Nevada Silver and Blue - University of Nevada, Reno

Cover Story
‘I had seen fire go through the young
pines in drought season. But it was no
more swift than passion’s blaze through us.
Our hearts were rejoined and we were in
each other’s arms.
We were pitiful in the bliss and pain of it
- so lavish were our loves so strong our
need and right of each other and so
vigorous and sentient our years.
You will remember, won’t you?’
— 1942 letter from England from Lt. George Honts to his wife, Evelyn.
22 Nevada Silver & Blue • March/April 2004
the 80th birthday of the great soprano Phyllis
Curtin. English, a 1936 graduate of the university,
happened to say that she had held onto all
of the correspondence she had received from
her late husband, George W. Honts, who was
killed during World War II.
What Smith found in the letters was remarkable.
Nearly 60 years old, the letters contained
a love, both for Evelyn and for life, that was
undeniably fresh and real. The love letters have
become the centerpiece for “Vignettes: Letters
from George to Evelyn from the Private Papers
of a World War II bride,” which made its West
Coast debut in early 2003 at USC’s Newman
Recital Hall. Inspired, Smith wrote the piece
quickly, using lyrics taken directly from Honts’
letters, with the telegram informing English of
her husband’s death forming the emotional
center of the composition.
The attraction between the two young
people, naturally enough, came at a party at
Fort Ord, Calif.... through the sound of a young
first lieutenant’s voice.
“He had such a beautiful voice,” English
says. “I didn’t have my glasses on and I
wondered what he looked like until he came
over to me. He was such an attractive man,
with such a beautiful voice, and he was so
intelligent.”
Even through her nearsightedness, she saw a
pair of trusting, thoughtful blue eyes smiling
back at her. He was a person who loved
picnics, and wondered if the young school
teacher from Reno would like to picnic on the
beach that Sunday.
Evelyn and George were married only a few
months later, on Dec. 24, 1942.
George, from Los Angeles, a conscientious
objector who had studied
medicine, was part of a medical unit
that successfully landed during the
Normandy Invasion. His letters came
regularly to English, who returned to
Reno and worked in the Riverside Dress
Shop. They read almost like poetry:
descriptive and evocative, lyrical in their
joyful ode to living.
They usually began in firm, clear
cursive: “Bonjour Evelyn — “
“The sun has just come up. It’s a beautiful
morning. The grassy downs are sparkling like
myriads of diamonds. Sheep are placidly grazing
around my tent, satisfied with the prospect of
getting both food and drink in the same mouthful
and displaying their wooly youngsters with great
pride.
“From the top of our hill the great sea is as quiet
as a lake. The anchored hulls of all the cargo ships