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This collection is made up of letters that a United States serviceman sent to his wife while traveling to and serving in the Philippines between July and September 1945. The letters pertain to religion, leisure activities, a Japanese surrender delegation, and other subjects.

This collection is made up of 8 letters that a United States serviceman sent to his wife while traveling to and serving in the Philippines in August and September 1945. In his first two letters, "Jake" wrote about aspects of his journey across the Pacific Ocean, including weather conditions and a religious service held onboard his ship (July 2, 1945, and undated). After arriving in Manila, he described the destruction in and around the Intramuros district and discussed his life in an unfinished camp, where soldiers used their helmets to hold shaving water. He mentioned repeated thefts from soldiers' footlockers, and the prevalence of scorpions, lizards, and other animals. In his letter of August 21, 1945, Jake lightly criticized Catholic chaplains. This letter also contains an account of a 16-man Japanese surrender delegation, which Jake spotted while retrieving his mail; he noted the differences between the ornately decorated Japanese uniforms and the Americans' plain khakis.

The John Osborn Santo Tomas internment transcriptions are typed copies of letters that Osborn wrote from Manila, Philippine Islands, between February and April 1945. He described life in the city after Manila's liberation by the US Army and in the Santo Tomas internment camp, where he had been imprisoned during the war.

The John Osborn Santo Tomas internment transcriptions are typed copies of 21 letters (18 pages) that Osborn wrote about life in the Santo Tomas internment camp and in Manila, Philippines, between February 6, 1945, and April 15, 1945. Some of the letters are addressed to an acquaintance named Ruby.

Osborn wrote about many aspects of life in Manila just after the United States Army liberated the city. He described conditions in the Santo Tomas internment camp before the Americans' arrival, with most residents suffering from malnutrition and severe weight loss. He wrote during the final stages of the fighting, as Japanese bombs continued to reach Manila and the camp despite the presence of US forces. In his letter of February 23-25, 1945, Osborn listed some names and numbers of people wounded and killed during shelling on February 7 and February 10. In other letters he commented on Allied troops' progress in the Pacific, particularly in the Philippines.

Osborn often wrote about food and shared his appreciation for the army's provisions. He compared the fare to that from before the camp's liberation in his letter of February 16, 1945. He also wrote about the black market, war destruction, and the transition of Santo Tomas from an internment camp to a refugee camp. As the fighting became removed from Manila, Osborn met with acquaintances from outside the camp and attempted to recover some materials from his pre-war library, which consisted of around 900 volumes.

This collection contains 5 letters from a man named George, who wrote to his mother while he served with the United States Armed Forces in Stams, Austria, during May and June 1945. He told his mother of his daily life, recounted a day trip to nearby Innsbruck, and shared news of acquaintances from the United States.

"George," a member of the United States Armed Forces, wrote 5 letters (9.5 pages) to his mother while stationed in Stams, Austria, in May and June 1945.

He often reported receiving and sending correspondence and packages, including a shipment of fudge that had spoiled (May 12, 1945), and responded to news of people he knew in the United States. Occasionally, he mentioned the draft and the possibility of acquaintances serving in the military, and in one letter commented on the death of a friend named Bert Vollmer, who had also served in Europe (May 29, 1945). George wrote about various aspects of military life, such as inspections, and remarked about the weather and daily life in Austria. He mentioned the work of local citizens, who spent most of their time farming, and in his letter of June 10, 1945, he described the haying process. On May 31, 1945, he wrote of a recent trip to nearby Innsbruck, where he went skiing and attended an opera, and reported that the military had resumed censorship of soldiers' letters.

This collection contains correspondence, photographs, and printed items pertaining to Lillian G. Ostrand, who was a United States Army nurse with the 123rd General Hospital in England from 1944-1945. In letters to her parents and brother, she described many aspects of life in wartime England. Other items are an early-20th century diary kept by her father Andrew and a memoir by Thomas J. Glennon, who also served with the 123rd General Hospital.

This collection (0.5 linear feet) contains correspondence, photographs, and printed items pertaining to Lillian G. Ostrand, who was a United States Army nurse with the 123rd General Hospital in England from 1944-1945. Other items pertain to her father, Andrew Ostrand, and to a fellow member of the 123rd General Hospital, Thomas J. Glennon.

