Finding Aid for the Ruth Fish Second World War correspondence 2017.259.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
5/24/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Ruth Fish Second World War correspondence
source:
Fish, Ruth
source:
Checchi, Milton
source:
Checchi , Sheri
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.259.w.r
Physical Description:
.08 Linear feet
(1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1861 October 21 - 1945 December 10
Date (bulk): 1945-01-25-1945-12-10
Abstract: This collection contains six original correspondence from various authors written to Ruth Fish during the Second World War.
Also included is one photocopied Civil War letter from James H. Lord to his father in 1861.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 146
Container: 22
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Ruth Fish, via Milton and Sheri Checchi.
This collection is arranged chronologically.
According to the donor:
Per records: [John's] father was Richard Lord born in 1807 in Berry England. His brother was Ulysses Lord, born 1829. James
born on December 10, 1834. Ulysses R. Lord married Jane Hufford, their child Olive Ella Lord was [Mavan?] Gregory's grandma
and Ruth Fish's mom. So James was the uncle to Olive Ella Lord and great uncle to Ruth Fish.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Ruth Fish Second World War correspondence (2017.259.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.
This collection contains six original correspondence from various authors written to Ruth Fish during the Second World War.
Also included is one photocopied Civil War letter from James H. Lord to his father in 1861.
The correspondence from James Lord of the 19th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteers, Company A, discusses driving the
enemy into Leesburg, Virginia despite being outnumbered two to one, 5,000 to 2,500 soldiers. He discusses casualties and says
that he will write again "if I am not shot which I did not come here for..."
The correspondence to Ruth was written by several different authors, including: [Leong S. Wer?], Chaplain Clarence L. Gloss
aboard the USAT Jane Addams, Corporal William Harry Devine of Company B, 145 Engineers, C Battalion, Gunners Mate Third Class
Gordo Carpenter, 6th Division, USS Tennessee, and Lieutenant Paulpatrick Judge, 1st Radio Squadron in the Pacific.
It can be inferred from the letters that these men all know Ruth and may have been her students as she is a teacher in San
Francisco. [Wer?] discusses bivouac and not wanting a leadership role. He also mentions a chow line a mile and a half long
to spread out in case of bombings and calls the army a "traveling college." Chaplain Gloss mentions receiving Ruth's Christmas
package, though it was all damaged, and his commanding officer, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Disciple from Chicago that helped
with baptisms aboard the ship.
Cpl. Devine vaguely describes the Battle of the Bulge, trudging through mud in France, Belgium and Luxembourg and tells a
short tale about a twelve year old French girl crying when her clothes were trampled in the mud. She and her mother had to
hide for the "five weeks the Germans were back in here," to which he says, "c'est la guerre." He also says he was a part of
the D-Day landings in Normandy.
GM3/c Carpenter wrote a short note asking about San Francisco and some friends, and Lt. Judge was in the Pacific and says
that he has known Ruth for at least seven years, telling her not to work so hard and take a vacation. He also sent a Christmas
card from Tokyo with an image of a Japanese town in the snow.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
World War (1939-1945) -- Poetry
World War (1939-1945) -- Japan
World War (1939-1945) -- Belgium
World War (1939-1945) -- France
World War (1939-1945) -- Christmas
World War (1939-1945) -- Women
Christians (Disciples of Christ)
United States. -- Army.
United States -- Army -- Air Forces
United States. -- Navy
Fish, Ruth
Checchi, Milton
Checchi , Sheri