Archive for December 2025
May 19, 1944. From a young school chum Eggert to his pal Marvin.
A sweet note from a young school chum to his pal fresh in the Army.
Read MoreMarch 10, 1950. From Airman Charles to June. Letter 1 of 10 in collection.
Fresh out of the gates at West Point in 1950, Charles writes a first letter to his girlfriend, June. It’s a raw, tender outpouring from a cadet caught between duty and devotion. With military drills behind him and months of separation ahead, he tries to soften the blow of postponed summer leave, promising to skip dances, resist temptation, and even consider resigning, if that’s what it takes to keep her heart close to his. This is young love, unfiltered and all in.
Read MoreDec. 26, 1954. From Airman Charles to June. Letter 10 of 10 in collection.
It’s a love story suspended in time, waiting for its final chapter. Charles is staying at the Hilton in Madrid, writing to June. It’s a letter full of quiet, vivid details: a washbasin the size of a bathtub, a doll too delicate to play with, a quiet Christmas spent window-shopping and thinking only of her. In the middle of war and distance, love becomes both ordinary and extraordinary.
This is the 10th and final letter we have from Charles. And of course, we’re left wondering: did he come home? Did their story turn into something messy and wonderful and real? Did baby Dawn grow up with a sibling?
We can only wonder and hope.
Read MoreDec. 21, 1954. From Airman Charles to June. Letter 7 of 10 in collection.
Written on the cusp of Christmas in 1954, our young airman stationed abroad captures the quiet shuffle of military life between global tensions and holiday homesickness. Charles has just been assigned to a new squadron and is adjusting to base life, where C-119 “Flying Boxcars” rumble overhead and winter orders to Germany loom. Yet even amid supply shifts and cold barracks, his heart stays anchored to the warmth of home and the hope that a letter from home might arrive with the next mail drop.
Read MoreDec. 22, 1954. From Airman Charles to June. Letter 8 of 10 in collection.
As Christmas approaches in 1954, our young airman writes his new bride from overseas, his letter a blend of playful affection, quiet loneliness, and the everyday shuffle of military life. Between mentions of found money in a sock, Santa arriving by helicopter, and weekend orders to Madrid, his heart stays anchored to home…. to June, and to the infant daughter he hasn’t seen walk yet.
Read MoreDec 23, 1954. From Airman Charles to June. Letter 9 of 10 in collection.
Just before Christmas in 1954, an airman stationed overseas writes tenderly to his sweetheart back home, picturing her face as he buttons his cleaned but damaged suit and prepares for a weekend in Madrid. In a world of veiled strangers, foreign coins, and long bus rides, his heart stays anchored to her — dreaming of March reunions, steamship arrivals, and the sound of her voice he couldn’t afford to hear by phone.
Read MoreJuly 27, 1945. From Bill to his wife. Letter 6 of 6.
Just twelve days from coming home, US serviceman Bill writes to his wife with equal parts grit and charm talking sweat, bad chow, blueberry pie, and dreams of peace and quiet on the farm. It’s a letter full of longing, humor, and the kind of details that make history feel personal.
Historical note: In July 1945, Americans were holding their breath. Germany had surrendered two months earlier, and President Truman had just met with Churchill and Stalin at the Potsdam Conference to discuss ending the war with Japan. Back home, families waited anxiously rationing continued, war bonds were still being sold, and servicemen like Bill were counting down the days, hoping that peace was finally within reach.
Read MoreFeb. 10, 1945. From Bill to his wife. Letter 4 of 6.
In this short heartfelt note, Bill shares updates from CA naval base life where the beer is close, the weekends are short, and his heart is firmly back home where his wife is waiting. Letter 4 of 6 in this series.
Read MoreApril 12, 1945. From Bill to his wife. Letter 5 of 6.
On the day of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death and mere weeks before the war in Europe would end, Bill writes from base with sunshine on his face from California, pride in his promotion to Torpedoman 3rd Class, and a quiet ache for the wife he misses more each day.
Read on for a heartfelt glimpse into one man’s war-era hope, hard work, and longing for home wrapped in a letter that says as much between the lines as it does on the page. Letter 5 of 6 in this series.
Read MoreJune 29, 1944. From Bill to his wife. Letter 3 of 6.
A quick note from serviceman Bill to his wife, sharing a work duty update and feeling grateful that it’s not what you know, but who you know!
Letter 3 of 6 in this series.
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