The Correspondence series (87 items) is divided into two subseries, each arranged chronologically: Manuscript Letters (July 16, 1944-July 29, 1945) and V-Mail Letters (July 30, 1944-August 1, 1945). Lillian G. Ostrand regularly wrote to her parents and brother in Crystal Falls, Michigan, about her service in England with the 123rd General Hospital. After writing about her transatlantic journey, she described many aspects of wartime life in England, such as high prices, blackouts, and travel by bicycle and rail. At the same time, she kept up-to-date with events in the U.S. and wrote about issues such as the 1944 presidential election (October 29, 1944, and November 9, 1944), war bonds (December 11, 1944), and President Roosevelt's death (April 14 and 16, 1945). While in Britain, Ostrand traveled to towns in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. She visited Stratford-upon-Avon multiple times to watch Shakespeare plays and frequently mentioned seeing films and other musical and theatrical performances. Additionally, she commented on changing personnel at the 123rd General Hospital, particularly after V-E Day, and remarked about some of her patients and acquaintances, such as a British intelligence officer who had shown her confiscated letters by Adolf Hitler (July 12, 1945). By August 1945, Ostrand anticipated returning home.

Andrew Ostrand, Lillian's father, kept a Swedish-language Diary (159 pages) about his life in Chicago, Illinois, and in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from April 1, 1906-October 16, 1914. Most entries are from 1906 and 1907.

• A panoramic group photograph of the personnel of the 123rd General Hospital, taken at Camp Ellis, Illinois, in July 1944
• 2 black-and-white photographs of buildings from the 156th General Hospital
• A formal portrait of Lillian G. Ostrand in uniform
• A black-and-white photograph of Hereford Cathedral, pasted onto a cardboard frame
• A color photograph of a plaque commemorating the 123rd General Hospital

Printed Items and Ephemera (6 items) include a document with "Information for Members of the Army Nurse Corps Preparing for Foreign Duty"; menus for the 123rd General Hospital's Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in 1944; newspaper clippings about V-E Day and about Major Marion S. Clift, who served with Lillian G. Ostrand in England; and a copy of the Yank army weekly (May 18, 1945).

The Thomas J. Glennon Memoir (91 pages) concerns Glennon's military experiences during World War II. He served with the 123rd General Hospital at Camp Ellis, Illinois, and in England, and his memoir provides detailed information about the hospital's work and life in wartime England.

Perspectives on World War II is a 74-page bound collection of reminiscences about World War II. These stories were collected for a series of lectures for the "Living in Retirement" program at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, held on May 8, 1995. Lillian G. Ostrand contributed a brief personal narrative about her wartime experiences.

This collection contains letters related to Carl F. Eichenlaub, who served in the Philippine Islands during the Second World War and continued to correspond with acquaintances there until the mid-1950s. The collection includes letters he sent to Rosamonde Snook, his future wife, during his time in the army, as well as letters he received in the decade after the war from Filipino acquaintances, who described local politics, education, and daily life in the postwar era.

This collection contains letters related to Carl F. Eichenlaub, a native of East Syracuse, New York, who served in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. He wrote 9 letters to his future wife, Rosamonde U. Snook ("Rose"), between September 23, 1944, and November 22, 1945, while stationed in the Philippine Islands. He described his experiences with the service company of the 716th Tank Battalion as well as the local scenery, weather, and insects. Though soldiers were banned from interacting with the native population, Carl also discussed local customs and the Pidgin English used in conversations (September 23, 1944). Additionally, he responded to news from home and mentioned his leisure activities, which included viewing movies and listening to music. In one letter, he provided a list of some of his favorite songs (May 16, 1945), and in another he drew a diagram of the constellation Orion, though he could not see much of the night sky (November 22, 1945). On October 3, 1945, he wrote about a ceremony honoring numerous soldiers with the Purple Heart, though he disparaged those who he felt had not truly deserved the award.

Between July 28, 1945, and November 27, 1955, Carl and Rose Eichenlaub received 27 letters from Filipinos that Carl had met; his acquaintances initially addressed their letters solely to him, but included Rose after 1950. A number of male and female correspondents, many of whom knew each other, discussed postwar life in the Philippines. Sisters Marcelina and Marina Bambalan, as well as Aurora Ocampo, all students in the Pangasinan province on the island of Luzon, wrote of their educational experiences and social lives, including some reminiscences of encounters with Eichenlaub and other American soldiers. In addition to commenting on postwar rebuilding, destruction, and other effects of the war, they asked Eichenlaub to purchase books or other items. Ricardo V. Ferrando, who lived in the Mintal area of Davao City on the island of Mindanao, focused primarily on reconstruction efforts, labor, and politics in his letters. Other early correspondents included Louis Awatin, who worked for the Everett Steamship Corporation.

