Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

Ensign George W. Kressbach wrote 16 letters to his family in Monroe, Michigan, while serving on the USS LCI(R)-770 in the Pacific during the spring and summer of 1945. He commented on military life, discussed his relationship with his girlfriend, responded to news from home, and briefly described his experiences while on leave.

Ensign George W. Kressbach wrote 16 letters to his family in Monroe, Michigan, while serving on the USS LCI(R)-770 in the Pacific during the spring and summer of 1945. He commented on military life, discussed his relationship with his girlfriend, responded to news from home, and briefly described his experiences while on leave.

Kressbach addressed most of his letters to his mother, Harriet ("Hattie") Nieman Kressbach, though he intended his letters to be read by the entire family. He listed the names of the locations he visited, including Eniwetok Atoll, Guam, the Philippines, and Okinawa. He provided his family with a description of Manila, including the Walled City (or Intramuros district) and the effects of recent bombing raids (July 30, 1945). Kressbach also wrote about his lodgings and meals onboard the ship, and books he had read. While stationed near Samar, Philippines, in early September, he commented briefly on the island boats and on trade between American sailors and Filipinos. In one letter to his father, he privately discussed his financial concerns. Many of Kressbach's letters contain his responses to his mother's questions, and he occasionally mentioned his girlfriend, Dorothy.

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater.

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater. Stecker addressed his letters to his mother and stepfather in Torrance, California, and to a woman named Joan who lived with them, from July 12, 1942, to September 8, 1943. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, until late August, when he joined the crew of the Oceanographer, which served in the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, and the South Pacific during the war. Stecker wrote primarily about his everyday life and discussed his meals, hobbies, and acquaintances. In Norfolk, he met a woman whose husband had gone to war, and he later discussed a relationship with a married woman, reporting her intention of getting a divorce. Stecker frequently responded to news of acquaintances from home and on one occasion offered advice for a man named "Bus," who considered joining the navy. A pencil drawing of a man in profile is enclosed in Stecker's letter of February 2, 1943.