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This collection contains the World War II-era correspondence of sisters Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd of the Bronx and Kingston, New York, respectively, as well as that of Margaret's fiancé, Tony Gioia, who served in Europe during the war. Much of the collection consists of Tony's letters to Margaret, written during his training and describing life in the European theater, as well as letters from several soldiers and sailors to Dorothy and newspaper clippings related to the war.

This collection contains the World War II-era Correspondence of sisters Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd of the Bronx and Kingston, New York, respectively, as well as that of Margaret's later husband, Tony Gioia, who served in Europe during the war. The majority of the letters date between 1942 and 1946, and were written to the sisters by Gioia and other members of the United States military serving in both major theaters of the war. Dorothy received letters from men serving in the army, navy, and coast guard, who described various aspects of military life. One of her most frequent correspondents was her cousin, James Dingman, a corporal with the 65th Fighter Squadron. Along with news of his health and his thoughts on military life, he described a pilot's death during training in Groton, Connecticut (May 7, 1942), and told his aunt, Dorothy's mother Margaret, about an audience with the Pope in Rome (October 25, 1944).

The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Tony Gioia to Margaret Brainerd, his girlfriend and future wife. Tony wrote of camp life and his related work at Camp Swift, Texas, and of the war in Europe after his unit was stationed there in October 1944. Tony served throughout Western and Central Europe, and frequently described military actions; he also attempted to share a picture of the war from a soldier's point of view, and he warned Margaret that the mainstream media was not a reliable source for such information (December 4, 1944). After the war, he remained in Europe for several months, and described the busy life of American soldiers during the military occupation of Germany. Though the bulk of the correspondence ends in 1946, after Tony's return to New York, the collection contains several letters to both Margaret and Dorothy Brainerd from friends and family in the late 1940s. The collection also holds a handful of letters to Tony Gioia from his parents, written in Italian, and a few written to him by Margaret, mostly after the war. In a series of three letters, William Roosa, a member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, wrote to his father about his recall to the army and preparation for participation in the Korean War; he wrote one of these from Korea (February 18, 1951).

The collection also holds Newspaper clippings from the war, including several sent from Tony to Margaret during his service in Europe.

This collection contains letters and a Christmas card Earl W. Hecht sent to his brother Franklyn while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Hecht described life in the navy while stationed in North Africa, Scotland, and England, and often discussed collectible stamps and currency.

This collection contains 38 letters, 1 v-mail letter, and 1 Christmas card Earl W. Hecht sent to his brother Franklyn, while Earl was serving in the United States Navy during World War II. The correspondence is dated between May 25, 1943, and April 29, 1945, and covers Hecht's service in North Africa, Scotland, and England.

He wrote the first 4 letters and the Christmas card while serving in North Africa between May and December 1943, and the remaining letters while stationed in various locations around Scotland and England. He mentioned military life and his activities while on leave, including visits to restaurants in North Africa and a New Year's holiday in London (January 4, 1944), and commented about his fondness for drinking whiskey and about his supply of cigarettes. Hecht also regularly responded to news from home, and requested updates on his father, as well as other family members, including Edna, Anna, and Louise. Many letters contain Hecht's comments on local currency and foreign and domestic stamps, some of which he sent to his brother.

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.

The Laurence Barrett family papers consist primarily of 113 letters written between Laurence Nexsen Barrett, his siblings, and his parents during World War II, while Laurence Barrett served in the United States Navy aboard the submarine chaser USS PC-1176. Barrent wrote about his work as a mail censor, family news, financial matters, fellow sailors, shipboard life, reflections on the U.S. Navy and the war, visits to French and English towns, and other subjects. The collection contains 18 editions of The Hillcote Herald, a newsletter named after the Barrett family home at Katonah, New York, contains poetry, news on local sports, family updates, and other content. Eighty five snapshot photographs and other images, along with 13 printed items complete the papers.

The Laurence Barrett family papers consist primarily of 113 letters written between Laurence Nexsen Barrett, his siblings, and his parents during World War II, while Laurence Barrett served in the United States Navy aboard the submarine chaser USS PC-1176. Barrent wrote about his work as a mail censor, family news, financial matters, fellow sailors, shipboard life, reflections on the U.S. Navy and the war, visits to French and English towns, and other subjects. The collection contains 18 editions of The Hillcote Herald, a newsletter named after the Barrett family home at Katonah, New York, contains poetry, news on local sports, family updates, and other content. Eighty five snapshot photographs and other images, along with 13 printed items complete the papers.

