on June 15, 2015 at 8:09 AM, updated She kept all his letters. She told me (in 2003), 'I still read his letters.' " -- Stuart O'Brien Stuart O'Brien wasn't up all night for a decade because he was haunted by the story of Kenneth Brown and Claire Smith. He was up all night because he was inspired by it. "That's when the ideas would come, and I would get up every day between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and just begin to write," he said. A writer needs quiet, and O'Brien found it in the middle of the night, whether he was at his winter home in Vero Beach, Fla., or summer place in Peacham, Vt. He would write in long-hand on note pads, his hand curled around a pen, muscling his way through a World War II generation romance of love, tragedy and a lifetime longing. Kenneth Brown was boy from Wildwood Avenue in Montclair, who was so angered by Pearl Harbor he left high school to join the Marines. He was only 17 when he enlisted in December of 1941. Claire Smith lived on Wildwood Avenue, too.

She was a friend of Brown's younger sister and only 15, when he left for boot camp. They began to exchange letters while the young Marine was fighting in the South Pacific. Her letters told him about life at Immaculate Conception High School, where she played basketball and joined the social committee. She wrote about the movies she saw downtown at the Wellmont and the big bands she liked. She told him what was happening in their little neighborhood of Wildwood Avenue. He sent back vague descriptions of his life in a faraway land. He knew Navy censors were reading, so he left out details of squalid living conditions, spoiled food and near dehydration in the oppressive heat and humidity. He did not tell her about burning Japanese out of caves with flame throwers, or watching his fellow Marines get cut down by the thousands on open terrain as they advanced on enemy strongholds in the rugged volcanic mountains. He did not tell her about the carnage in the months-long assault on Guadalcanal, or the bloody landing at Tarawa Beach, or the ensuing three-day battle that killed 978 Marines and all but 17 of Japan's 3,636-man force.

Kenneth Brown fought for two years in the Pacific and sent Claire Smith 39 letters. The first were signed "fondly;" the last said "all my love." "She kept all his letters," O'Brien said. "She told me (in 2003), 'I still read his letters.' The last was postmarked May 3, 1944. Kenneth Brown was killed six weeks later, on June 16, 1944 on the second day of the invasion of Saipan. Five days earlier, Claire Smith had graduated from high school. O'Brien himself was a World War II veteran, having served in Italy in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which evolved into the Air Force. Puppies For Sale In Lasalle County IllinoisHe stayed in the reserves and eventually retired as a major.Rona Canada Indoor Lighting "I knew Kenny since we were in fourth grade," said O'Brien, who is 91. Goldendoodle Pups For Sale In Iowa

"We went to different elementary schools but met at newspaper store downtown. We started talking about whose school was better, and agreed to have a football game. That's how we became friends." In 2003, Montclair High's Class of 1943 held their 60-year reunion. "I thought it was appropriate we remember our seven classmates who died in the war," O'Brien said. "I was going to speak about Kenny, and Bill Hopkins (Normandy) and Eric Schwarz (Battle of the Bulge). "While we were in Montclair, my wife and I visited Kenny's grave, we saw it was in disrepair," O'Brien said. A tree root had dislodged the stone. "The cemetery manager told us there was a frequent visitor the grave – a woman – who had also complained," O'Brien said. That was the first time O'Brien learned of Claire Smith and her lifetime devotion to Kenneth Brown, a story first told in this column. "She came often, leaving new American flags and fresh flowers," O'Brien said. "One of the caretakers knew who she was, because she had family members buried their."

His book began to take shape in his mind. A phone call to Claire Smith solidified it. "She was reluctant to talk about it, but finally she said, 'Yes, I loved him. I wanted to marry him.' Instead, he died, and she never married. He gave his life to this country but she gave part of hers, too, right up until her death in 2011. She was buried in her family plot, just a few hundred feet away from Kenneth Brown. O'Brien had never written a book before, but he knew a great story when he saw one. "Wildwood: A Love Story, A War Story" is a fictionalized version of their story and it took O'Brien 10 years to write. It was published by PanAm Books, a local company and O'Brien will be discussing the book at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair Wednesday night at 7 p.m. "Once I started it, I never doubted I would finish," he said. "It was a story that I felt very strongly about. It needed to be told, because it's not only about two people but a whole generation."Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

Price$Est. Mortgage: $/monthMLS Number 4508455Residential 3 4 2 2892 Like-new 3 bedroom Contemporary colonial very close to Williston in popular St George neighborhood on .42 acres with rear deck, private backyard and sunny front porch. Open floor plan with white kitchen, granite countertops & breakfast bar & adjoining living and dining room, is perfect for family gatherings and entertaining. Completing the first floor are the formal dining room and living room as well. Upstairs the master suite is spacious and comfortable with en-suite bath and walk-in closets. Two additional bedrooms and full bath. The lower level is an entertainment center with sound buffer ceiling over wall mount television room, pool table & bar area, and walks out to a 2 level custom stone patio & grill area. If looking in Williston, check out St. George - convenient to town but with a great country feel. High School of choice.Listed by Nancy Jenkins of Nancy Jenkins Real Estate I would like to schedule a visit for the property at 85 Breezy Valley Lane, St. George, VT 05495 (#4508455).

Federal 30-year interest rate: 3.43% last updated on 2016-08-25 This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Price$Est. Mortgage: $/monthMLS Number 4428722Residential 3 3 2 2079 Located at end of cul de sac. Set on 12 acres with hardwoods and softwoods, this 2 story contemporary has many features. Spacious entry foyer with black walnut flooring and custom built hutch welcomes you to a step down living room that has a beautiful stone fireplace with wood stove. The dining area has a breakfast bar and opens to the convenient kitchen where there is plenty of counter space for meal preparation. Dishwasher and range both new in 2015. Large first floor master bedroom offers a walk in closet and 3/4 bath. Laundry/mudroom off kitchen with easy access to garage. Second floor boasts 2 bedrooms, a full bath and walk in attic space. The full basement area is heated. A Buderus boiler serves 4 zone heating system. Two car attached garage.

Large deck where you can hang your feeders and enjoy many species of visiting birds. Private road - shared expenses. (All sq. footage, dimensions and acreage approximate)Listed by Jean Meehan of The Meehan Group, Inc. I would like to schedule a visit for the property at 1023 Forest, St. George, VT 05495 (#4428722). Price$Est. Mortgage: $/monthMLS Number 4512015Residential 3 3 2 1600 Country living yet only 15 minutes to Burlington and 10 minutes to I-89. This charming Farmhouse nestled on a wooded lot across from the 15th hole at Rocky Ridge Golf Course was completely renovated in 2015. New windows, plumbing, wiring, flooring, fixtures, cabinets, appliances, and more! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths plus den. Enjoy cooking and entertaining in the large country kitchen with custom granite/barn board island and stainless steel appliances. Retreat to the master suite with private bath. Convenient 2nd floor laundry with high efficiency washer/dryer. Fenced backyard with patio area, rock walls plus additional side yard with fire pit and seasonal mountain views.