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

This collection is made up of 13 letters and 119 photographic negatives related to the Marchetti family of Providence, Rhode Island. Luigi Marchetti ("Louis") served in the 809th Engineer Aviation Battalion in Italy during World War II, and the family received several letters from "Dita Impiglia," an acquaintance in Grosseto, Italy, during and just after the war.

This collection is made up of 13 letters and 119 photographic negatives related to the Marchetti family of Providence, Rhode Island. Luigi Marchetti ("Louis") served in the 809th Engineer Aviation Battalion in Italy during World War II, and the family received several letters from "Dita Impiglia," an acquaintance in Grosseto, Italy, during and just after the war.

Louis Marchetti wrote a 15-page letter to "Red" on December 9, 1944, from Italy. He discussed military life, described the scenery, and commented on a visit to his father's hometown, where he met his uncle and other family members. The remaining 10 letters are written in Italian. Pasquale Altruda wrote a letter to Louis Marchetti on December 4, 1944, and enclosed 6 postcards: 2 with a painting of the Roger Williams Monument and 2 with a painting of the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, both in Providence, Rhode Island; 1 with a painting of a memorial gate on the Brown University campus; and 1 with a painting of a hula dancer and a man playing a ukulele. The postcards, which are addressed to multiple individuals, contain brief handwritten messages in Italian. "Dita Impiglia" of Grosseto, Italy, sent 9 letters to the Marchetti family between December 29, 1944, and November 4, 1945.

The collection contains 2 pamphlets: a Catholic Church catechism and an informational booklet for United States soldiers heading to North Africa, both in English. The army booklet offers comments on Islamic customs and provides advice for Americans serving in the region. A group of 119 photographic negatives is housed with its original envelopes, which group the pictures by location: North Africa, Sicily, "Pico," and Italy. Many photographs depict United States military personnel, often at leisure.

This collection is made up of 48 letters that Samuel Rhea Tunnell wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Tunnell discussed his training, his experiences in Hawaii, and family news.

This collection is made up of 48 letters that Samuel Rhea Tunnell wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. He addressed his letters to Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Thomasson of Monterey, California, and Lakeview, Oregon, whom he referred to as his parents. He often referred to his sister, Mary Tunnell, and to a man named "Rod," and he enclosed a note for Mary in his letter of June 4, 1942. Many of his letters are written on stationery with Hawaiian imagery such as scenery, hula dancers, and the territorial seal.

The first 3 letters pertain to Tunnell's experiences at the United States Naval Training Center in San Diego, California, from December 1941-January 1942, including his daily routine and fights between sailors in the barracks. After mid-January 1942, he wrote from the Keosanqua, a tugboat stationed in Hawaii. He occasionally discussed soldiers' relationships with Hawaiian women, mentioned his own shyness toward women, and reported that he enjoyed bowling in his spare time. One letter encloses a photograph of a soldier ("Raymond [Nielson], 'Wildcat'") with a Hawaiian woman (February 26, 1943). Tunnell most frequently commented on family affairs, such as the Thomassons' financial difficulties and their move to Oregon during the war. On April 24, 1943, he sent his mother a pre-printed card with a colored picture of flowers.