From the July 2008 issue: Words of Reassurance from a Brutal Front
Just two months after the Battle of Guadalcanal, twenty-five-year-old Arthur W. Hodan, a sergeant in the Americal Division, handwrote a sixteen-page eyewitness account of his regiment’s fight to take Hill 27. Hodan had the letter smuggled home to his parents in Cicero, Illinois; in it, he describes in vivid detail what he and his men endured… Read Entire Article.
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From the April/May 2008 issue: A Soldier Strips the Romance Out of Life at War
Military censorship and a desire not to worry loved ones at home kept most troops from disclosing the strains and hardships they faced in battle. But when they heard stories of war fatigue on the home front or sensed that the public did not fully grasp the enormity of combatants’ and civilians’ suffering, a spark of frustration could emerge… Read Entire Article.
From the March 2008 issue: An Immigrant’s Plea to a Powerful Man
The plight of Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens interned in the 1940s is well known. But German and Italian immigrants in the United States also faced possible internment, relocation, travel restrictions, and property confiscation… Read Entire Article.
From the January/February 2008 issue: A Chaplain’s Saga of Love, Valor, and Loss
Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, and Alexander Goode wanted to make certain that his beloved, Theresa Flax, received his letter in time. Goode would go on to become a legendary figure in World War II as one of the four “Immortal Chaplains”… Read Entire Article.
From the December 2007 issue: ‘Life Gave Me a Christmas Present a Couple of Hours Ago’
For servicemen and women far from their loved ones during war, holidays often prompt mixed emotions. Thoughts of friends and family gathered together trigger fond memories, but they can also make the troops all the more homesick… Read Entire Article.
From the November 2007 issue: A Soldier’s Death Far from the Field of Battle
Thousands of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines lost their lives in World War II during training exercises, their sacrifices often overlooked. On August 28, 1944, a woman in Quincy, Washington, Mrs. W. C. Grigg, witnessed one of these casualties firsthand… Read Entire Article.
From the October 2007 issue: A Combat Nurse’s Exhausting Sorrows, Unexpected Joys
Army nurse June Wandrey stood five feet two inches tall with, in her words, “finely honed muscles that were dynamite ready.” That forceful spirit was evident in her wartime letters as well; Wandrey did not mince phrases… Read Entire Article.
From the September 2007 issue: A Downed Navigator Flees for His Life Behind Enemy Lines
“My darling Cornie — This is my first letter to you in almost five weeks!” twenty-three-year-old Lt. Richard G. Fowler, a U.S. Army Air Forces navigator from Minnesota, wrote to his wife Cornelia on May 25, 1944. “And I’m writing it not knowing when I’ll be able to mail it, since believe it or not, I’m behind enemy lines…" Read Entire Article.
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6 Comments to “War Letters: World War II Letters from the Legacy Project”
The most important aspect of World War 11 letter-writing from Europe was censorship. In over six months of combat, I never knew of, or saw, a letter that was not stamped and censored by an officer.
Today I consider it ridiculously useless; most soldiers knew where their foxholes and buddies were; and knew nothing about tactics,other units, objectives, etc. Nearly all wrote comforting personal news and solicited comforting personal news.
Even enemy capture of an entire infantry division’s mail would have profited little, simply because the average soldier was told absolutely nothing, and knew nothing than a few feet from his foxhole or location.
By mitchell kaidy on Aug 22, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I would like to know where I could send family world war I and II letters as a donation.
Thank you,
Lee Kennedy
By lee kennedy on Sep 11, 2008 at 4:47 pm
You could always donate to the Veteran’s History Project at the Library of Congress.
By Mike V on Jan 20, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Right–The Veterans History Project is a good start–as noted above, send a copy (not originals) to the Legacy Project, PO Box 53250, Washington, DC 20009, or e-mail WarLettersUS@aol.com
MHQ magazine also publishes first person accounts of wars other than World War II in its Experience of War column–feel free to query me about that possibility at MHQeditor@weiderhistorygroup.com
Bill Horne
Editor
World War II and MHQ Magazines
By BIll Horne on Feb 28, 2009 at 5:27 pm
yes on which war did america experience a military attack upon its territory?
By martin lucatero on Mar 11, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Martin: Mex-American war
Lee: Try the War Letter Archive http://www.war-letters.com
By Bill McMurray on May 18, 2009 at 11:13 pm