Correspondence: Though most of the material originated from members of the Barrett family, Laurence received mail from several acquaintances from his prewar educational endeavors. The letters of the 1930s through 1941 are largely incoming letters to Laurence N. Barrett regarding his empoyment at the Berkshire School (Sheffield, Massachusetts), his 1939 trip to Great Britain on board the SS Transylvania, family updates from their Hillcote home in Katonah, New York, the marriage of his brother Roberston to Margaret B. Sloat, and other matters. The papers contain 35 pages of largely undated courtship letters from the 1930s/1940s between Laurence Barrett and Ruth DeYoe, while the former taught at Middlebury College and the latter finished her studies at Connecticut College in New Haven. One letter from Heidi (i.e. Adelaide Barrett) dated June 29, 1939, contains drawings of a bicyclist in Ireland and a thatch-roofed house.

Captain, later Lieutenant, Laurence "Larry" Barrett's outgoing letters to his parents and sister begin with a July 4, 1943, missive written while aboard the USS SC-1003 while patroling for Japanese submarines. By fall, he sent correspondence from the Navy Section Base near New Orleans, Louisiana. He wrote both newsy and practical letters, discussing finances and sending money to his sister, his insurance policy, U.S. Navy discipline, life in the service, and gunnery training at Shell Beach (Southeast of New Orleans). December 27, 1943, he sent his first letter from aboard the newly-commissioned USS PC 1176 and provided his thoughts on the mood of the ship's officers and crew. One of the jobs assigned to Barrett was censoring outgoing mail and he found reading through other sailors' personal matters to be educational. He told his parents that through them he learned "what remarkable insights into human beings there are to be had in the letters they write their wives and sons and creditors and the girls they are traying to seduce. It is an almost Olympian view you get of the poor hunted, hunting race, and at times it makes you feel presumptious -- would even make you feel guilty, if there were not all the sheaves of naval regulations insisting upon it to salve the conscience (January 16, 1944). He provided a couple anecdotes about fellow sailors' relationships. The ship traveled across the Atlantic and stayed in port at England. Barrett wrote home during the spring of 1944 about interactions with and perceptions of English people and their suffering on account of the war. Though the PC 1176 participated in the Normandy invasion, it is not mentioned in the Barrett's letters (except one letter of February 13, 1945, in which he explains his reasons for not writing about D-Day or other "war stuff"). As the ship entered duty around Cherbourg and LeHavre in the fall of 1944, he sent his family letters about investments, fellow sailors, courts martial, shipboard activities, the Presidential Election of 1944, his communications with a woman named Courtney, reflections on U.S. Navy service and the war, visits to French towns, speculation about when he will be able to return home, .

The collection includes 18 issues of The Hillcote Herald, a typed newsletter containing poetry, family news, local sports, and other subjects. At one point, the Herald specifies that its readership includes three persons. While generally lighthearted, the December 7, 1941, issue included a remark on the attack on Pearl Harbor, "This is, we suppose IT. IT being the thing that a great many millions of Americans have been hoping might someday be prevented from taking place. That it will affect us all, and very directly, cannot be doubted. Whether or not it could have been avoided is probably no longer worth debating or wonderfing about--or praying over, maybe." The collection includes the following issues:

• 1939 July 24, v. IV, no. ?
• 1941 September 21, v. VI, no. 1.
• 1941 September 28, v. VI, no. 2.
• 1941 October 5, v. VI, no. 3.
• 1941 October 12, v. VI, no. 4.
• 1941 October 26, v. VI, no. 5.
• 1941 November 2, v. VI, no. 7.
• 1941 November 9, v. VI, no. 9.
• 1941 November 16, v. VI, no. 11.
• 1941 November 30, v. VI, no. 11 (located in the Correspondence Series under this date).
• 1941 December 7, v. VI, no. 21.
• 1943 July 4, v. VII, no. 17 (supposedly).
• 1943 July 25, v. VII, no. 18.
• 1943 August 1, v. VII, no. 20.
• 1943 August 7, v. VII, no. 21.
• 1943 August 15, v. VII, no. 21.
• 1943 August 22, v. VII, no. 22.
• 1943 October 3, v. VII, no. 23.

The collection's Photographs include 85 snapshots taken during Laurence N. Barrett's 1937 visit to Ireland, as well as images of sporting events, skiers, buildings, an exposition of glass products, a dog, and a variety of unidentified individuals. The photographs also include two real photo postcards of unidentified exterior locations, one photograph of an unidentified woman, and a modern copy of a photograph of Laurence Barrett's ship USS PC-1176.

