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This collection is made up of 5 diaries that Frederick Lafferty composed while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Lafferty, who worked in a communications unit, described his experiences at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts; Victoria, Australia; New Caledonia; and Guadalcanal.

This collection is made up of 5 diaries that Frederick Lafferty composed while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Lafferty, who worked in a communications unit, described his experiences at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts; Victoria, Australia; New Caledonia; and Guadalcanal. The volumes cover March 24, 1941, and November 17, 1942, with detailed entries for January 20, 1942-August 11, 1942, and October 1, 1942-November 17, 1942.

Lafferty began his first diary with his enlistment and early training in the United States, and started keeping regular entries in late January 1942, after his deployment overseas. In a note to Helen dated August 15, 1942 (pp. 27-29), Lafferty indicated his desire for her to read his diary. He anticipated an upcoming assignment, and shared his belief in military service as a duty to one's country.

Lafferty wrote about his experiences onboard the transport ship Santa Elena while traveling from the United States to Australia via the Panama Canal; his stay in Ballarat and Melbourne, Australia; and his journey to New Caledonia, where he remained for several months. As a member of a communications unit, he often worked in a "message room" and reported rumors of upcoming maneuvers and news of recent battles; his unit worked in cooperation with French radio operators. He heard, and related, stories of Marines who had participated in combat against Japanese forces.

Lafferty's diaries primarily reflect aspects of soldiers' daily lives, such as meals and the poor quality of the food, mail, inspections, leisure activities, and religious habits. A Catholic, he often reported his discussions with priests, attended mass, and prayed the rosary. He also occasionally discussed air raids and training exercises.

Lafferty's final diary almost exclusively concerns his active participation during the Guadalcanal campaign. This diary also has a list of items the soldiers carried (pages 34-35).

Non-textual matter includes a picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill posed next to the Statue of Liberty and the flags of the United States and Britain (cover of the 3rd diary). Also, an entry is written on the inside of a Philip Morris cigarette package (laid into the 5th diary).

Two of the diaries contain enclosures:

• Volume 1
  • Printed maps of Ballarat, Australia [ca. 1942]
  • La France Australe, New Caledonia newspaper (August 13, 1942)
• Volume 5
  • Recipe for developing film (undated)
  • United States Army bulletin regarding military information and artillery practices, "Sterling Brand" Grape Juice, and battle precautions (August 9, 1942)
  • Real photograph postcard from Fred to Mrs. Eliza Lafferty, Boston, Massachusetts (September 4, 1906)
  • New Caledonia stamp [ca. 1942]

The collection holds two loose items. The first is a letter from Frederick Lafferty to his sister Helen about his intention to send her his diaries after the conclusion of the war. The other is a printed program for a memorial service held by the Elks of Boston, Lodge No. 10. Frederick Lafferty is recognized in a list of "Deceased Brothers," 1945-1946.

This collection contains World War II-era correspondence between Garrison ("Garry") and Jane Dover of Queens, New York, as well as letters that Garrison Dover received from other family members. Jane told Garrison, an army private, about her social activities, her work, and life on the home front; he wrote about his affection for her and his uncertainty about overseas deployment while stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and at Camp Beale, California.

This collection (96 items) contains World War II-era correspondence between Garrison ("Garry") and Jane Dover of Queens, New York, as well as letters that Garrison Dover received from other family members.

Jane Dover wrote the majority of the letters, describing her life and social activities on the home front and commenting on her work for a temp agency, finances, and, on one occasion, the effect of the Victory Tax on her paycheck (October 29, 1943); she frequently sent money to her husband. Her letters also reflect Garrison's updates about his training at the Aberdeen Proving Ground from October 1943-March 1944.

Between March 17, 1944, and April 10, 1944, Garrison Dover wrote 12 letters to his wife from Camp Beale, California, where he anticipated being sent overseas. He described his travels to Sacramento on weekend passes and various aspects of camp life. On May 23, 1944, his wife reported that a Ouija game had predicted his return home on April 2, 1945, and she sent him a birthday card in late August. Her letter of September 14, 1944, mentions a hurricane threatening Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jane also wrote about the 1944 presidential election, including her growing distaste for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (September 26, 1944) and a literacy test she underwent as a first-time voter (October 12, 1944). Her final letter to Garrison is dated February 7, 1945, during his recovery at Mason General Hospital in Brentwood, Long Island. The collection also contains a card that Jane wrote to her husband in June 1945, while he lived and worked in Utica, New York, and letters that Garrison Dover received from family members.

