Collections

This collection consists of over 300 letters that Private Albert Starke Drischell wrote to his family in Baldwin, New York, while serving in the United States Army during World War II. The collection also contains letters and postcards that Drischell received during his military service. Drischell wrote about his experiences while training in various camps, participating in an educational program, working with army theatrical groups in the United States and England, and serving in Germany during the last months of the war and the first months of the occupation.

The bulk of this collection (1 linear foot) consists of over 300 letters that Private Albert Starke Drischell wrote to his family in Baldwin, New York, about his experiences in the United States Army from January 21, 1943-December 6, 1945. The collection also contains letters and postcards that Drischell received during his military service and a few ephemera items.

Drischell addressed the majority of his letters to his parents, and occasionally wrote to his younger siblings, Ralph and Ruth. He composed his first letters while at Camp Upton in Long Island, New York, soon after entering the service, and provided his impressions of the camp, his companions, military life, and training exercises. At Camp Swift, Texas, he wrote about his experiences at Texas A&M University, where he was among a group tested for entrance into a selective educational program. After being accepted, he moved to New Mexico and began taking college-level engineering courses at New Mexico College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts. He and many others found the coursework difficult, and by November he had failed a course and was removed from the program. While in New Mexico, he shared his determination to succeed and gave his opinions of other men in the army, particularly his negative opinions of those who drank to excess (July 8, 1943). He also mentioned his moral objection to the war.

Drischell left New Mexico for Fort Custer, Michigan, where he attended courses in military government and occasionally guarded German prisoners. In one letter, he expressed his fear that soldiers would have difficulty readjusting to civilian life after being schooled in "mass murder" (January 23, 1944). In early 1945, Drischell moved to Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania, where his unit awaited overseas deployment. He continued to describe his experiences, offered his opinions on the army, and mentioned trips taken to the surrounding towns while on temporary leave. In mid-May 1944, Drischell arrived in Scotland, though he was transferred to England soon after. As part of a replacement battalion, he occupied much of his free time by accompanying women to dances and befriending local families. He also acted in a play put on by the army, and briefly toured with an army theatrical group in the fall of 1944, an experience he enjoyed and hoped to continue in his post-army life. Many of his letters from this time focused on the economic and physical hardships of the war, and other letters mention a visit to London (February 15, 1945), his support for Thomas E. Dewey in the 1944 presidential election (August 6, 1944), George Bernard Shaw's views on capitalism, communism, and democracy (August 8, 1944), and his efforts to obtain conscientious objector status.

After being deployed on the Continent in March 1945, Drischell shared his impressions of the devastated French and German countryside, through which he advanced as part of the 318th Infantry Regiment. After the war, he described the small Austrian town where he was stationed, in which German children born out of wedlock were being "raised for use in foreign lands" (May 16, 1945). Drischell also accounted for the gap in his letters between April and May, when he advanced deep into Germany and Austria and participated in active combat (May 31, 1945, et al.). Freed from the constraints of censorship after V-E day, he reported on some of his combat experiences, and he believed that he never directly killed an enemy soldier. Throughout his European service, Drischell continually voiced his appreciation for the United States and compared it to Europe, occasionally calling his native country a relative "utopia."

Drischell sometimes enclosed souvenirs from his European travels in his letters, including a French 50-franc note (March 25, 1945), German stamps (June 20, 1945), and clippings from the Stars and Stripes and other papers. By late August 1945, he was in Paris as a member of a traveling dramatic troupe, and he wrote less frequently. His final letter, dated December 6, 1945, reveals that he went on tour in Germany.

Additional items include 2 printed church programs from 1944, a newspaper clipping featuring an English unit's canine mascot, and a list of men from St. Peter's Church who served in the war, including Albert S. Drischell. One undated letter fragment from "Iggie" discusses his experiences as a soldier in India, and another by an anonymous writer concerns Drischell's acting and a mutual acquaintance named "Fip."

The Arthur Bruhus papers primarily contain incoming and outgoing letters and greeting cards that Sergeant Bruhus wrote and received while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Bruhus described his everyday life at military camps in Maryland and Texas between January 1943 and April 1945 and his service in France between April 1945 and September 1945.

This Arthur Bruhus papers contain over 200 incoming and outgoing letters and greeting cards that Sergeant Arthur Bruhus wrote and received while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Bruhus described his everyday life at military camps in Maryland and Texas between January 1943 and April 1945 and his service in France between April 1945 and September 1945. The collection also includes negatives for 24 photographs and 13 printed and ephemeral items.

