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

This collection is made up of 5 letters that members of the United States Army wrote to Captain Cameron Mackenzie from September 17, 1943-October 27, 1943. The soldiers commented primarily on military life.

This collection is made up of 5 letters that members of the United States Army wrote to Captain Cameron Mackenzie From September 17, 1943-October 27, 1943. The soldiers commented primarily on military life. Mackenzie received 4 letters from men that he had served with in the 170th Field Artillery Battalion or other units, and received one letter from his uncle, Lieutenant Colonel George H. Davis. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information.

This collection contains letters that Lieutenant Herbert Brigdon Syrett wrote to his mother while serving with the United States Army during World War II, as well as a scrapbook about Syrett's military experiences. Syrett, a member of the 102nd Medical Battalion, described his training in the United States and Hawaii and his experiences in the Pacific Theater.

This collection contains around 580 letters that Lieutenant Herbert Brigdon Syrett ("Brig") wrote to his mother while serving with the United States Army during World War II, as well as a scrapbook (around 60 pages) about his military experiences.

The Correspondence series contains Syrett's letters to his mother from January 6, 1943-December 11, 1945; and 13 letters from Syrett to Howard and Miriam Cusack, January 10, 1944-August 23, 1945. He first described daily life and training exercises at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas. In April 1943, he was transferred to Camp Barkeley, Texas, where he participated in an officers' training program and recorded details about his daily schedule and courses. By August 1943, he had graduated and had joined the 102nd Medical Battalion for training at Camp Grant, Illinois, filling his correspondence with descriptions of the scenery and his travels. In December 1943, Syrett reported his safe arrival in Hawaii and his unit's preparations for campaigns in the jungles of the Pacific Theater. While in Hawaii, Syrett became a member of the Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach, and he also wrote about his training, military life, officer duties, and leave periods in Honolulu.

After May 1944, Syrett wrote from Saipan, where he participated in active combat during the Allied invasion. He recounted some of his experiences during the battle, such as living in a foxhole and witnessing bombing raids. After the battle, he commented on native life, the impact of the fighting, and insects. Syrett also reported his increasing religious faith and mentioned his religious activities, particularly after his first experiences in active combat. On December 3, 1944, he wrote about non-United States citizens who had joined the country's military forces. In April 1945, Syrett was transferred to Okinawa, Japan, and he compared the United States Army and United States Navy during his voyage. Throughout the summer of 1945, he anticipated the end of the war and wrote about the power of the atomic bomb, while expressing his hope that the war would end soon. After the Japanese surrender, he served in Okinawa, Muramatsu, and Niigata, Japan, which he described. An avid souvenir hunter, Syrett discussed his acquisitions throughout his military service. He also responded to news from home, provided information about other servicemen with whom he corresponded, and discussed the military's encouragement of V-mail services. An undated photograph of an unidentified soldier is housed at the end of the series.

Syrett occasionally enclosed items such as dried flowers, magazine articles, and newspaper clippings in his letters. In his correspondence with the Cusacks, Syrett occasionally sent snapshot photographs of himself, fellow soldiers, destroyed buildings, and scenery (November 24, 1944, 3 photos; January 25, 1945, 6 photos; March 1, 1945, 7 photos). He often wrote on stationery depicting the logos of the United States Army, United States Navy, Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Camp Barkeley, and Camp Grant, as well as stationery with scenes from Camp Barkeley and Hawaii. In 1945, Syrett sometimes composed letters on paper he took from Japanese soldiers. Some letters are V-mail letters, including pre-printed Easter and Mother's Day greetings.

The Scrapbook (around 60 pages) is comprised primarily of newspaper clippings and ephemera from Syrett's World War II service. The items are arranged roughly chronologically. He also collected newsletters, programs, and tickets during his time in the United States, as well as currency during his time abroad. Official documents such as Syrett's draft cards, military orders, and vaccine records are also present. Newspaper clippings relate to the 27th Army Division, jungle training exercises in Hawaii, the Battle of Saipan, the Battle of Okinawa, and the Pacific Theater. Christmas cards are also pasted into the volume.

