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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."

This collection is made up of correspondence, soldiers' newsletters, and other items related to Emanuel Levy's service in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II and his involvement in veterans' reunions. Levy corresponded with family members and friends in Brooklyn, New York, while serving in in the United States and the Pacific Theater from 1941-1943; he later received updates from fellow veterans. The collection also includes Levy's war reminiscences, and sheet music and manuscripts of Levy's musical comedy, Hey Mister Satan (1942).

This collection is made up of correspondence, soldiers' newsletters, and other items related to Emanuel Levy's service in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II, and to his involvement in veterans' reunions.

The Correspondence series (244 items) contains Emanuel Levy's incoming and outgoing correspondence from January 1941 to June 1943, and a single letter written in September 1945. "Manny" received letters from family members and friends in Brooklyn, New York, who discussed the family news and, less frequently, politics and the war. His correspondents included women named Muriel, Evelyn, Alberta, and Frances. In his letters and postcards, Levy commented on his experiences at Camp Upton, New York; Camp Shelby, Mississippi; Camp Beale, California; Camp Butner, North Carolina; other bases; and in Hawaii and the Pacific Theater, where he was stationed for most of 1942. He described his life on base immediately prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, discussed finances and allotments, and responded to news from his family's letters to him. He occasionally used stationery from the Jewish Welfare Board, USO, and various military installations.

The Military Transmissions and Communications series (8 items) consists of official communications sent during World War II, primarily related to the signal corps and the Pacific Theater. The series includes Irving Strobing's transmission reporting the surrender of Corregidor (May 4, 1942) and a separate order to stop American vessels bound for Corregidor, a communication from Franklin D. Roosevelt to the United States Army forces in the Philippines (beginning "Personal from the President to Lt Gen Wainwright…"), and an undated notice of the German surrender.

The Reunions and Postwar Papers series (94 items) includes materials related to reunions of the 303rd Signal Operation Battalion, the history of the unit, and Emanuel Levy's involvement with veterans' organizations. The 303rd Signal Operation Battalion held reunions from 1947-1993. Items include Emanuel Levy's postwar correspondence with fellow veterans, invitations, address lists, newspaper clippings, and ephemeral materials. Several incoming letters to Levy inform him of fellow veterans' postwar lives and deaths.

The Writings series (8 items) pertains to Emanuel Levy's service in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II. Three personal reminiscences, written sometime after the war, recount his work for the 101st Signal Operation Battalion and 303rd Signal Operation Battalion in the United States, the Pacific, and Europe during and just after the war, with details about military communications operations, his movements, and specific incidents. One item is a list of the posts where Levy served between April 1941 and September 1945. The series contains an article that Levy submitted to Harper's Magazine in 1957 ("Two Ugly Beasties") and typescripts and manuscript sheet music for Levy's musical, "Hey Mister Satan," written with George H. Johnston and C. W. Erdenbrecher.

The Printed Items series (20 unique items) contains multiple copies of soldiers' newsletters. The Burpee, by the 303rd Signal Operation Battalion, related news of the battalion's activities while at Camp Crowder, Missouri, and in Sunnyvale, California (August 5, 1943-November 18, 1943). The Taylor Maid chronicled events onboard the General Harry Taylor at the close of the war in the Pacific; the series holds a marquee "War Ends" issue (August 15, 1945) and a signed souvenir issue (August 18, 1945). Other items are a copy of The Message, a professional newspaper produced in Camp Crowder, Missouri (September 9, 1943), and a published volume, 303rd Signal Operation Battalion: An Informal Unofficial History, April 17, 1943-February 25, 1946. The publication is a unit history comprised of photographs and essays by several of its members and a unit roster.

Three World War II-era newspaper clippings pertain to Emanuel Levy's promotion to master sergeant, a Women's Army Corps member's visit to her dying soldier son, and the 303rd Signal Operation Battalion's service in Europe, including participation in the Battle of the Bulge.

This collection contains around 80 letters that Sergeant Frank D. Jonas wrote to his parents and siblings in Brooklyn, New York, while serving with Company B of the 326th Tank Corps during World War I. Jonas described his training at Camp Upton, New York, and at Camp Colt and Camp Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, between February and September 1918, and discussed his experiences in England and in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, between October 1918 and April 1919. The collection also includes letters that Jonas received from other soldiers, as well as letters Jonas's brothers Robert and Richard wrote about their experiences in the military.

