Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Arrangement
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Preferred Citation
  • Scope and Contents
  • Conditions Governing Use

  • Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
    Title: Cletus O. Ward Second World War correspondence
    source: Ward, Michael L.
    Creator: Ward, Cletus O.
    Identifier/Call Number: 2014.048.w.r
    Identifier/Call Number: 172
    Physical Description: 0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)
    Date (inclusive): 1941 January 5 - 1945 October 15
    Abstract: This collection contains 256 correspondence from 1stLt. Cletus O. Ward, USA during the Second World War. Also included are three compact discs containing scans of his letters and photographs.
    Physical Description: Some letters are ripped. Some of the stationery are thin and fragile.
    Language of Material: English .
    Container: WWII 50
    Container: 1-8
    Container: 1-8

    Conditions Governing Access

    This collection is open for research.

    Arrangement

    This collection is housed in eight folders, with letters in chronological order. CDs are housed in the last folder.
    Folder 1: January 1941-December 1943
    Folder 2: January 1944-July 1944
    Folder 3: August 1944-September 1944
    Folder 4: October 1944-November 1944
    Folder 5: December 1944-February 1945
    Folder 6: March 1945-April 1945
    Folder 7: May 1945-October 1945
    Folder 8: CDs

    Biographical / Historical

    1stLt. Cletus O. "Butch" Ward, United States Army, wrote to his wife Bessie and son Robert, whom was also called Butch. Ward was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and later promoted to first lieutenant. He was stationed in the Admiralty Islands, and later in the Philippines during the years 1941-1945.

    Preferred Citation

    [Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Cletus O. Ward Second World War correspondence (2014.048.w.r), Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
    For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

    Scope and Contents

    This collection contains correspondence from 1stLt. Cletus O. Ward, USA to his family and friends during the Second World War. A majority of the letters were addressed to his wife Bessie and son Robert. He was stationed in the Admiralty Islands, and then in the Philippines. Throughout the letters, he corresponded with family and friends about his day-to-day business and asking about events back home.
    In his letters, he mentioned the frequency of receiving letters, portraying how much soldiers depended on these letters for relief from combat. Sometimes he would receive his family's letters in groups.
    Ward also mentioned in one letter that he found in the mail tent one of his wife's letters burned and stamped with the words "salvaged from plane crash".

    Conditions Governing Use

    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)
    World War (1939-1945) -- Philippines.
    Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
    Ward, Michael L.