This collection is comprised of 104 items related to Private First Class John Marshal Holcombe III's service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Holcombe sent about 90 letters and other items to his parents and siblings in Farmington, Connecticut, while in training in Florida, South Dakota, and Utah in 1942 and 1943, and while serving in Africa between 1943 and 1945. He commented on various aspects of his training, the war, his health, and military life. The collection also contains 4 documents, 2 newspaper clippings, and 6 loose photographs related to Holcombe's military service.

This collection is comprised of 104 items related to Private First Class John Marshal Holcombe III's service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Holcombe sent about 90 letters and other items to his parents and siblings in Farmington, Connecticut, while in training in Florida, South Dakota, and Utah in 1942 and 1943, and while serving in Africa between 1943 and 1945. He commented on various aspects of his training, the war, his health, and military life. The collection also contains 4 documents, 2 newspaper clippings, and 6 loose photographs related to Holcombe's military service.

The Correspondence series consists primarily of letters that John Holcombe III wrote to his parents, John Holcombe, Jr., and Marguerite Holcombe, and to his siblings, especially his sisters Ada ("Adie") and Gloria. Of the collection's 72 dated letters and other items, Holcombe composed 7 letters from the training center at Miami Beach, Florida, (June 1942-July 1942); 20 letters from the training center at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, (July 1942-December 1942); 4 letters from Kearns, Utah (December 1942-January 1943); and 35 letters from North and Central Africa between (February 1943-May 1945). Other items are a telegram, 3 letters from other soldiers to the Holcombe family, a blank record sheet for "Bombing Practise" [sic], and a speech that Holcombe composed in honor of his parents' 25th anniversary. Of the 20 undated items, 19 are letters from John Holcombe III to his family; the final item is a typed copy of his poem "Tropic Fever."

Holcombe's letters relate to many aspects of his life as a soldier, both in training and on active duty. An asthmatic, he frequently commented on his health; for example, his letters from late 1943 mention his stay in a hospital after he contracted malaria. Other letters describe the scenery in the United States and in Africa, as well as African cultures. Holcombe frequently referred to his experiences in training, which included drilling and attending technical classes, and he sometimes reported news of the war, such as Italy's surrender. He requested news from Connecticut and often wrote personal asides for his sister Ada. His later letters often concern his relationship with other soldiers, and increasingly provide more detailed information about his duties.

• July 6, 1942: Hand-drawn diagram of Holcombe's quarters, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• August 20, 1942: Printed chart for weather reports, filled out in pencil
• September 14, 1942: Photograph of an unidentified soldier sitting on a bunk
• October 14, 1942: Photographs of a soldier punting a football and a soldier next to technical equipment and a chalkboard
• January 12, 1943: Printed cartoon of a soldier washing dishes
• March 19, 1943: 8 photographs of Africans
• June 14, 1943: Poem dedicated to Ada Holcombe on her 19th birthday
• April 7, 1944: Unidentified plant leaf
• July 17, 1944: Enclosed poem dated July 11, 1944
• January 25, 1945: Small drawing of a stickwoman
• Undated: Printed cartoon of a soldier writing

Additionally, several letters dated after October 1944 have a wax seal, often labeled "The Seal of the Clan & Huck Finn."

• United States Army Air Forces Technical School diploma for John Holcombe III's completion of a radio mechanics course (November 27, 1942)
• Travel orders for John Holcombe III and other soldiers, United States Army Headquarters, West African Service Command (March 20, 1945)
• "Salvati Africa" ticket stub (undated)
• Humorous certificate for John Holcombe III's membership in the Marching and Mayhem Club, illustrated with cartoons depicting Japanese and German soldiers being wounded (undated)

The two Newspaper Clippings are a copy of The Spectator Daily (March 22, 1945), and a copy of a John D. Rockefeller, Jr., radio broadcast entitled "I Believe" (undated).