This collection contains around 80 letters that Sergeant Frank D. Jonas wrote to his parents and siblings in Brooklyn, New York, while serving with the Company B of the 326th Tank Corps at Camp Upton, New York; at Camp Colt and Camp Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania; and in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, during World War I. The collection also includes letters that Jonas received from other soldiers and letters by Jonas's brothers Robert and Richard.

The bulk of the Correspondence series is comprised of letters from Frank D. Jonas to his parents and siblings, usually addressed to his mother. While in training at Fort Slocum and Camp Upton, New York, in early 1918, he described his clothing, equipment, daily routine, and other soldiers. In late March 1918, Jonas transferred to the newly established Camp Colt near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he became a member of Company B of the 326th Tank Corps and, later, a signal sergeant. In his letters to his family, Jonas mentioned training exercises such as hikes, drilling, and signaling classes; he also encouraged his brother Richard ("Dick") to enlist. After arriving in Europe around October 1918, Jonas wrote a letter about his transatlantic journey; he later commented on his surroundings and on soldiers' accommodations in France.

After the war, Jonas served in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, where he discussed the possibility of returning home. Two of his letters contain enclosures: a newspaper clipping with photographs of French tanks and wounded Canadian soldiers (September 19, 1918) and photographic negatives of a soldier in uniform (May 23, 1918). Several of Jonas's letters are written on YMCA or Tank Corps stationery, and he also sent his family a Christmas card, and received a postcard depicting a group of soldiers.

Jonas received 2 letters from Sergeant Edward A. Fargo, Jr., who served in Germany in 1919; 1 letter from a marine serving at Paris Island, South Carolina; and 1 letter from Sergeant Harry E. Wildner. His brothers Richard ("Dick") and Robert ("Bob") also wrote several letters about their own experiences in the military.

The Tank Drill Regulations series contains one 3-page document outlining the procedures and signals during tank units' drill exercises.

This collection contains letters that Sergeant Major Harry L. Latto wrote to his family while serving with the United States Army during World War I. Latto was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, from around November 1917 to July 1918, and served in France from August 1918 to around May 1919.

This collection (58 items) contains letters that Sergeant Major Harry L. Latto wrote to his family while serving with the United States Army during World War I. Latto was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, from around November 1917 to July 1918, and served in France from August 1918 to around May 1919.

Harry L. Latto composed 53 letters and postcards to his aunt and to his parents, Henry I. and Sarah S. Latto of Hopewell, New Jersey, between November 14, 1917, and May 9, 1919. He wrote from Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, between November 1917 and July 1918; from Camp Upton, New York, in July 1918; and from France between August 1918 and May 1919. While at Camp Wadsworth, Latto commented on aspects of camp life and thanked his parents for the packages he received. In his letter of November 24, 1917, Latto drew ink maps of the camp and of a mock trench setup used for training exercises. He also discussed his finances, including a life insurance policy, and mentioned his friends. In France, he commented on the progress of the war, questioned whether he would participate in front-line combat, described the French scenery and the local people, and related his experiences in officers' training school. On December 13, 1918, he wrote to his parents about his recent encounter with President Woodrow Wilson. Many of Latto's letters contain enclosures, including military records and orders, bulletins from Brooklyn's Kenilworth Baptist Church, photographs of himself and another soldier in uniform, and newspaper clippings. He enclosed 2 postcards in his letter of July 28, 1918, depicting paintings of Wofford College and soldiers working at Camp Wadsworth.

Harry L. Latto received 5 letters from his parents, 2 of which are enclosed in his letters. Undated items are a letter Henry I. Latto received from Private Samuel S. Carver of Battery D, 5th Field Artillery, concerning the army of occupation in Germany, and a list of unusual place names that Latto encountered while facilitating American soldiers' return to the United States.

