1946 saw Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. The Christmas classic dealt with grief, dreams lost, and hope restored. Reed’s daughter Mary Owen learned that Reed dealt with these same issues in her personal life by keeping letters written by soldiers serving in World War II.
Mary is Reed’s daughter with her second husband, agent and producer Tony Owen. The two were wed from 1945 to 1971. Together, Owen and Reed had four children and it was concern for her eldest son that got Reed to become a peace advocate. But for those who had served, Reed apparently treasured the notes they wrote and kept their memories alive, Mary learned over a decade after her mother’s death. Here is the surprising collection she found.
Mary Owen finds letters from WWII soldiers kept by mom Donna Reed
In 2003, Mary found a series of shoe boxes. Inside, they were filled with letters from WWII soldiers, all addressed to Reed. Together, they totaled 350 letters, each and every one preserved and treasured across decades, kept securely inside a trunk in her Beverly Hills, California home. This is a quiet, private way Reed kept the troops in her heart, as their cause was one she held very dearly.
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Out more in the spotlight, the Hollywood Canteen provided a way to boost morale, as soldiers could enjoy good food, entertainment, and dance with their favorite stars; this went on from 1942 to ‘45. Even before this, Reed was getting letters by ‘40. “And she responded to them,” Mary noted.
Mary Owen says her mom provided a listening ear and comforting voice
Soldiers took comfort in being able to send letters to Reed; they admitted to some fears in combat zones, shared their hopes, or even just tried to make her laugh. Even without writing to her, they felt close to Reed as she became a very popular pinup, smiling at soldiers even across the globe. Indeed, Reed was the face of morale efforts in the U.S. “She went on bond drives,” recalled Mary. “Whenever she visited her parents in Iowa, she sold bonds. She danced with the guys at the Hollywood Canteen and so on.”
With the Vietnam War, Reed joined the anti-war advocacy group Another Mother for Peace in 1967. She was driven by concern for her own son Tony, spreading the group’s message, “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” Whether it’s the influence of WWII on It’s a Wonderful Life and Vietnam on Reed’s advocacy, conflict and healing as influenced countless people and inspired them to reach out and express themselves, calling for more peaceful times.
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