Six black-and-white Photographs illustrate scenes from Asmara, Eritrea, such as a market, a horse-drawn carriage, and buildings.

The Weston Marshack papers contain correspondence, news articles, and photographs pertaining to Herbert Weston Marshack ("Weston"), who served in the 179th Infantry in North Africa and Italy during World War II, and Robert C. Marshack, who was an observation pilot in the European Theater. The majority of the collection is made up of Weston Marshack's letters to his parents; it also includes correspondence to Marshack from acquaintances and family members in the United States.

The Weston Marshack collection (0.75 linear feet) contains correspondence and other items pertaining to the military service of Herbert Weston Marshack ("Weston") and Robert C. Marshack ("Bob") during World War II.

The Correspondence series (216 items) contains letters that Weston Marshack wrote to his family from February 1942-July 1944, as well as letters that family members and acquaintances wrote to Marshack during the war. Weston Marshack reported his experiences at Camp Croft, South Carolina, and in North Africa and Italy. He discussed his training and adaptation to military life, noted serving at Anzio, Italy, commented on the progress of the war, and described the scenery overseas, particularly in Sicily. His last letters concern medical issues and hospitalization. His correspondence includes picture postcards of buildings in Syracuse, New York; Richmond, Virginia; and Daytona Beach, Florida; as well as telegrams and V-mail letters. He sometimes included enclosures such as a newspaper clipping regarding the battle for Java (March 29, 1942) and a certificate attesting to the completion of his training at Camp Croft (July 6, 1942).

Marshack received letters about life on the home front, and occasionally received letters from his brother Robert ("Bob"), who was also in the U.S. military. A letter of support from a man at St. George's Rectory contains an enclosed booklet entitled Forward Day by Day (September 24, 1942). Among the collection's final items are letters from Bob Marshack to his sister Marion about life in France and Germany following the war.

The Printed Items series (6 items) contains 3 articles about World War II and soldiers (January 1943; April 3, 1945; and May 28, 1945) and Army Talk 146, a publication about the Red Cross and its relationship with the United States Army (October 26, 1946). The series also includes a stamped identification card concerning Weston Marshack's unemployment benefits around December 1941, and a postcard ordering Marshack to report to a doctor for a physical examination (December 10, 1941).

The Photographs series contains 19 black-and-white photographs pertaining to Robert C. Marshack's service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The pictures show groups of soldiers in uniform and military observation aircraft. Robert C. Marshack appears in at least 2 of the images, including one in which he and other lieutenants received awards for their work piloting observation planes. One labeled photograph was taken at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, in 1949.

This collection contains 10 letters that Lee and Grace De Graff and their son, Lee De Graff, Jr., received from men serving in the United States Armed Forces during and just after the Second World War.

This collection contains 10 letters that Lee and Grace De Graff and their son, Lee De Graff, Jr., received from members of the United States Armed Forces during and just after the Second World War. The first items are a letter in which Private Frederick T. Davis commented on machine gun training at the Air Forces Technical School at Lowry Field, Colorado (January 2, 1942), and a letter from Staff Sergeant Buddy Montana, a relative of the De Graff family, about his busy schedule and his correspondence habits (January 27, 1944).

The De Graffs' nephew, sailor Hugh Brown ("Hughie"), wrote 5 letters while stationed on P.C. 494 and serving in the Philippines from June 1944-April 1946. He requested information about family members in New York and provided his impressions of the Philippines; in one letter to Lee De Graff, Jr., Brown described local women (June 9, 1945). In another letter, he commented on the recent success of the New York Yankees, whom he followed while recovering from tonsillitis in a Brooklyn hospital, enclosing 5 humorous (unrelated) cartoons (April 6, 1946). By the end of the war, Brown was stationed in Subic Bay, Luzon, and intended to return home and marry a woman named Peggy (undated).

Lee and Grace De Graff also received a letter and a Christmas card from Private William W. Kosboth of the 304th Medical Battalion, as well as a V-mail letter from William H. Whipple, who included a Christmas card from the 14th Air Force ([1945]). The final item is a typed speech by M. A. De Graff urging donations for the Second Red Cross War Fund (undated).