The Julius Bromet papers are made up of letters, postcards, and a diary that Bromet wrote while serving with the 305th Field Hospital (later the 305th Ambulance Company) during World War I. In his letters to his parents and brother, Bromet described his experiences at Camp Upton, New York, and in France; his diary pertains to his time in France during and after the war. The collection has four photographs.

The Julius Bromet papers are contains 145 letters and postcards and a diary that Bromet wrote while serving with the 305th Field Hospital (later the 305th Ambulance Company) at Camp Upton, New York, and in France during and after World War I. The collection also has 4 photographs: 2 photographs attached to the letter of December 7, 1917, and 2 in a separate series.

The Correspondence series consists of 145 letters and from Julius Bromet to his parents, Solomon and Annie Bromet; his brother, Louis Bromet; and "Minnie and Baby;" all letters were sent to his father's home in Brooklyn, New York. From March 7, 1917, to March 14, 1917, and again from December 9, 1917, to April 2, 1918, he wrote from Camp Upton on Long Island, New York, about his training and equipment. He also related rumors of his unit's upcoming transfer to Europe. After a brief period with the 152nd Depot Brigade in December 1917, Bromet returned to the 305th Field Hospital, which traveled to France via England in April 1918. In one 10-page letter from April 1918, he described his transatlantic voyage.

After his arrival in France around April 21, 1918, Bromet wrote about aspects of life near the front, including his account of witnessing a German and French "aeroplane fight" (July 26, 1918), and reported rumors that an armistice was imminent. After the war, he was stationed near Chaumont and Solesmes, France, where he described the scenery and conveyed the pleasures of sleep unhindered by the sounds of airplane raids and machine guns (November 12, 1918), though he admitted having an eerie feeling about the silence (November 14, 1918). He left France in May 1919. Two photographs of a soldier are enclosed in his letter of December 5, 1918. Illustrated postcards of various French scenes; new recruits at Camp Upton, New York (4 items, December 4, 1917); and several uniformed soldiers (3 items, undated). Bromet's co-workers sent him a postcard wishing him a safe return from the war (December 7, 1917).

Julius S. Bromet kept a Diary (53 pages) between April 6, 1918, and May 7, 1919, during his service in France. In daily entries, he noted the weather and interesting occurrences, such as a burial at sea during the voyage to France (April 18, 1918) and a close encounter with falling shrapnel (May 9, 1918). He also witnessed occasional air raids and unfavorably compared U.S. Army quarters to British quarters. He wrote his final entry just after arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey, on May 7, 1919, and expected to be mustered out within the next two days; he wrote down "Thurs May 8" but did not complete the entry. The diary also contains addresses and a list of letters that Bromet mailed home.

The Photographs series includes a portrait of a soldier, which is housed in a frame with the word "Welcome," illustrations of American flags, and the date (May 10, 1919), and a picture of a man and three women in a domestic environment. Two additional photographs are attached to the letter of December 5, 1918.

The Robert Sklarz collection is made up of letters that Sklarz, a staff sergeant in the United States Army Air Forces, wrote to his family while serving in the United States, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan during and after World War II. Sklarz commented on aspects of military life such as his training, leisure activities, and rations.

The Robert Sklarz collection (0.75 linear feet) is made up of letters that Sklarz wrote to his family while serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

The Correspondence series, which comprises the bulk of the collection, contains letters that Sklarz wrote to his family from October 1942-January 1945 and from July 1945-December 1945. He most frequently addressed his letters to his parents, Milton and Elsie Sklarz; he also wrote to his grandparents, Benedict and Mary Schwarz, who lived with the Sklarz family in Brooklyn, New York. The early letters pertain to Sklarz's experiences at training facilities in the United States, where he commented on drills, classes, and his travels between bases. He occasionally mentioned specific exercises, such as gas mask drills, obstacle courses, and rifle training, and discussed his pay, expenses, and food. While stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sklarz reported on acquaintances in the Women's Army Corps and Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.

From July 1944 until the end of the war, Sklarz discussed his experiences in New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and Okinawa. Sklarz occasionally referred to his participation in battle, but mainly discussed everyday aspects of military life; he mentioned hearing Tokyo Rose broadcasts, visiting the beach, and meeting Australian soldiers. After July 1945, Sklarz was stationed in the Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan, where he commented on the food, the discharge system, and his unit. The majority of items are manuscript letters; the collection also contains V-mail letters and picture postcards. One group of postcards that Sklarz sent to an acquaintance in New York contains cartoons about military life; the collection also contains a set of 4 unused postcards from Japan.

