Search

This collection is made up of over 170 letters that Staff Sergeant Lawson L. Lindberg wrote to his fiancé (and later wife), Elsa Kunze (referred to as "Dorothy" or "Dottie"), while serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Lindberg described camp life and his training exercises in the United States, and also wrote about his service in the Pacific Theater during the final year of the war.

This collection is made up of over 170 letters that Staff Sergeant Lawson L. Lindberg ("Lucky") wrote to his wife, Elsa Kunze (referred to as "Dorothy" or "Dottie"), while serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Lindberg described camp life and his training exercises in the United States, and also wrote about his service in the Pacific Theater during the final year of the war.

Lindberg wrote his first letter shortly after enlistment in December 1941; he commented on his experiences at the Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California, until April 1942, when he was transferred to Camp Elliot, California. At Camp Elliot, where he was a drill instructor, he discussed his unsuccessful attempt to transfer to the Air Corps. Lindberg spent the majority of the war in New River, North Carolina, and Camp Pendleton, California, where he trained with the 23rd Marine Regiment. He described aspects of camp life and military exercises, which included grenade training, rifle training, and large-scale maneuvers. He also reported his punishments after returning late from two furloughs.

Lindberg wrote about his love for Kunze, whom he married while on leave in August 1942; on one occasion, he shared his opinion that she should return to housekeeping after the war, despite having earned several promotions at her wartime job (March 11, 1943). Lindberg wrote less frequently after his deployment to the Pacific Theater in late January 1944, where he served in the Marshall Islands, Iwo Jima, and Saipan in multiple units, including the 5th 155mm Howitzer battalion. Lindberg's letters from overseas often pertain to strained relationships with his family members, including his mother and his older brother, Jack. In his final 2 letters, written from a transient center in October 1945, Lindberg anticipated his return to the United States.

Two of Lindberg's letters contain enclosures: a sexually explicit poem (November 22, 1943) and a photographic negative (July 8, 1945). Kunze also received several telegrams and V-mail letters, as well as a birthday card. Some of Lindberg's letters are written on United States Marine Corps stationery, depicting associated logos and a marine in dress uniform with a rifle.

The Stanley D. Carpenter correspondence consists of letters that Carpenter wrote to his mother and grandmother while serving with the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. He described his experiences while training at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia and discussed conditions in the trenches in France. The collection also has 4 lists of items sent to Carpenter during his military service.

This collection consists of 60 letters and 2 postcards that Stanley D. Carpenter wrote to his mother and grandmother while serving with the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. The collection also has 4 lists of items sent to Carpenter during his military service.

Carpenter first wrote home from Port Royal, South Carolina, on February 21, 1917, to report his 4-year enlistment, and he regularly corresponded with his mother throughout his time in the military. His early letters reveal his enthusiasm for military life and describe several aspects of his training, including his daily routine and his uniform and equipment allotments, at marine corps bases at Parris Island, South Carolina; Portsmouth, Virginia; and Quantico, Virginia. Several of his letters have enclosures, such as two pieces of palm for Palm Sunday (March 11, 1917); a color print of a soldier, labeled to illustrate Carpenter's equipment (March 15, 1917); a printed copy of the Marines' Hymn (May 8, 1917); and a program from the Academy of Music in Norfolk, Virginia (May 13, 1917). By May 1917, he anticipated being sent to France, and on June 7, 1917, mentioned seeing Woodrow Wilson while visiting Washington, D. C. Several of these letters are sealed with American flag stickers.

Carpenter wrote his first letter from France on July 19, 1917, assuring his mother that he had arrived safely and in good health, and wrote frequently about the war and his experiences. He initially visited the local Y.M.C.A., though he later severely criticized the organization. He mentioned his religious habits and those of other soldiers, and his unit regularly participated in drill exercises. By January 1918, Carpenter began to serve on the front lines, and he later provided a detailed account of life in the trenches (May 2, 1918). While in France, he also described his quarters, local French houses, and inspections by General John J. Pershing. He wrote his last letter on May 30, 1918, and enclosed 3 receipts for money transfers.

Other correspondence includes a telegram that Caroline Carpenter sent to Stanley D. Carpenter on February 19, 1917, urging him to reconsider his enlistment and offering to pay for his return to Pennsylvania; a letter she wrote to the commanding officer of the Marine Barracks at Port Royal, South Carolina, asking him to look after Stanley (February 20, 1917); and a letter that Major W. Garland Fay wrote to Caroline Carpenter, apologizing for his inability to have Stanley assigned to a post closer to home [June 1917]. The collection also contains 4 lists of items sent to Stanley D. Carpenter during his military service.