This collection contains 12 letters and 1 birthday card Thomas A. and Robert M. Deane wrote to their parents, Thomas C. and Dorothy M. Deane of Los Angeles, California, while serving in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps during World War II. The brothers described their experiences while in training at bases in Seattle, Washington; Moraga, California; and De Land, Florida.
The first item is a birthday card from Thomas A. Deane, who signed himself "Tomas," to "Gramps," with a humorous cartoon and caption about old age. Robert M. Deane ("Bob") wrote the next six letters between May 1943 and October 1943, while serving in the United States Navy. He attended an educational program and discussed weapons training (July 15, 1943) and other aspects of military life. He spent some time at the Naval Air Station in Astoria, Oregon, and compared it to the stricter base in Seattle, Washington [October 21, 1943]. He attained the rank of petty officer, third class, by October 1943 and worked with the Navy's aviation wing.
Thomas Deane wrote the remaining 6 letters, including 3 composed during his time at the Naval Air Station at De Land, Florida, in September and October 1944. He expressed his desire to see combat, shared news from his brother, and provided updates about life at the base (including the arrival of new airplanes, October 13, 1944).
Thomas C. Deane and Dorothy Marie Milbach of Los Angeles, California, had two sons, Thomas A. (b. ca. 1921) and Robert M. ("Bob") (b. ca. 1925). Thomas A. Deane, who signed himself "Tomas," served in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps during World War II. In 1943, he was stationed at St. Mary's College in California, and he later served at the United States Naval Air Station in De Land, Florida, where he rose to the rank of 2nd lieutenant. Robert M. Deane ("Bob") served in Composite Squadron 12 of the United States Navy and trained near Seattle, Washington, before being transferred to the East Coast, where he was stationed in 1944. By October 1943, he attained the rank of third class aviation ordnanceman.