This collection contains letters that Staff Sergeant George J. Mahl wrote to his mother and sister while serving in the 346th Infantry Regiment in Europe during World War II. He described his service in England, France, and Belgium, and discussed his recuperation from a leg wound in army hospitals in France and England.

This collection (70 items) contains 63 letters that Staff Sergeant George J. Mahl wrote to his mother and sister while serving in the 346th Infantry Regiment in Europe during World War II. He described his service in England, France, and Belgium, and discussed his recuperation from a thigh fracture in army hospitals in France and England.

During his service overseas, Mahl sent letters and V-mail to his mother and sister, Marie and Helene Mahl. After arriving in England in October 1944, he discussed his transatlantic journey and commented on English food, currency, weather, and scenery. Mahl's regiment was transferred to France later that month, and he commented on war destruction, the effects of the weather, and the differences between civilian life in France and in England. He mentioned participating in active combat, and wrote one letter from a town his company had captured near the German border, in which he noted the increase in soldiers' church attendance following battle (December 17, 1944). Mahl, who was proficient in German, listened to German radio broadcasts, translated orders for German-speaking civilians, and communicated with German prisoners upon their surrender. Some of his letters have been censored.

Mahl was shot in the leg while fighting in Belgium in January 1945, and his remaining letters concern his medical condition and recovery. He wrote about his discomfort, described his medical treatments in French and English military hospitals, discussed fellow wounded men, and noted a large influx of patients in March. He occasionally remarked on his postwar plans, including the possibility of attending college. The Mahl family also received an official military telegraph and 4 postcards about Mahl's injury and recuperation. The collection contains 2 additional V-mail letters: one from George Mahl to Colonel F. M. Sheffield (ca. October 30, 1944) and one from Technical Sergeant Lee Zipfel to the Mahl family, concerning Zipfel's service in India (February 4, 1945). Mahl enclosed 2 photographs in his letter of March 25, 1945.

This collection contains 52 letters that George Van Buskirk received while working as county clerk for Bergen County, New Jersey, between 1917 and 1919. Multiple soldiers from Hackensack, New Jersey, wrote to him about military life at Camp Dix and other bases in the United States, and service in Europe during and after World War I.

This collection contains 52 letters that George Van Buskirk received while serving as county clerk for Bergen County, New Jersey, between 1917 and 1919. Multiple soldiers from Hackensack, New Jersey, wrote to him about military life at bases in the United States, and service in Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces during and after World War I. They occasionally requested assistance with administrative military matters.

George Van Buskirk's correspondents commented on their experiences at American military bases, including Fort Dix, New Jersey; Camp McClellan, Alabama; Camp Crane, Pennsylvania; Camp Greene, North Carolina; and Camp Humphreys, Virginia. The writers served in different infantry, artillery, and medical regiments. At least one writer served with a British regiment, though he referred to Hackensack as his home. Many of the soldiers traveled to France, though few participated in combat. The men often referred to other soldiers from Hackensack, including Van Buskirk's other correspondents. After the war, the writers provided details about their overseas experiences; one recalled his travel and combat experiences (November 28, 1918). Others expressed regret or gratitude that they had not seen action. One letter respects life in postwar Coblenz, Germany.

The correspondence often includes requests for Van Buskirk's assistance with transfers, discharges, or other administrative issues. One woman wrote, protesting that a man had falsely claimed her as a dependent in order to obtain a quicker discharge (February 4, 1919). Other items of interest are letters from William Ruland about steam boilers; a postcard depicting a well in Beaune, France; and a letter chastising Van Buskirk and an unidentified committee for failing to recognize the Knights of Columbus volunteers when honoring war veterans. Drafts of Van Buskirk's typed responses are attached to a few of the letters.