The Correspondence series is comprised of letters, greeting cards, V-mail, and postcards. Arthur Bruhus wrote approximately 175 letters to his mother, Anna Bruhus of Palatine, Illinois, during his time in the military. Bruhus served at several domestic military bases throughout the war, and frequently described his travel between camps and during furloughs, his first impressions upon arrival, the surrounding scenery, and nearby cities (particularly in Texas). While stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, he occasionally visited Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Bruhus also discussed camp life and, to a lesser extent, his military assignments. After undergoing radio training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in June 1943, he worked with radio-controlled planes used for target practice. In November 1943, he noted Camp Barkeley's use of German prisoners of war for manual labor (November 12, 1943). Bruhus was deployed to France in April 1945 and served at Épernay until his return to the United States in 1945. While in France, he commented on the scenery and everyday activities. In one letter he recounted his experiences on V-E Day (May 25, 1945). He enclosed church programs in two letters. His final letter to his mother is dated September 4, 1915.

Bruhus also corresponded with his sisters, nieces and nephews, and acquaintances (about 25 incoming and outgoing letters). Anna Bruhus received several letters from her grandchildren.

The Photographic negatives series is made up film negatives for 24 photographs of unidentified military barracks, soldiers, camouflaged tents, and group exercises.

The 13 items in the Printed items and ephemera series include advertisements, programs, and an issue of the Camp Barkeley News (May 12, 1944).

This collection consists of the contents of a scrapbook kept by Effie M. Conroy of the Bronx, New York, who documented the army service of her son, Edwin F. Conroy, a member of the 114th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The scrapbook contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and ephemera related to Conroy, to the 114th Infantry Regiment, and to the 29th "Blue and Gray" Division.

This collection consists of a 54-page scrapbook and 24 related items kept by Effie M. Conroy of the Bronx, New York, who documented the army service of her son Edwin, a member of the 114th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The first pages of the scrapbook mainly hold newspaper clippings, including a collection of humorous anecdotes from Conroy's time working as an attaché at the West Farms Court and later articles documenting the 114th Infantry Regiment and the 29th Division. These clippings, though undated, concern the infantry's service throughout and just after the war, and one item from the Bronx Home News relates Effie's thoughts upon hearing that Edwin had been wounded (p. 13). Several other clippings contain poetry, including a sheet of contributions by soldiers (p. 16), and one is a comic strip about service at the front lines (p. 19).

Correspondence includes a printed letter from Corporal Jos. H. Shea describing his journey to France onboard the SS Princess Matoika (p. 3), a printed letter from General John J. Pershing thanking soldiers for their service (p. 5), and many letters that Conroy wrote to his mother while in training at Camp McClellan, Alabama. Between May and June 1918, Conroy described his railroad journeys to the base, his life at the camp, and his journey to his unit's embarkation point at Newport News, Virginia. While in training, he discussed his daily activities and his anticipated voyage overseas. He wrote one letter on YMCA stationery with a letterhead composed of photographs (p. 29), and two of his postcards depict scenes from Camp McClellan. Though most of his letters date to his time in training, Conroy wrote later letters to Anna Gernand, with whom he shared his impressions of destruction near the front (p. 53), and to his aunt and mother.

Most ephemera items are printed programs, though the collection also holds a pamphlet of songs sung by the American Expeditionary Forces (p. 53) and a medal citation for service in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (loose ephemera). One program relates to event honoring General Ferdinand Foch in 1921 (loose ephemera).

This collection contains roughly 400 letters that Corporal Edwin Stetson Holland wrote to Jane C. Anderson, his fiancée, during his service with the United States Army Air Forces 43rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion during World War II. Holland reported on his experiences while training from June 1943 to November 1944 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Camp Davis, North Carolina; and Camp Stewart, Georgia. He also wrote from the Hawaiian Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and Okinawa between November 1944 and November 1945. In addition to responding to news from his home in Worcester, Massachusetts, and to sharing his love for Jane, Holland discussed his health, fellow soldiers, training exercises, and the scenery.