The Regalia series (7 items) contains World War II-era military ribbons.

This collection is primarily made up of letters that Rochester Hart Rogers and his wife, Lois Smith Rogers, wrote to one another between 1917 and 1919. Rochester discussed his legal practice in Rochester, New York, and his experiences as an army officer at Fort Niagara, Camp Upton, and Camp Grant. Lois wrote about current events, family news, and daily life in Rochester and in Center Moriches, New York.

This collection (0.75 linear feet) is primarily made up of correspondence related to Rochester H. Rogers of Rochester, New York, and his wife, Lois Smith Rogers.

The earliest 4 items are letters from Estelle A. Boyden to Clinton Rogers (Rochester's father) and to her cousin Helen (Rochester's sister). Rochester and Lois Smith Rogers received a few additional letters from other family members and friends throughout the late 1910s.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Rochester H. Rogers and Lois Smith (later Rogers), including items written during the couple's courtship. These letters often refer to literature and to Rochester's life and legal practice in Rochester, New York, prior to the couple's marriage in April 1917. After August 1917, Rochester Rogers wrote to Lois about his experiences while serving with the United States Army at Fort Niagara, New York; Camp Upton, New York; and Camp Grant, Illinois.

Rogers sometimes remarked on his efforts in the defense of soldiers in legal proceedings and on his other duties, including miscellaneous office tasks and work with "raw recruits." His clients included a group of Russians who supported the Bolshevik cause (August 15, 1918) and an African-American soldier who had disobeyed a commanding officer. Rogers sometimes commented on the progress of the war and discussed politics. His letter of December 13, 1918, contains a discussion of the Hawaiian rebellions of the late 19th century.

Lois Smith Rogers wrote the majority of the letters to her husband during his military service. She provided news of their families and of their two young children, born around late 1917 and late 1918. Similar to her husband, she occasionally commented on the progress of the war and the involvement of European nations. While staying in Center Moriches, New York, in the spring of 1918, she considered volunteering for a Red Cross hospital; she also wrote from Rochester and Williamson, New York. Several letters from 1918 refer to the influenza epidemic and to wounded soldiers returning from the war. An envelope postmarked December 5, 1918, contains printed information about army administration, the use of intelligence tests, and corresponding ratings.

This collection is made up of 42 letters that Robin Whitfield wrote to his girlfriend and future wife, Tacey Barnett of Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, from 1917-1921. He wrote of his experiences at Camp Dodge, Iowa, and Brest, France, during World War I, and commented on his life in Clarksville after the war.

This collection is made up of 42 letters that Robin Whitfield wrote to his girlfriend and future wife, Tacey Barnett of Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, from 1917-1921. He wrote of his experiences at Camp Dodge, Iowa, and Brest, France, during World War I, and commented on his life in Clarksville after the war.

Whitfield wrote 2 letters from Clarksville in 1917; 17 letters and postcards from Camp Dodge, Iowa, from June 1918-August 1918; 1 letter from Camp Upton, New York, in September 1918; 1 letter from Camp President Lincoln in Brest, France, in June 1919; 2 postcards immediately after his return to the United States in late 1919; and 17 letters from Clarksville from April 1920-September 1921. Two additional letters from Clarksville are undated. At Camp Dodge, Whitfield joined the 804th Pioneer Infantry Regiment, an African American unit. He commented occasionally on the attractiveness of local women (August 14, 1918) and about his fondness for the shooting range (September 20, 1918), but most often he discussed his social activities and his relationship with Barnett. After his return to Clarksville, he continued to write about their relationship and upcoming visits. The collection's postcards include a photographic postcard depicting trench warfare ([July 8, 1918]), a photographic postcard showing Camp Dodge ([July 22, 1918]), 2 postcards with short poems about friendships and relationships ([July 30, 1918] and [October 28, 1919]), and one postcard bearing a logo from the YMCA Troop Train Service ([October 9, 1919]).