This collection contains approximately 50 letters that Private First Class George W. Ingram wrote to his mother and siblings in Boyne City, Michigan, while he served with the United States Army between 1943 and 1945. Ingram corresponded with his family while in training in the United States and while stationed in North Africa, Italy, and southern France with a military police unit. The collection also includes a document, 2 postcards, photographs, a photograph album, and ephemeral items.

This collection contains approximately 50 letters that Private First Class George W. Ingram wrote to his mother and siblings in Boyne City, Michigan, while he served with the United States Army between 1943 and 1945. Ingram corresponded with his family while in training in the United States and while stationed in North Africa, Italy, and southern France with a military police unit. The collection also includes a document, 2 postcards, photographs, a photograph album, and ephemeral items.

The Correspondence series contains George Ingram's letters to his family, as well as 2 postcards and 1 document. He wrote regularly to his mother, Sadie Ingram, and less frequently to his siblings, Bob and Guy, between January 1943 and February 1945. In his earliest letters, he commented on his experiences at Camp Grant, Illinois, and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where he attended basic training. By March, he relocated to Camp River Rouge, Michigan, and anticipated being sent to military police training. In July 1943, he reported that he had been deployed overseas as a member of the "149th Prov. M.P. Det.," and that he would help guard prisoners of war.

Ingram wrote about his service in North Africa, Italy, and southern France, and he frequently responded to news of friends from home. He occasionally mentioned his religious habits. After his return to the United States in late 1944, Ingram discussed his wife Betty, expressing hopes that his family would approve of her and inquiring about their opinions of her. He shared some of his postwar plans and related his efforts to obtain a medical discharge from the army. Ingram spent much of early 1945 as a member of the Army Service Forces at Camp Peary, Virginia. Throughout his service, he occasionally wrote on illustrated stationery, and he sent his mother 1 postcard from Wisconsin, which includes an image of two Mongolian pheasants. The series holds a "War Savings Bond Pay Reservation Application," signed by George W. Ingram in January 1943.

The Photographs series includes 4 individual photographs, a photographic negative, and 1 photo album. The photo album (52 pages) contains snapshots and portraits taken primarily in and around Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan, between 1941 and 1943. Most pictures depict soldiers, young women, and a baby. Other scenes include St. Petersburg, Florida; Niagara Falls; and the United States Capitol.

The Printed items and ephemera series contains newspaper clippings of a poem and an image of a bride, a certificate for Bob Ingram's service in the United States Crop Corps Victory Farm Volunteers program in 1945, and a booklet illustrating methods for creating shadow illustrations with one's hands.

The Realia series consists of a pair of iron ice tongs.

The Griffin family papers contain the letters of a family from Sempronius, New York, and are comprised primarily of correspondence from Lavalette and Reynolds Griffin while serving with the 75th New York Volunteers during the Civil War.

The Griffin family papers contain the letters of the Griffin Family of Sempronius, New York, and are comprised primarily of correspondence from Lavalette and Reynolds Griffin while serving with the 75th New York Volunteers during the Civil War. The collection is composed of 20 letters, 4 miscellaneous compositions, 2 newspaper clippings, and 16 photographs and negatives.

The Correspondence series contains 20 letters, four of which date before the war. The earliest letter is from a group of men, including Daniel Griffin, to their landlord requesting that their credit be extended, because of a bad harvest (1799). The next two are between Adnah H. Griffin and Ephraim, Louisa and Jane Griffin, and concern family issues (1835). Gideon Wales (resident of Pike Pond, [New Hampshire]) wrote a letter to Jennie L. McConnell, in which he discussed many of his relative's struggles with mental illness.

The Civil War letters are from brothers Lavalette and Reynolds Griffin and are primarily addressed to their parents, Adnah H. Griffin and Jane Reynolds Griffin, and their sisters Loretta and Jennie Griffith. The letters were written from several camps in Virginia and Louisiana, and from on board the ship Daniel Webster. The bulk of the letters are in a 103-page letterbook dated October 1861-March 1863. These letters were likely copied by a relative around 1900. Both brothers were competent writers and discussed typical soldier gripes regarding food, pay, bad officers, and the boredom of the army. In a letter from December 30, 1862, Lavalette wrote: "If you want to fix a man so that he does not know anything in this world, nor care a d__m for the next, just put him to soldiering, and keep him shut up in camp for one year."

