John Portor Dulin III was born on a farm in Wye Mills in Talbot County in 1918. He was the oldest of eleven children. During World War II, he received a draft notice four times but was exempt due to working on the family farm. When he received his fourth draft notice, he told his father that he was going. He was drafted for one year, but he served four and a half years. He served as an army cook and landed in Normandy the day after the invasion as part of the support forces. He served in France and Germany. At some point he was shot and sent back to England to heal.

He frequently wrote letters home to his family. This letter is addressed to his sister Alma, Mrs. Lester Chance, who lived on a farm in Trappe with her family. The legacy of John and Alma lives on today in Talbot County through John’s granddaughter, Talbot County Finance Director, Martha Darling Sparks and Alma’s grandson, Trappe Council President, Brian Schmidt.