This collection contains roughly 400 letters that Corporal Edwin Stetson Holland wrote to Jane C. Anderson, his fiancée, during his service with the United States Army Air Forces 43rd Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion during World War II. Holland reported on his experiences while training from June 1943 to November 1944, at Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Camp Davis, North Carolina; and Camp Stewart, Georgia. He also wrote from the Hawaiian Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and Okinawa between November 1944 and November 1945. In addition to responding to news from his home in Worcester, Massachusetts, and to sharing his love for Jane, Holland discussed his health, fellow soldiers, training exercises, and the scenery.

The Correspondence series is comprised of Holland's letters to Anderson throughout his military service. His first letters from Fort Devens, Massachusetts, concern his stay in the camp hospital in June 1943, after he contracted the chicken pox. He transferred to Camp Davis, North Carolina, later that month, and regularly wrote to Anderson throughout his time in training. He discussed many aspects of military life, such as the scenery and climate, training exercises and hikes, duties around the camp, and his fellow soldiers. He frequently wrote of his love for Jane and reminisced about their times together. After transferring to Westhampton Beach, Long Island, around February 1944, he attended automotive classes. He spent most of April-November 1944 at Camp Stewart, Georgia, where his training included bivouacs and hikes.

Holland often wrote while traveling, and described his accommodations and the passing scenery. His itineraries included stops at Chicago, Illinois, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, in late 1944. He spent a few weeks at a camp in the west before arriving in Oahu in November 1944. He frequently commented on Hawaiian scenery, the local people, and visits to Honolulu. Between July 1945 and October 1945, he wrote from the Ryukyu Islands and Okinawa, Japan, where he served in the final days of the war. He remarked broadly on his military experiences and described the life of American soldiers stationed in the Pacific theater. On one occasion, he reported in depth on the effects of a recent typhoon (October 11, 1945). After mid-August, he shared his feelings about the end of the war, and his expectation of a discharge. He arrived in California in early November, and by November 28, 1845, had returned to Barre, Massachusetts.

• Camp Davis, North Carolina, including images of soldiers with antiaircraft guns
• Camp Stewart, Georgia, including images of soldiers, the camp's buildings, and antiaircraft guns
• Fort Devens, Massachusetts
• Kilauea Military Camp, Hawaii
• United Service Organizations (USO)
• United States Army Air Corps
• United States Red Cross

The Ephemera series has 6 items: 2 change-of-address notices that Holland sent Jane during the war; a bank form inquiring about the respondent's postwar financial plans; a printed program for a religious service held onboard the Sea Bass on October 21, 1945, during Edwin S. Holland's return from the Pacific; and covers once used to house groups of Holland's letters. The correspondence series includes 1 printed program for a religious service held at Camp Davis, enclosed in Holland's letter of December 19, 1943.

This collection is primarily made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, Emily F. Brady received letters from members of the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950 she wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil.

This collection is comprised of 121 items, mostly the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, they received letters from soldiers in the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950, Emily wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil. The only item that is not a letter is a photograph of four teenagers at a swimming pool.

The first group of letters consists primarily of incoming letters to Emily and Evangeline Brady. The first few items pertain to Emily Brady's unsuccessful efforts to secure teaching positions in Cuba, Chile, and at the Universidad Femenina de México. The Brady sisters later received letters from servicemen in the United States servicemen during World War II, including their brother George of the USS Birmingham; John Landry of the Army Air Forces' 110th Bombing Squadron; J. G. Francis Wilber ("Walt") of the Birmingham and Camp Elliot, California; and Michael Kimla of the 336th Army Medical Dispensary. Emily also received letters from Berta Montero in Havana, Cuba; Lopez Arias of Buenos Aires, Argentina; and C. E. Gonzalez ("Enrique") of Popayán, Colombia. The soldiers commented on many aspects of their service, such as Kimla's time in Puerto Rico, Landry's visits to London and other English cities, and Wilber's duties at a personnel center at Camp Elliot. Wilber also shared news of a visit to Mexico. One of Montero's letters encloses a Spanish-language printed program for a harp recital.

Emily Brady wrote to Evangeline, George, and others between December 23, 1949, and September 19, 1950, while she lived in Chile and Brazil. She described everyday life in Santiago, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and mentioned her travels to other towns, such as Huiscapi, Chile, and Porto Alegre, Brazil. In the summer of 1950, she often commented on recent World Cup matches. Her letter of May 17, 1950, has a very rough sketch of the layout of Rio de Janeiro.

The John and Samuel Hunt papers consist primarily of Civil War era correspondence between the friends and family of John and Samuel Hunt with many letters between the two brothers. Also included is John Hunt's Civil War diary, which contains accounts of his service as adjutant with the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment between January and December, 1862.

