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One of the most rewarding aspects of being a journalist is hearing from readers (especially if their comments are positive). Following the May 25 story I wrote on Bataan survivor Col. Harry Peck's diary, I received multiple emails thanking us for that and the package of stories about New Mexico's role in World War II.

A quick recap: Col. Peck of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 was the commander of the 515th Artillery Coast Regiment, one of two regiments made up of New Mexico National Guard members who served in the Philippines during World War II. They protected Manila and the Bataan Peninsula for months before surrendering, then were forced on a 60-plus mile trek called the Bataan Death March and finally faced more than three years in prisoner-of-war camps until the war ended. Only half of the two regiments' 1,800 men made it home.

One of those was Peck, who chronicled his experiences in a diary. Two weeks ago, on Memorial Day, the Journal published a story quoting excerpts from that diary.

Among the thank you emails I received was one from Peck's grandson, John Stam of Los Alamos, and one from Lou Hoffman, a step-grandson from sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

Stam's email answered my most pressing question: What happened to Peck after the war? Many of the survivors, who were malnourished and suffered from tropical diseases, died within a year of returning home. Peck himself lost more than 50 pounds while in captivity.

I was pleased to hear that Peck, in fact, lived a long life with his beloved wife Eva.

鈥淵es, my granddad was an amazing man,鈥� Stam wrote. 鈥淭he Colonel loved to fish and be outdoors. 鈥� Both my mother and father enjoyed fishing, and we camped and fished all over northern New Mexico together with Granddad and Eva. 

鈥淥ne of my memories of those trips was, if we were in a town that Granddad knew had survivors of Bataan (all of the towns actually), Granddad would make every effort to connect with those men, say 鈥楬i,鈥� have a drink and see how they were doing.

鈥淏oth Granddad and Eva would live to happy old ages. (He lived to be 92!)"

Soon after arriving home, Peck asked a daughter and stepdaughter to type out the original diary into a document that was more legible. While Peck sent the original diary to the Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, Stam has copies of the retyped diary.

Prior to going to war, Peck, a widower, married Eva, a widow, and the two had a blended family. Stam's mother is a daughter of Peck's and his first wife; Lou Hoffman's mother is a daughter of Eva鈥檚 and her first husband. 

Hoffman, himself a history buff, is well-known in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, having served as the city's treasurer from 1987 to 2006, and then as director of Finance and Administrative Services under Mayor Richard Berry from 2009 to 2017.

鈥淎fter World War II, ABQ was still a small town, growing from 30,000 residents before the war to 60,000 afterward. When I was growing up, it seemed like everyone knew Colonel Peck and addressed him by his title,鈥� Hoffman wrote.

Hoffman copied in his daughter, Leslie Hoffman, who I happen to have known for years, in the emails. (Shows what a small town sa国际传媒官网网页入口 continues to be.) 

Her email is particularly memorable because she is making sure this story lives on.

鈥淐himing in with my own sincere thanks for this piece,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚 ran out to buy up copies yesterday and was so excited to show my young son last night a chapter of his family's history.鈥