When the manuscript entered his possession, Mark Dalsanto knew it was time to help his brother in arms.

It comes natural with a military background. Dalsanto, of Pennsylvania, was able to come across a basic field manual — soldier’s handbook issued in 1941 to Elizabethton native Herbert Ray Edens — and now he hopes the book can find its way back to Edens’ loved one.

“I’m sure it would mean a lot to the family to have this back,” Dalsanto told the Elizabethton Star in a phone interview. “It’s an interesting document and I’m sure it would be a great keepsake to remember Mr. Edens.”

Dalsanto mailed the document to the Elizabethton Star in the hopes of getting the word out to the public to find relatives of Edens.

According to information provided by the manual, Edens was born Oct. 8, 1918 and his residency was on Route 4 in Elizabethton, Tenn. The city resident, who served in World War II, was pegged at six feet tall and was a member of the United States Army Signal Corps. Other information provided in the document was hard to decipher due to the age of the pages and ink.

The manual was presented by the United States War Department in 1941 and was presented to new recruits of the military to receive proper guidance on different things that would be expected when serving the country.

“In the transition from civil life to the life of a soldier you may, at first, feel somewhat confused. It is the purpose of this handbook to help you over these rough spots as rapidly as possible to lay the foundations for your successful career as a soldier,” the foreword of the manual reads.

Family members of Edens wanting to retrieve the book can contact the Elizabethton Star via email at news@elizabethton.com or call (423) 297-9057.