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Start Over You searched for: Names United States. Army. Remove constraint Names: United States. Army. Subjects World War, 1939-1945--France. Remove constraint Subjects: World War, 1939-1945--France. Formats Letters (correspondence) Remove constraint Formats: Letters (correspondence)
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Collection

Erna Maas collection, 1943-1946

37 items

This collection is made up of 34 letters that United States military personnel wrote to army nurse Erna E. Maas during and just after World War II, as well as 3 letters that she received from an acquaintance in New Jersey. The 10 military men discussed their service in the Pacific and European Theaters, shared news of mutual acquaintances, and commented on military life.

This collection consists of 34 letters that United States military personnel wrote to army nurse Erna E. Maas during and just after World War II, as well as 3 letters that Maas received from Gus A. Ochsner, who commented on his work for the Bloomfield, New Jersey, Department of Health. Maas received 35 manuscript letters and V-mail, 1 typed letter, and 1 postcard with a picture of Geneva, Switzerland (postmarked February 1, 1946).

The soldiers, who were members of the United States Army, United States Army Air Forces, and United States Marine Corps, discussed aspects of their service in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Theater between April 1943 and June 1946, often commenting on their travels and their appreciation for Maas and other nurses. The men in Europe served in England, France, Germany, and Austria. Some shared news of mutual acquaintances and Maas's younger brother. A man named Larry briefly described his visit to World War I cemeteries at Verdun and noted the differences between trenches and foxholes (February 5, 1945). Fred A. Kierstead, Jr. (10 items), and "Don" (10 items) wrote most frequently, and several other men wrote 1-3 letters each; see below for a complete list of correspondents.

List of Correspondents
  • Jack Bauer (1 item, April 19, 1943)
  • "Don" (14 items, September 30, 1945-June 20, 1946, and undated)
  • George Gabriel (1 item, February 1, 1946)
  • "G. G. G." (2 items, March 4, 1946-April 25, 1946)
  • Carl Goldschrafe (2 items, October 26, 1944-May 17, 1945)
  • Fred A. Kierstead, Jr. (10 items, July 22, 1944-August 29, 1945)
  • "Larry" (1 item, February 5, 1945)
  • "Nick" (1 item, undated)
  • Gus A. Ochsner (3 items, January 25, 1944-June 7, 1944)
  • "Pete" (2 items, June 10, 1945-June 23, 1945)
Collection

Leonard Lord letters, 1943-1946 (majority within 1944-1946)

0.5 linear feet

This collection contains letters that Captain Leonard Lord wrote to his wife Marge while serving in the United States Army's European Civil Affairs regiments during World War II. Lord discussed his experiences in England and France during the final year of the war, as well as his postwar experiences in Germany, where he worked with displaced persons.

This collection (86 items) contains letters that Captain Leonard Lord wrote to his wife Marge while serving in the United States Army's European Civil Affairs regiments during World War II.

Lord's first letter, dated December 8, 1943, concerns his experiences at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, where his unit tested toxic gases. He wrote the remaining letters from Europe between June 3, 1944, and February 27, 1946. In the summer of 1944, Lord was stationed in England; by the fall of that year he had been deployed to France, where he commented on the effects of the war on French citizens and mentioned his travels, though he could not reveal his specific locations. On several occasions, Lord referred to his previous experiences in France during World War I. By April 1945, Lord's unit, part of the 3rd Army, was involved in relocating displaced Europeans, many of whom had been forced laborers in German camps; some required medical procedures such as amputations. Lord worked in Bamberg and Würzburg, Germany, until at least February 1946; he and his units worked with liaison officers from European countries such as Poland and the Soviet Union, and Lord reported that some Soviet citizens did not wish to return. In his later letters, Lord sometimes discussed his finances. At least one letter is addressed to Lord's brother Edward ("Ted").