To the Editor:

The intrepid World War II Veterans and Friends Breakfast Club gathered at the Home Front Café in Altamont once again this past Saturday, Nov. 17, despite the lingering reminders of the season’s first major snowstorm still on the ground.

Our friend, author and animation artist William H. Frake III, joined us to share the first look at his newest book, Volume 2 of the series “A Moment and A Memory.” Through his amazing original sketches, Bill’s unique books tell the stories of hundreds of World War II veterans. Volume 2 features a dozen of our Capital Region vets, all of whom are receiving a copy of the book.

Bill, whose full biography may be found at IMDB.com, is a member of the Animators’ Hall of Fame. During his career of over 40 years, he has worked on dozens of TV shows and major animated motion pictures, the latest of which is slated for release in early 2019.

Bill became acquainted with Iwo Jima survivor Tom Lemme a few years ago and since then has become a regular attendee of the monthly Iwo Survivors’ Breakfast, as well as the World War II Veterans and Friends Breakfast Club.

He has fallen in love with the Home Front Café, its patrons, and ambiance, as well as the area in general. Bill’s dad, who passed away in 1980, was a World War II Navy veteran who survived D Day, Normandy. His desire to honor his dad’s memory, and his time spent with our veterans, inspired Bill to compile his art and create these books.

Bill’s creativity shows no sign of waning, and every new veteran he meets seems to lead to the creation of a new sketch. Bill is already working on Volume 3.

We are planning another get-together with Bill and some of the vets featured in the book in early December, for a meet-and-greet book signing at the Home Front Café. Also planned for spring 2019 is a public presentation by Bill, where he will discuss the stories behind selected sketches in the books with the veterans who lived them.

Mark Yingling

Clifton Park