The Janeth Coates papers primarily contain correspondence between Janeth Zebedee Coates and his wife, Cecil Marie Brannon, written while he served with the Army Air Forces in India during World War II. Coates commented on his military work and life in India and frequently urged his wife to remain faithful to him during his time overseas.

The Janeth Coates papers (220 items) primarily contain correspondence between Janeth Zebedee Coates and his wife, Cecil Marie Brannon. The majority of the collection is made up of around 200 letters that the couple exchanged during Janeth's service with the United States Army Air Forces in India from 1944-1945. He wrote 175 letters to his wife about his work, health, and complaints about the weather, as well as other aspects of his daily life. His Christian beliefs are evident throughout his correspondence, and he often referred to his attendance at church.

Coates repeatedly insisted that his wife maintain a distance between herself and other men; among his proclamations of unconditional love are references to his suspicions that she might cheat on him and to the consequences of such behavior. On June 23, 1945, he mentioned women who remarried soon after hearing reports of their husbands' deaths, only to have their first husbands return alive, and he insisted that Cecil wait at least two or three years before considering remarriage if she received news that he had died.

Though he wrote most frequently about their relationship, Coates occasionally mentioned the war, particularly its effect on his health; he reported having trouble sleeping and suffered from nervousness, particularly after coming under fire (November 30, 1944). Although he was not allowed to share many details about his job, he encouraged Cecil to read Life for informative articles on American forces in India. On December 18, 1944, he shared news of his brother J. P., who was recovering from a "blast concussion" sustained while on duty in the South Pacific. In addition to his outgoing correspondence, the collection also holds 24 letters written to Janeth Coates during his service; 21 are from his wife, who wrote mostly about her love for him and news from home, and 3 are from other family members.

Additional material includes a humorous illustrated form letter addressed to "Chief Closemouth" from "Snooks" (March 11, 1943), several receipts, printed documents regarding the return of veterans to the United States after the completion of their military service, printed programs, an invitation, and business cards. The collection also contains several photographs of soldiers and of men and women on vacation at a beach.

This collection is made up of over 280 letters that Sergeant Randall M. Stine wrote to his parents and siblings in Portland, Pennsylvania, while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Stine wrote about camp life in the United States and about his experiences in North Africa and Italy.

This collection is made up of over 280 letters that Sergeant Randall M. Stine wrote to his parents and siblings in Portland, Pennsylvania, while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Stine wrote home regularly from October 22, 1942-August 13, 1945, with a few gaps during periods of travel. His first letters concern his arrival and experiences at Camp Pickett, Virginia, and Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he was trained as a cook. He shared his impressions of the South, fellow soldiers, and camp life. In December 1942, he sent illustrated Christmas cards to his sisters.

After his arrival in North Africa, Stine wrote every few days about his work at the 105th Station Hospital; he continued to cook for staff and patients following the hospital's relocation to Italy in 1944. On one occasion, he complained about the soldiers' mealtime behavior. In his spare time, Stine read magazines, played checkers, watched movies, and attended USO shows. In one letter from mid-1945, he discussed his visit to a rest camp in Rome, and on August 11, 1945, he reported the news of the Japanese surrender offer.

This collection contains 16 letters that Captain William H. Fields wrote to Charles L. Bowden and Urney Fields Bowden of Macon, Georgia, while serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He mentioned his participation in military combat and described his life in the Hawaiian Islands, where he held an administrative position. The collection also includes a letter from a mother to her son.

This collection (17 items) contains 16 letters that Captain William H. Fields ("Will") wrote to Charles L. Bowden ("Charlie") and Urney Fields Bowden of Macon, Georgia, while serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, as well as a letter from a mother to her son. Fields wrote about his participation in military combat and his life in the Hawaiian Islands, where he held an administrative position.