The John and Samuel Hunt papers are comprised of 78 letters, 1 receipt, 3 miscellaneous printed items, 2 photographs, and 1 diary. The collection consists primarily of Civil War era correspondence between the friends and family of John and Samuel Hunt, with many letters between the two brothers. For the most part, cousins, sisters, and friends wrote the pre-Civil War letters, addressed to John Hunt. These concern family matters, school, and local Ohio politics.

John's Civil War era letters, mainly to Samuel with a few items to other family members, focus on his relationship to his family, particularly his parents. He also described Civil War camp life in Missouri, Tennessee, and near Corinth. Early on, in a letter from December 8, 1861, he wrote about a conflict between his regiment's lieutenant colonel and captain over a battalion drill, which almost resulted in a duel. The brothers often bonded over the activities (past and present) of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity, which they had both joined at Miami University. Samuel sent John his DKE pin, which made him popular with the ladies in St. Louis (February 23, 1862). Samuel kept John up-to-date on the fraternity's election results and activities. A few months after the war, John was working in Washington DC as a lawyer's clerk and reported that the town was "full of rebels at present seeking pardon" (September 17, 1865).

Letters from Samuel describe university life during the war and the impact that the war was having on the homefront. He included fiery political commentary and espoused bellicose sentiments, particularly in the early part of the war. In a letter to John dated May 25, 1861, Samuel wrote: "The murder of the accomplished Col-Ellsworth must and will be avenged -- those fine Zouaves will cause destruction in the enemy's camp -- they are 'spoiling for a fight' and will soon be gratified[.] " Samuel kept up his correspondence with a number of friends and Miami University alumni with whom he communicated about the school and his own academic progress.

The John Hunt's Civil War diary contains accounts of his service as adjutant with the 81st Ohio Infantry Regiment between January and December, 1862. He entered notes almost daily, except during his sick leaves in April and from August 15 through the end of 1862. During his leave, Hunt wrote a few entries in August concerning an Ohio Copperhead and his views on the draft, and recorded a short run of daily entries from November 1-22. The diary includes descriptions of travels in the north and south and is most detailed between May and August, when the 81st Ohio took part in the assault on Corinth, Mississippi, and in the late fall, when they were encamped near Corinth. Hunt's brief entries provide interesting anecdotes about life in the Union camps, soldiers' amusements, and the scene near Corinth.

The Miscellaneous series consists of two photographs (a staged family portrait and a carte-de-visite of a young well dressed man), an army pass for John R. Hunt (February 1862), and three programs concerning the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (1862-1863).

This scrapbook contains correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera related to the soldiers' canteen that Katharine G. Prest hosted at her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts, between June 1941 and August 1945.

This scrapbook contains around 120 pages of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera related to the soldiers' canteen that Katharine G. Prest hosted at her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts, between June 1941 and August 1945.

Soldiers stationed throughout the United States and in both major theaters of war frequently wrote to Prest, expressing their gratitude for her hospitality and sometimes reporting on their experiences after leaving Massachusetts; soldiers' wives and mothers occasionally thanked Prest as well. Emily J. Nichols, who worked for the American Red Cross at Fort Devens, corresponded with Prest about upcoming events for wounded men. The servicemen sent manuscript letters, V-mail letters, postcards, and Christmas cards. Many of the postcards include cartoons and other illustrations, most frequently regarding military life. Snapshots and formal portraits show groups of young men and women relaxing at the Prests' home, often near the pool, and soldiers in uniform at various locations.

Prest collected newspaper clippings about her wartime activities and about the war, particularly related to soldiers' experiences in the European Theater. Some clippings include photographs of Prest. The scrapbook contains a small number of printed programs, song lyrics, insignia patches, and a pin from the 101st Cavalry Regiment. One page consists of several soldiers' drawings, including a caricature of Adolf Hitler with target values printed on various parts of his body. A colored illustration commemorating the 101st Cavalry Regiment and several portraits of unidentified individuals are drawn directly into the volume. Later items include awards and certificates of thanks that Prest received from various organizations (undated, WWII era), an award celebrating her commitment to fighting cancer (1951), and a birth announcement (written on a photograph) (January 25, 1954).

Two items pre-date United States involvement in the war: a 1930 group photograph of the "Lawyer's Club" (including William M. Preston), and a 1940 book entitled Yuletide in Many Lands.