Siblings Susan, Alvaro, and Dolores Penoria wrote the majority of the later letters, along with Susan's coworker, Enriqueta de Papillore. These letters, sent from the Misamis Oriental province on the island of Camiguin, concern the economic and daily living conditions in the decade following the war. Susan discussed various aspects of her teaching career and commented on several problems that residents of the Philippine Islands faced throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, including economic hardship and her skepticism regarding the government. Other letters contain information about the destruction caused by eruptions of Mt. Hibok-Hibok on September 1, 1948; on December 4, 1951; and in March 1952. Throughout the decade, Carl and Rose Eichenlaub sent books, cloth, and other items to their Filipino friends, including some material for a dress diagrammed in Susan Penoria's letter of June 26, 1950.

Several letters include photographs, often portraying the authors in formal dress or with their families. One photograph depicts several children killed by the eruption of Mt. Hibok-Hibok on December 4, 1951.

Mary H. Staats wrote regularly to Dr. H. Allan Novak of Boston, Massachusetts, while serving as a United States Navy nurse in the Solomon Islands and the United States during and just after World War II. She commented on her living conditions, work, education, and health.

Mary H. Staats wrote 30 letters to Dr. H. Allan Novack of Boston, Massachusetts, while serving as a United States Navy nurse in the Solomon Islands and the United States from 1944-1946. She commented on her living conditions, work, education, and health.

Staats wrote her first group of 20 letters while stationed in the Russell Islands between May 1, 1944, and [February 20], 1945. She worked for Mobile Hospital 10 and for United States Fleet Hospital 110. Her letters pertain to many aspects of her experiences, such as the scenery, her victory garden, and her quarters. On August 13, 1944, she recounted visiting a beach on Guadalcanal and hearing a performance by Bob Hope. She often reported on her own health problems and requested that Novack send medicines, clothing, and other items for personal and hospital use. In her letter of December 7, 1944, Staats complained that packages filled with religious papers, candy, and comic strips had taken unnecessary space in the mail, possibly blocking the receipt of more necessary items. Staats wrote one letter to her father, in which she mentioned her interactions with native islanders and radio broadcasts by "Tokyo Rose" (May 12, 1944).

Staats continued to write to Novack after her return to the United States (11 items). On April 11, 1945, and April 22, 1945, she reported on her travels from the Solomon Islands to Coshocton, Ohio, and provided additional information about her work with the 1st Marine Division. While stationed at the United States Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she discussed her own health issues (May 17, 1945) and wrote a 15-page letter with detailed descriptions of her experiences in the Pacific (June 8, 1945). She described nurses' protection and quarters, the effects of excessive temperatures on nurses' health, and medical care, among other subjects. Five letters from Staats's time in Chicago, Illinois (September 30, 1945-May 6, 1946), pertain to the cost of living, courses at Northwestern University, the possibility of pursuing a career in the navy, and gynecological health. She often referred to the G.I. Bill of Rights and its potential effects on her education. A Christmas card is enclosed in her letter of December 8, 1945. Staats wrote additional letters to Novack from Coshocton, Ohio (September 6, 1946), and from Corpus Christi, Texas (August 20, 1947), where she complained about the chief nurse at the United States Naval Hospital.

The John Wilkey, Jr., collection is comprised of military documents, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs related to John W. Wilkey, Jr., who served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

The John Wilkey, Jr., collection is made up of military documents, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs related to John W. Wilkey, Jr., who served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

Mary Wilkey and John Wilkey, Sr., wrote a letter to their son, John Wilkey, Jr., on February 5 and 6, 1946. His mother enclosed copies of letters by Representative Charles Wolverton and Senator Albert Wahl, who responded to her request that they support legislation to discharge fathers currently serving in the military. Wilkey's father expressed his pressing need for his son's help with their wheat farm, and urged him to seek a discharge. The collection also holds Wilkey's official request for a discharge (April 26, 1946) and a special order issued in response by the 40th Bomb Wing headquarters (May 10, 1946), as well as a refund check for 2 cents (January 1945); an undated, printed application for a sugar ration book (not filled out); and an undated, printed advertisement for a commemorative military book. Five snapshot photographs depict John's wife Ruby and their young daughter (April 1946).

