Finding Aid for the Walter L. Wiese Jr. Second World War correspondence 2017.616.w.r
Lee Feldman
Center for American War Letters Archives
1/4/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Walter L. Wiese Jr. Second World War correspondence
Creator:
Wiese, Walter L., Jr., Staff Sergeant
Creator:
Kouopka, Urban S., Chaplain
Creator:
Reynolds, Charles E., First Sergeant
source:
Uxa, Betty
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.616.w.r
Physical Description:
.16 Linear feet
(2 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1945 January 5 - 1945 May 30
Abstract: This collection contains fourty-five written correspondences from SSgt. Walter L. Wiese Jr., USA to his wife June B. Wiese
during the Second World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 19
Container: 20-21
Container: 1-2
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Betty Uxa and the Wiese family.
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
Staff Sergeant Walter L. Wiese, Jr., United States Army (b. 1917) was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Before entering active
service, he married June B. Spinner, who was also born in St. Louis. He enlisted in the military on March 19, 1941 and was
honorably discharged on October 12, 1945, receiving five Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and a Purple Heart. Walter was
reported missing in action but was actually wounded in action on January 19, 1945 in Luxembourg, Germany. After the war, he
returned to St. Louis and worked as a truck driver delivering meat to butcher shops. He and June went on to have five children:
Mary Jane, Diana, Elizabeth, Walter, and Joseph.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Walter L. Wiese Jr Second World War correspondence (2017.616.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains fourty-five written correspondences from SSgt. Walter L. Wiese, Jr., USA to his wife June B. Wiese
during the Second World War. In these letters, Walter refers to his wife by the nicknames "Bade" or "Junie." He writes to
June about about how much he loves her and wants to come home to her, receiving her Christmas gift, recovering from a leg
injury, reminiscing about their first date and their marriage, preparing to leave the hospital and join his outfit, receiving
a Purple Heart, being mistaken for being missing in action (MIA), asking about June's new dog, Jiggs, wishing her a happy
birthday and wanting to be with her to celebrate, finally arriving at the front, riding a horse for the first time, requesting
care packages, hearing of the Nazi's surrender in Germany and feeling even more ready to return home, and sending home money.
There are two additional letters addressed to June that were not sent by Walter. The two, sent separately by Chaplain Urban
S. Kouopka and First Sergeant Charles E. Reynolds, inform her of a military mistake in which Walter was declared MIA instead
of merely wounded and apologize for the error.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945) -- Germany
World War (1939-1945) -- Christmas
World War (1939-1945) -- Hospitals
Wiese, June B. Spinner
Uxa, Betty