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

This collection contains the World War II-era correspondence of sisters Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd of the Bronx and Kingston, New York, respectively, as well as that of Margaret's fiancé, Tony Gioia, who served in Europe during the war. Much of the collection consists of Tony's letters to Margaret, written during his training and describing life in the European theater, as well as letters from several soldiers and sailors to Dorothy and newspaper clippings related to the war.

This collection contains the World War II-era Correspondence of sisters Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd of the Bronx and Kingston, New York, respectively, as well as that of Margaret's later husband, Tony Gioia, who served in Europe during the war. The majority of the letters date between 1942 and 1946, and were written to the sisters by Gioia and other members of the United States military serving in both major theaters of the war. Dorothy received letters from men serving in the army, navy, and coast guard, who described various aspects of military life. One of her most frequent correspondents was her cousin, James Dingman, a corporal with the 65th Fighter Squadron. Along with news of his health and his thoughts on military life, he described a pilot's death during training in Groton, Connecticut (May 7, 1942), and told his aunt, Dorothy's mother Margaret, about an audience with the Pope in Rome (October 25, 1944).

The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Tony Gioia to Margaret Brainerd, his girlfriend and future wife. Tony wrote of camp life and his related work at Camp Swift, Texas, and of the war in Europe after his unit was stationed there in October 1944. Tony served throughout Western and Central Europe, and frequently described military actions; he also attempted to share a picture of the war from a soldier's point of view, and he warned Margaret that the mainstream media was not a reliable source for such information (December 4, 1944). After the war, he remained in Europe for several months, and described the busy life of American soldiers during the military occupation of Germany. Though the bulk of the correspondence ends in 1946, after Tony's return to New York, the collection contains several letters to both Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd from friends and family in the late 1940s. The collection also holds a handful of letters to Tony Gioia from his parents, written in Italian, and a few written to him by Margaret, mostly after the war. In a series of three letters, William Roosa, a member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, wrote to his father about his recall to the army and preparation for participation in the Korean War; he wrote one of these from Korea (February 18, 1951).

The collection also holds Newspaper clippings from the war, including several sent from Tony to Margaret during his service in Europe.

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.

The Dorothy Andrew letters consist of 16 letters addressed to her by five of her nephews during their military service in the European and Pacific theaters during the last year of the Second World War.

The Dorothy Andrew letters consist of 16 letters addressed to her by five of her nephews during their military service in the Second World War. Her nephew Francis Earl Smith, a frequent correspondent, reported on his life in Belgium and England in 1944 and 1945. His letters reflect an interest in local currency; when he was in Belgium, he enclosed two local coins in a letter; one was Belgian money and the other was German invasion money (January 12, 1944). In the same letter, he remarked that even though he saw only a "fraction of what is happening," he found no glory in war. In England during the June 1944 "invasion of Hitler's Fortress [Europe]" (June 9, 1944), he expressed his hopes for a quick end to the war and, later, told her of his life in Germany in the early days of the occupation (August 14, 1945). He shared his fear of the atomic bomb following the conclusion of the war in the Pacific: "That new bomb makes one realize how quickly this world could be destroyed. Let's hope they put it to good use instead of destructive power for another war." (Germany, August 14, 1945)

Dorothy's other nephews related similar aspects of military life, including a dislike of the tedium of the army. Richard frequently complained of the swamps near the air base in Alexandria, Virginia, and Dale K. Smith mentioned the weather in the central Pacific. Several of the letters referred to another relation, Dewey; Dale encouraged him to stay out of the army, but Robert (Bob) wanted to know, "what the hell are you waiting for?" (March 23, 1945). Bob described his impression of Indians' opinions of America in his December 1944 letter, written from "somewhere in India," and in a later letter enclosed Chinese money and Japanese invasion money as souvenirs (March 23, 1945).