The collection contains 3 additional documents: a typed "station notice" containing the order of events for an "Invasion Day rally" (May 19, 1944), a memorandum about "Regulations Concerning Compressed Air" from the torpedo shop at the United States Naval Mine Depot in Yorktown, Virginia (August 26, 1944), and a facsimile of an advertisement for an upcoming publication about the depot (February 1945).

Brothers Thomas A. and Charles E. Phillips wrote 4 letters to their parents while serving in the United States Army Air Forces during and just after World War II. They commented on subjects such as their flight training, military movements, and a labor strike.

Brothers Thomas A. and Charles E. Phillips wrote 4 letters to their parents while serving in the United States Army Air Forces during and just after World War II. Thomas wrote 1 letter in July 1944, commenting on his flight training and reporting news from Charles, who was then serving near the Gulf of Mexico. Charles wrote 3 letters in May 1945 and May 1946. He discussed military subjects such as his training and the end of the war. One of his letters contains his opinions about a recent labor strike, its political implications, and its possible economic effects. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

This collection is made up of letters addressed to Doris M. Fletcher of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, during World War II. Her most frequent correspondent was her boyfriend, Harold R. Bertholf of the merchant marine; she also received letters from "Wayne," a soldier serving in Italy, and Marie Babilis, a resident of Detroit, Michigan, who mourned Wayne's death in 1944.

This collection is made up of 40 letters addressed to Doris M. Fletcher of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, during World War II. Harold R. Bertholf wrote 35 letters to Doris, his girlfriend, from July 5, 1944-January 7, 1946. He discussed aspects of his service in the merchant marine, including travels between unnamed ports, leisure activities, and his anticipation of being assigned to a new ship. In several letters, he reassured Doris of his dedication to her and mentioned the possibility of marriage. After spending time at sea in 1944, Bertholf went to New London, Connecticut, where he took classes at the United States Maritime Service Officers' School at Fort Trumbull. He was stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, before receiving future assignments. From December 1945-January 1946, he worked for Christopher Gadsden and Street Brothers of Charleston, South Carolina.

Doris M. Fletcher's other wartime correspondents included "Wayne," a member of the United States Army who wrote 3 letters to Doris in June and July 1944. He briefly described Rome and mentioned his growing boredom with army life. After his death on July 19, 1944, Doris received 2 letters from Marie Babilis of Detroit, Michigan, who had been close to Wayne. She reflected on Wayne's death and requested that Doris ask a mutual friend to share details about the accident that killed him.

This collection is made up of letters that Lieutenant Russell G. Schlagal wrote to his wife Margery while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Schlagal discussed his experiences in India and on the island of Tinian, and he often illustrated his letters with ink sketches and watercolor paintings.

This collection is made up of letters that Lieutenant Russell G. Schlagal wrote to his wife Margery while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Schlagal discussed his experiences in India and on the island of Tinian, and he often illustrated his letters with ink sketches and watercolor paintings.

Russell G. Schlagal regularly wrote letters home to Margery, who remained in Dayton, Ohio, during the war. He responded to news of family members and acquaintances, and shared his love for Margery. Most letters concern Schlagal's daily experiences with the 28th Air Service Group in India (December 1944-April 1945) and on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands (June 1945-March 1946). In India, he occasionally mentioned his encounters with local residents, and he described the wildlife, the scenery, and local customs. He frequently attended USO shows and movies. Schlagal later discussed his life on Tinian, where he remained until the spring of 1946. He continued to attend performances and films, and also participated in underwater sightseeing. After the end of the war, Schlagal wrote about the possibility and timing of his return home.

Schlagal illustrated some of his letters with ink sketches, ink drawings, and watercolor paintings. These depict buildings, objects, and scenery from India and Tinian. Occasionally, he used stationery with pre-printed scenes, and his letter of December 29, 1945, has a manuscript map of Tinian. On February 24, 1946, Schlagal composed a partially pictographic letter about his anticipated return home. He alternated words with pictures of animals, his wife, himself, and the island of Tinian.