Letters keep Macon soldier’s memory alive for nephew

On the rear deck of his house in Byron one day last week, Jack Harrison gave voice to a man who died in World War II.

Harrison’s uncle, Army Pfc. Tyrus Willard Hudson, grew up in Crawford County and Macon. Hudson was drafted into the Army and died two years later in the Battle of the Bulge on Dec. 23, 1944.

He was 30.

Harrison was 10 years old when his uncle left for war. But when Memorial Day comes around, Harrison has something from his uncle to help him remember.

Hudson regularly wrote letters home to his wife and to his sister, Flossie Hudson Harrison of Macon. Flossie was Jack Harrison’s mother.

Last week, Harrison read one of the letters aloud. Unlike the others, it was typewritten because Hudson had access to a typewriter that day. He probably pecked the words out slowly. Harrison was pretty sure his uncle didn’t know how to type.

There were no gory details of war in his words. That wasn’t Hudson’s style. His letters generally expressed a positive outlook.

He addressed it “Dear sister and all.” He talked about how much he enjoyed the fried chicken his sister sent him.

“I guess a package from home is about the best thing that can happen to a guy over here,” Hudson wrote. “Wish I could send you all Xmas present but don’t guess I can this time. Just about everything over here is torn up.”

He ended with “keep your chin up and write every chance you get.”

He died about a month later.

Letters donated to institute

As much as Harrison treasures the letters, the ones he has are copies. He donated the originals to the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience at Florida State University. The institute preserves letters from soldiers and other memorabilia from World War II for those doing research and the general public. The institute focuses on the life of the regular soldier.

Harrison said he visited the institute before giving up the letters. He saw the care they were giving to the items there, with people using white gloves whenever they touched anything. He thought it would be a better place to preserve his uncle’s words for future generations to read.

Being able to read his uncle’s words means a lot to him.

“You get an idea of what he’s thinking, you know?” Harrison said. “He was more upbeat than the people at home, probably.”

His uncle’s wife got the news of his death from a telegram. Harrison’s mother took it hard.

“I never saw her cry but a few times that I remember, and that was one of them,” he said.

Name missing from Coleman Hill monument

Although he had lived in Macon, Hudson’s name is missing from the moment on Coleman Hill that lists those killed in World War II who were from Bibb County. Harrison said there are other names missing, and he would like to see an update to the monument to add those names.

Hudson was living in Columbus working for the Dr Pepper bottling company when he was drafted. He served in an artillery unit under Gen. George S. Patton.

“He was a big guy,” Harrison said of his uncle. “He was full of life. He seemed happy all the time.”

Hudson is buried at the U.S. Military Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg. Harrison has visited the cemetery.

Harrison’s wife of 56 years, Doreen, never knew Hudson, but his letters have given her a lot of insight into his character.

“The letters are so upbeat,” she said. “That’s what is amazing. He didn’t have a sense of doom. You feel like he was trying to spare his loved ones what he was going through.”

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Letters keep Macon soldier’s memory alive for nephew."