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

This collection pertains to a letter written by United States Navy Lieutenant Huyler B. Ellison in February 1944. Ellison, who was asked to defend his remarks about the United States Army, offered a lengthy explanation of his history with the army and the reasoning behind his controversial comments.

This collection (6 items) pertains to a letter written by United States Navy Lieutenant Huyler B. Ellison in February 1944. The collection includes a copy of a typed V-mail letter that Ellison sent to John D. Nordberg of West Orange, New Jersey, on February 25, 1944. In the letter, Ellison complained about his assignment with the army and threatened to resign from the navy. Three letters by Captain Tully Shelley, a naval intelligence officer, and W. H. Tuck, commander of the United States Navy Reserve, address Ellison's comments about the army and contain requests for an explanation by Ellison (March 1944). A later letter by Tuck informs Ellison that he would suffer no further disciplinary actions (March 20, 1944). Also present are 2 typed copies of Ellison's explanation, concerning his history with the army and his disillusionment following an incorrect medical diagnosis and subsequent discharge.

This collection contains 24 letters written by United States Navy Airman Ollie Burtz to his parents in Marietta, Georgia, during his training in Illinois, Georgia, and Tennessee. He wrote of his classes and of daily life on base, and frequently asked his parents for news of his siblings and other family members.

This collection contains 24 letters written by United States Navy Airman Ollie Burtz to his parents in Marietta, Georgia, during his training in Illinois, Georgia, and Tennessee. Though all but one of his letters are undated, they form a composite picture of his training throughout the summer of 1944, as he moved from Illinois to Georgia and Tennessee, where he took courses in aviation and flew training missions. He occasionally mentioned his performance on exams, and complained that he could not obtain leave despite his high academic standing. Despite frustration and boredom with his coursework, which Ollie compared to grammar school, he was on one occasion excited to hear a speech by an unnamed speaker, apparently the country's number two flying ace. Though he primarily focused on the weather and other aspects of daily life, he also shared his fondness for flight: "Flying," he reported, "is not any harder to do than driving a car -- you just have a few more indicators to watch." He also reported his fondness for his newly arrived dress uniforms, and shared two friends' insights into the different work levels in the Navy's boat training and flight school. Most of the letters reflect Ollie's ongoing interest in news of his family, and he frequently requested that they visit during his time in Memphis. Several letters reflect the Burtz family's efforts to sell their farm and move into a new house, perhaps near Atlanta, where his siblings worked.