The Printed Items include several pamphlets regarding Welsh government and politics, two book sales pamphlets, and Great Britain travel literature. A complete list includes:

• [Copy of Laurence Nexsen Barrett's Power of Attorney, December 4, 1944].
• [Copy of Barrett Family Tree, K. Barrett Kelly, rev. February 20, 2004].
• [Newspaper Clippings, 1942 (2 items).
• Davies, David James. The Economics of Welsh Self-Government. Swyddfa'r Blaid Genedlaethol: Caernarfon, 1931.
• Everyman's Library : 955 of the World's Great Books at 90¢ Each. s.l.: s.n., n.d. [Catalog of titles specifically marketed at the Princeton University Store].
• Herbert, Will; Wilber G. Katz; et al. Religious Perspectives in American Culture. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1961.
• Jones, J. Gwilyn; Plaid Cymru. The New Wales : Synopsis of the Policy of the Welsh Nationalist Party. Swyddf'r Blaid: Caernarfon, [19--].
• Lewis, Saunders. Local Authorities and Welsh Industry. Swyddfa'r Blaid Genedlaethol: Caernarfon, [1934].
• The Modern Library : 278 of the World's Greatest Books. s.l.: s.n., [1941]. [Catalog of titles specifically marketed at the Princeton University Store].
• Peers, Sir Charles. Caernarvon Castle Caernarvonshire. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1936.
• Peers, Sir Charles. Harlech Castle. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1937.
• Road Atlas and Route Guide of Northern Ireland and Eire. s.l: s.n., n.d. [Printed map and outer cover include illustrated advertisements for Joseph H. Gass, Belfast, a bicycle seller].

This collection is primarily made up of letters that Pharmacist's Mate Norman C. Stewart wrote to his girlfriend and later wife, Dorothy Seltzer of Norristown, Pennsylvania, about his experiences in the United States Navy during World War II. Stewart served at the United States Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island; in Oakland, California; and in the Pacific Theater.

This collection is made up of 56 letters that Pharmacist's Mate Norman C. Stewart wrote to his girlfriend and later wife, Dorothy Seltzer of Norristown, Pennsylvania, about his experiences in the United States Navy during World War II. Stewart served at the United States Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island; in Oakland, California; and in the Pacific Theater. One letter by Norman's mother Katie and two school essays by Norman's brother Mervin complete the collection.

Stewart's correspondence concerns his navy service in Rhode Island, California, and the Pacific Theater from April 12, 1942-October 27, 1945. Only 1 letter from 1944 is present. Stewart discussed his work in a hospital laboratory while at Newport, and training maneuvers while at Alameda, California.

From February 1945-October 1945, Stewart commented on his travels in the Pacific, such as visits to Hawaii and Guam. His leisure activities included reading, attending football games, and seeing movies. Stewart's later letters concern the discharge process and his anticipated return to civilian life. Throughout his military service, he wrote of his love for Dorothy.

Mervin Stewart, Norman's brother, wrote 2 school essays in September 1943: "Verbal vs. Chemical Poison," about Axis propaganda, and "Country versus City Life." Stewart's teacher made brief remarks on each essay with a red pencil.

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.

This collection contains letters William Stine Hermann, a high school teacher and sports coach from Middleburg, Pennsylvania, received from acquaintances and a nephew serving in the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the Second World War. Hermann's correspondents described life in the military, often referring to their experiences playing sports, and commented on news of the sports programs at Middleburg High School.

This collection contains 18 letters William Stine Hermann received from men serving in the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the Second World War, as well as 1 letter he received from the United States Navy Office of Naval Officer Procurement. Frequent correspondents included Stanley M. Bowser (5 letters), Frank H. Attinger (4 letters), Charles W. Steininger (3 letters), and other acquaintances from Middleburg.

The first letter, from the Office of Naval Officer Procurement, informs Hermann that, because of a change of requirements, he was no longer eligible for an unspecified appointment (May 22, 1944). Personal acquaintances wrote the remaining letters while in training for and serving in the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the final year of the Second World War. Staff Sergeant Stanley M. Bowser, Hermann's nephew and a member of the Marine Corps Reserve's 151st Marine Scout Bombing Squadron, wrote 5 letters between January 3, 1945, and November 18, 1945, describing military life in the Pacific Theater and, particularly in his last letter, referring to marines' leisure activities, especially sports. Hermann's interest in sports is echoed in nearly all of the letters, as sailors and marines described their experiences playing baseball, basketball, and soccer during their military service, inquired about sports at Middleburg High School, and commented on Hermann's officiating duties. Several addressed Hermann as "Coach." Other aspects of military life, such as training in Los Angeles and life on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean, are also regularly discussed. Correspondents frequently sent their best wishes to Hermann's wife and children. Many letters are written on personalized or otherwise decorated United States Navy stationery.

• Frederick H. Attinger, United States Navy Repair Base, Advanced GM School, San Diego, California
• Paul H. Bachman, United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland
• Staff Sergeant Stanley M. Bowser, 151st Marine Scout Bombing Squadron
• "Danny"
• R. E. Felker, USS Mendocino
• Aircraft Material Officer 1st Class Howard L. Millhouse, Astoria, Oregon
• Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class George B. Pearson, USS LCI(L)-768
• Private 2nd Class Charles W. Steininger, USS Texas