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

This collection is made up of letters to Louis J. Licht and his daughter Elizabeth ("Betty") of Geneva, New York. Richard Licht, Louis's son and Betty's brother, often wrote about his experiences in France, where he served with the 307th Machine Gun Battalion during World War I.

This collection is made up of 14 letters to Louis J. Licht and his daughter Elizabeth ("Betty") of Geneva, New York. Richard Licht, Louis's son and Betty's brother, wrote 12 letters to his family between July 7, 1918, and March 27, 1919. He discussed aspects of his service with the 307th Machine Gun Battalion near the front lines in France, such as marches through ruined towns, rat-infested sleeping quarters, the prevalence of thick mud, and his work. Though he often had problems with his truck, including difficult navigation across treacherous roads littered with shell holes, Licht was happy that he avoided an assignment to an aviation unit. He expressed his confidence in an Allied victory.

In a letter dated December 22, 1918 (likely written earlier in the fall), Licht wrote a detailed account of life near the front lines, describing hastily abandoned German trenches, leftover military paraphernalia in the woods, the experience of being shelled, and antiaircraft fire shooting at hostile planes. According to Licht, the Germans constructed a bowling alley within their trench system, and the American troops reacted to close shelling with laughter rather than fear. Licht's final letter concerns his pride after an inspection by General John J. Pershing. The Licht family also received letters from Chauncey Wayne Grove at Camp Hospital #6 (January 29, 1919) and "Pete" Bodine of the 266th Military Police Company (February 27, 1919); Bodine discussed the importance of, and danger to, "runners" who facilitated communication between units along the trenches.

The Stanley D. Carpenter correspondence consists of letters that Carpenter wrote to his mother and grandmother while serving with the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. He described his experiences while training at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia and discussed conditions in the trenches in France. The collection also has 4 lists of items sent to Carpenter during his military service.

This collection consists of 60 letters and 2 postcards that Stanley D. Carpenter wrote to his mother and grandmother while serving with the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. The collection also has 4 lists of items sent to Carpenter during his military service.

Carpenter first wrote home from Port Royal, South Carolina, on February 21, 1917, to report his 4-year enlistment, and he regularly corresponded with his mother throughout his time in the military. His early letters reveal his enthusiasm for military life and describe several aspects of his training, including his daily routine and his uniform and equipment allotments, at marine corps bases at Parris Island, South Carolina; Portsmouth, Virginia; and Quantico, Virginia. Several of his letters have enclosures, such as two pieces of palm for Palm Sunday (March 11, 1917); a color print of a soldier, labeled to illustrate Carpenter's equipment (March 15, 1917); a printed copy of the Marines' Hymn (May 8, 1917); and a program from the Academy of Music in Norfolk, Virginia (May 13, 1917). By May 1917, he anticipated being sent to France, and on June 7, 1917, mentioned seeing Woodrow Wilson while visiting Washington, D. C. Several of these letters are sealed with American flag stickers.

Carpenter wrote his first letter from France on July 19, 1917, assuring his mother that he had arrived safely and in good health, and wrote frequently about the war and his experiences. He initially visited the local Y.M.C.A., though he later severely criticized the organization. He mentioned his religious habits and those of other soldiers, and his unit regularly participated in drill exercises. By January 1918, Carpenter began to serve on the front lines, and he later provided a detailed account of life in the trenches (May 2, 1918). While in France, he also described his quarters, local French houses, and inspections by General John J. Pershing. He wrote his last letter on May 30, 1918, and enclosed 3 receipts for money transfers.

Other correspondence includes a telegram that Caroline Carpenter sent to Stanley D. Carpenter on February 19, 1917, urging him to reconsider his enlistment and offering to pay for his return to Pennsylvania; a letter she wrote to the commanding officer of the Marine Barracks at Port Royal, South Carolina, asking him to look after Stanley (February 20, 1917); and a letter that Major W. Garland Fay wrote to Caroline Carpenter, apologizing for his inability to have Stanley assigned to a post closer to home [June 1917]. The collection also contains 4 lists of items sent to Stanley D. Carpenter during his military service.

The United States Signal Corps Photographic Collection contains approximately 1,630 photographs of the American Expeditionary Forces taken by the Signal Corps during WWI throughout the Western Front. The collection is divided into three volumes and one box, all loosely arranged by topic. General topics include destruction, battlefields and trenches, artillery, monuments, and postwar celebrations.

The United States Signal Corps photographic collection contains approximately 1,630 photos (many of which are duplicates) of the AEF taken by the Signal Corps during WWI throughout the Western Front. The collection is divided into three volumes and one box, all loosely arranged by topic. General topics include the AEF, warfare destruction, battlefields and trenches, artillery, monuments, and postwar celebrations.

Numerous photographs have handwritten and typewriter captions on the back, often stating location and subject matter. Also found on the back are different stamped inscriptions, including "Passed as Censored."

Many photos have an alpha-numeric code handwritten on verso that corresponds to the Catalogue of official A.E.F. Photographs. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1919, which can be found online through the Internet Archive.