Seven separate Civil War letters are from Lavalette Griffin, dated April 1862-February 1865, and addressed to his father and sister Loretta ("Rett"). In these, he wrote favorably of the New York Soldiers' Depot, which he found well managed with many amenities for the troops. In an April 1864 letter, he recounted a trip to the capital while stationed at Camp Distribution, Virginia. In the next letter, he spoke highly of General Grant: "One thing is in our favor Since General Grant has assumed command there is not so many shoulder straps lying round Washington and there papers are examined as closely as the meanest private -- There is scarcely a day that there is not some dismissals and there aught to be more[.]" Even after the loss of his brother and his own illnesses, Lavalette found a way to keep his good humor through the war.

The lone post-war letter (1868) is an interesting item from Jennie Griffin to her brother-in-law Silas McConnell, in which she complained about the difference between salaries for male and female teachers in New York.

The Miscellaneous series has 13 items, which include two newspaper clippings; 4 pages of family birth records (1780-1878) from the family Bible; two journals by Mary Jane Wilson, which are entitled Compositions Written by Mary Jane Wilson During the Summer of 1861, A present to her Teacher Jennie Griffin (14 pages), and The Scholar's Casket, A Journal of Councils and Companion for the Young, January 1862, containing amateur essays such as Being Honest, Fault Finding, and Courage; two essays entitled On the Death of Lois Jane Griffin and On the Death of Polly Griffin, Written for her Mother (3 pages); and a receipt for groceries from Syracuse, New York, 1915.

This collection contains 11 photographs and modern prints of 5 negatives of the Griffin family. The original photographs are located in the Clements Library Graphics Division.

This collection is made up of correspondence by Private Harold Cullinane between July 1918 to August 1918 during his time in the 307th Infantry, Company G, in France. Written to his mother and sister, the letters regard his experiences in a French arsenal, people and places during his travel through France, and trench life on Independence Day. The letters have color, printed "American Y.M.C.A," "American Expeditionary Forces," and "Knights of Columbus" letterheads.

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.

This collection contains letters that Sergeant Major Harry L. Latto wrote to his family while serving with the United States Army during World War I. Latto was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, from around November 1917 to July 1918, and served in France from August 1918 to around May 1919.

This collection (58 items) contains letters that Sergeant Major Harry L. Latto wrote to his family while serving with the United States Army during World War I. Latto was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, from around November 1917 to July 1918, and served in France from August 1918 to around May 1919.

Harry L. Latto composed 53 letters and postcards to his aunt and to his parents, Henry I. and Sarah S. Latto of Hopewell, New Jersey, between November 14, 1917, and May 9, 1919. He wrote from Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, between November 1917 and July 1918; from Camp Upton, New York, in July 1918; and from France between August 1918 and May 1919. While at Camp Wadsworth, Latto commented on aspects of camp life and thanked his parents for the packages he received. In his letter of November 24, 1917, Latto drew ink maps of the camp and of a mock trench setup used for training exercises. He also discussed his finances, including a life insurance policy, and mentioned his friends. In France, he commented on the progress of the war, questioned whether he would participate in front-line combat, described the French scenery and the local people, and related his experiences in officers' training school. On December 13, 1918, he wrote to his parents about his recent encounter with President Woodrow Wilson. Many of Latto's letters contain enclosures, including military records and orders, bulletins from Brooklyn's Kenilworth Baptist Church, photographs of himself and another soldier in uniform, and newspaper clippings. He enclosed 2 postcards in his letter of July 28, 1918, depicting paintings of Wofford College and soldiers working at Camp Wadsworth.

Harry L. Latto received 5 letters from his parents, 2 of which are enclosed in his letters. Undated items are a letter Henry I. Latto received from Private Samuel S. Carver of Battery D, 5th Field Artillery, concerning the army of occupation in Germany, and a list of unusual place names that Latto encountered while facilitating American soldiers' return to the United States.

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.