears.” Helen asked confused.
Peter got down on one knee and pulled out a little box. “ Helen, will you marry me?”
Helen just about fainted, but didn’t. She said yes and knocked Peter the all of the down to the ground. They laughed for what seemed hours to them and went home and told their families the good news.