Captain William H. Fields wrote to the Bowdens from January 3, 1943-April 30, 1945, while serving with the V Amphibious Corps near Honolulu, Hawaii. He commented on life in Hawaii, reported the contents of his care packages, and responded to their news. In one letter, Fields mentioned having been in "the thick" of combat (January 3, [1943]); censorship restrictions prevented him from disclosing additional information. He mentioned his commendation for his administrative work and voiced a desire to join the staff of General Holland McTyeire Smith (August 11, 1944). Fields also wrote an undated letter from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. An additional letter from a mother to her son concerns an argument with the family's housekeeper and other news from Macon, Georgia (September 28, 1942).

This collection contains 118 letters that Private Charles W. Lund of Edgerton, Wisconsin, wrote to his family while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Lund trained at bases in Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and later served in the European Theater.

This collection (122 items) contains 118 letters that Private Charles W. Lund of Edgerton, Wisconsin, wrote to his family while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Lund trained at bases in Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and later served in the European Theater.

The Correspondence series (119 items) comprises the bulk of the collection. Lund, who addressed the majority of his letters to his mother, frequently inquired about his siblings and other relatives in his correspondence from November 26, 1942-August 1, 1945. At Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and Fort McClellan, Alabama, he commented on basic training and other aspects of camp life. Two of his letters from December 1942 concern members of the 100th Infantry Battalion, a regiment comprised of Japanese soldiers, and Lund reported one lethal fight in which a Texan killed a Japanese man (December 14, 1942). At the Mississippi Ordnance Plant and at Camp Forest, Tennessee, Lund wrote about the weather, family news, and his health.

After his arrival in England in February 1944, he discussed his finances, as well as ongoing health problems and hospitalization. During the summer of 1944, his regiment was stationed on an island where they encountered Italian prisoners of war. Lund was hospitalized again for back problems in September 1944. After rejoining his unit in 1945, he described his experiences in Germany. In the summer of 1945, he oversaw prisoners of war at a submarine factory in Mönchengladbach, and he anticipated a furlough and possible transfer to the Pacific Theater. Lund sent 2 greeting cards home in December 1944, and the series also includes a V-mail letter and a postcard regarding address changes. The final item is an undated letter that a soldier named Robert wrote to his mother from the United States Naval Air Station at Norfolk, Virginia.

The Visual Material series (3 items) contains a color photograph of a soldier with a dog and 2 pages of Sad Sack comic strips.

This collection contains 6 letters that Private Harold Young wrote to Faye McIntyre, a friend, while serving with the United States Army during World War II. He first worked as a Quartermaster Corps driver based at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and then transferred to Camp Butner, North Carolina, where he trained with the Signal Corps. Young discussed his opinions on the army, his changing military ambitions, and his desire to return to Oregon after the war.

This collection contains 6 letters that Private Harold Young wrote to Faye McIntyre of Elgin, Oregon, while serving with the United States Army at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and Camp Butner, North Carolina, during World War II.

Initially, Young expressed surprise that she had found his address and initiated communication, though later letters indicate that Young knew McIntyre's parents and had many acquaintances in common with her. He first responded to a letter on August 28, 1942, and confirmed that he was a member of a noncombatant unit, though he had the opportunity to volunteer for a dangerous active service unit; he later wrote that he was "looking to die at a young age" by participating in overseas service (September 5, 1942). These first two letters urge McIntyre to follow her impulse to come east to visit him and allude to a liaison the couple enjoyed in San Francisco. In 1943, Young reported that he had married another woman, though he declared that his "heart belong[ed] in Oregon" (June 3, 1943).

After volunteering for the Signal Corps, Young wrote four letters from Camp Butner, North Carolina, detailing the unit's training as an amphibious invasion force (June 3 and June 25, 1943). Additionally, he expressed his distaste for the hot weather and inadequate social activities, his increasing disenchantment with his military placement, and his hope of returning to the West Coast (July 19 and August 21, 1943). Two of his letters bear graphic letterheads from Camp Butner, depicting soldiers in action.