Volume 1 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, Belgium, and the U.S. The bulk of these photos are of monuments in Paris, the Palace of Versailles, Rhineland-Palatinate, and unidentified rural areas depicting farmland and civilian life.

• Paris, France
• Washington, D.C.
• Château-Thierry, France
• Bacharach, Germany
• Vincennes, France
• Fontainebleau, France
• Dordogne, France
• Pierrefonds, France
• Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany
• Bendorf, Germany
• Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
• Andernach, Germany
• Altenahr, Germany
• Pont-à-Mousson, France
• Saint-Léger, Belgium
• Humes-Jorquenay, France
• Montsec, France
• Varennes-en-Argonne, France
• Joué-lès-Tours, France
• Soissons, France
• Brieulles-sur-Meuse, France
• Vaux-lès-Palameix, France

Volume 2 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, and Belgium. Much of these photos relate to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, destruction (both urban and rural), casualties, battlefields and trenches, artillery, cemeteries, various AEF training schools, naval operations, and prisoners.

• La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, France
• Mayschoß, Germany
• Forest of Argonne, France
• Brieulles-sur-Bar, France
• Les Petites-Armoises, France
• Varennes-en-Argonne, France
• Exermont, France
• Chatel-Chéhéry, France
• Étraye, France
• Grandpré, France
• Cochem, Germany
• Pinon, France
• Saint-Remy-la-Calonne, France
• Montfaucon-d'Argonne, France
• Berzy-le-Sec, France
• Dannevoux, France
• Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France
• Saint-Quentin, France
• Soissons, France
• Ypres, France
• Hooglede, France
• Mouzon, Ardennes, France
• Château-Thierry, France
• Verdun, France
• Metz, France
• Rémonville, France
• Juvigny, France
• Péronne, France
• Chaudun, France
• Chavignon, France
• Moirey-Flabas-Crépion, France
• Reims, France
• Cambrai, France
• Neuvilly, France
• Vaux-Champagne, France
• Haudiomont, France
• Paris, France
• Koblenz (Coblenz), Germany
• Oberwinter, Germany
• Mont-Saint-Michel, France
• Chamonix, France
• Nanteuil-lès-Meaux, France
• Lucy, France
• Thiaucourt-Regniéville, France
• Seicheprey, France
• Nonsard-Lamarche, France
• Colombey-les-Belles, France
• Épieds, France
• Boureuilles, France
• Beaumont, France
• Dormiers, France
• Bertricamp, France
• Bois de Hesse, France
• Gondrecourt-le-Château, France
• Langres, France
• Le Charmel, France
• Villers-Bretonneux, France
• Saint-Aignan, France
• Landreville (Ardennes), France
• Imécourt, France
• Nantillois, France
• Stenay, France
• Butgnéville, France
• Le Mort Homme, France
• Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France
• Gland, France
• Herbeville, France
• Vacherauville, France
• Baleycourt, France
• Marseilles, France
• Vaux-Andigny, France
• Saint-Juvin, France
• Brieulles-sur-Meuse, France
• Bohain-en-Vermandois, France
• Mézy-sur-Seine, France
• Badonviller, France
• Bois de Belleau, France
• Bazoches, France
• Châteauvillain, France
• Ploisy, France
• Suresnes, France

Volume 3 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the U.S. The most substantial topics are the Treaty of Versailles, postwar parades and celebrations, Interallied Games, U.S. strategic army maps, drawings of army corps and division insignias, and aircrafts. Notable figures include President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. Pershing, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, President Raymond Poincaré, and Marshal Ferdinand Foch.

• Chaumont, France
• Langres, France
• Versailles, France
• Paris, France
• Le Havre, France
• Sainte-Menehould, France
• Gironde, France
• Château-Thierry, France
• New York City, United States
• Hoboken, United States
• Bendorf, Germany
• London, England
• Dublin, Ireland
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Montreux, Switzerland
• Florence, Italy
• Vinets, France
• Reims, France

Box 1 contains approximately 820 photographs taken in France, Germany, Belgium, Monaco, and the U.S. This box contains all of the aforementioned topics supplemented by French Riviera, Loire Valley, ruins of Reims, Château de Fontainebleau, Pyrenees, Alps, AEF, and personal photographs.

• Ypres, Belgium
• Albert, France
• Dun-sur-Meuse, France
• Reims, France
• Saint-Quentin, France
• Montsec, France
• Cantigny, France
• Château-Thierry, France
• Paris, France
• Koblenz (Coblenz), Germany
• Meaux, France
• Vincennes, France
• Versailles, France
• Fontainebleau, France
• Joinville-le-Pont, France
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Lourdes, France
• Menton, France
• Nimes, France
• Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
• Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
• Mont-Saint-Michel, France
• Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Azay-le-Rideau, France
• Loches, France
• Amboise, France
• Montrésor, France
• Le Lude, France
• Rigny-Ussé, France
• Saumur, France
• Chinon, France
• Langeais, France
• Blois, France
• Saint-Savin, France
• Luz-Saint-Sauveur, France