New Tribute Novel Tells the Story of Perry Mercer, Jr.
Seventy-five years after a young local Marine made his ultimate sacrifice on a battlefield in Korea, his voice is being heard once again in the community he called home.
Local author Patrick Didas has recently released Echoes from Hamlin: Letters from the Forgotten War, a true story told through the preserved letters exchanged by his wife’s uncle, Perry Mercer, Jr., and his family. The book serves as a deeply personal tribute, arriving as the family marks the 75th anniversary of Perry’s passing.
The project began when Patrick and his wife, Dawn, started to type the 100 original letters saved as a family treasure. What started as an effort to digitally preserve family history soon evolved into a narrative that Patrick felt compelled to share when he realized there was a story to tell.
The book follows 20-year-old Perry’s journey over eight months in 1951, tracing his path from an eager recruit to the front lines. Readers are treated to the early, lighter days of Perry’s service, such as trading jokes with fellow Marines in boot camp and exploring the sights of Hollywood while on liberty. At the time, Perry clung to the hope that a peaceful resolution to the conflict was still possible.
However, as the months in the “Forgotten War” dragged on, the tone of the letters shifted. The narrative captures the raw emotion of the era, from his mother, Julia’s, growing worry to Perry’s own struggle to remain optimistic. In a haunting letter written to a former high school teacher just one day before his death, Perry’s optimism finally wavers as he describes the World War I-style tactics he witnessed.
The book strikes a particularly somber chord when referencing Perry’s 1949 Brockport High School yearbook. The foreword of that volume spoke of a “peaceful world,” an ideal many held in the years following World War II. Tragically, that peace would be shattered for the Mercer family just 29 months after Perry’s graduation.
Local residents will find the story hits close to home, as it features numerous references to familiar family names from the Brockport and Hamlin communities. Packed with dozens of images, Echoes from Hamlin invites the community to sit at the Mercer family table, experiencing their pride, their mounting anxiety, and ultimately, their grief.
Echoes from Hamlin: Letters from the Forgotten War is available locally at Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport and online.
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