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

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater.

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater. Stecker addressed his letters to his mother and stepfather in Torrance, California, and to a woman named Joan who lived with them, from July 12, 1942, to September 8, 1943. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, until late August, when he joined the crew of the Oceanographer, which served in the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, and the South Pacific during the war. Stecker wrote primarily about his everyday life and discussed his meals, hobbies, and acquaintances. In Norfolk, he met a woman whose husband had gone to war, and he later discussed a relationship with a married woman, reporting her intention of getting a divorce. Stecker frequently responded to news of acquaintances from home and on one occasion offered advice for a man named "Bus," who considered joining the navy. A pencil drawing of a man in profile is enclosed in Stecker's letter of February 2, 1943.