• Series 1, Folder 1
• Series 2, Folder 2
• Series 3, Folder 3
• Series 4, Folder 4
• Series 5, Folder 5
• Series 6, Folder 6
• Series 7, Folder 7
• Series 8, Folder 8
• Series 9, Folder 9

Folder 1: December 1942 – May 1943

• This folder contains 59 letters, written primarily by Cpl. James A. Dunbar, USAAF to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about learning the general routines and conduct at the base, marching for hours to the chow hall, drilling platoons, transferring to different bases across the country, the tight schedules he has to follow ("during the period of 27 hours, I got about 5 hours sleep and that in three shifts. Kain't [sic] live that way."), replying to his family's letters, wanting to go out and explore the cities he's in, being assigned to the Signal Corps as a radio mechanic and being "Kinda disappointed that I'm not directly in the air corp but at least I'm close to as possible", becoming used to the labors of training, sleepwalking at the base, viewing various entertainment acts at USO shows, attending weekly church services, visiting the rifle range, receiving his old radio from home, being promoted from a private to a corporal, becoming Acting Sergeant of a company, attending school and preparing for an officer's exam, and dating Southern women.

Folder 2: June – August 1943

• This folder contains 35 letters, written primarily by Cpl. James A. Dunbar, USAAF to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about awaiting a visit from his parents, falling ill and staying in the medical ward, transferring to a "Signal Training Regiment" to become a radar technician, developing a code in order to communicate with his family about where he is ultimately shipped to, ("See use a girl's name then some exact...places. Then when I get there...I'll write home all about Babe or Bertha."), leaving the hospital ward and returning to his company, and going ice-skating while dating a new woman.

Folder 4: January – May 1944

• This folder contains 62 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about desiring to find a permanent girlfriend, transferring to the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, awaiting transfer overseas, becoming a part of the Air Corps, the strenuous training and time constraints he has to follow, expecing a visit from his family, being assigned to kitchen patrol (KP) and furnace duty, having his shipment postponed, taking a boat to his new assignment in an undisclosed location in the Southwest Pacific and becoming seasick on the voyage, turning to spiritual guidance to combat loneliness, his new labors and duties at the new base, wanting to write more but being prevented by the censors, sending money home, requesting various items at home to be set aside in case he asks for them, meeting other Kansans, hoping to be placed on motor pool duty, working seven days a week, complaining about how the Army refuses to give him details about why he's there apart from "Beautifying the area", meeting and trading with the native population, adjusting his diet based on the available food and nutrients, the natural beauty of the island and its surroundings, finding entertainment in any place he can get it, consoling his family after their home is flooded, venting about the constant annoyances and aggravations of living on an island, feeling as though his technical training has gone to waste, and being overjoyed about female nurses arriving on the island.

Folder 5: June – September 1944

• This folder contains 34 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about appreciating his family, being worried about the future being "too perplexing for me to figure out. Mighty black", missing the simple things about life in the U.S. and envying his brother, criticizing the censors, musing why he's the only one of his circle of friends who is single, wishing his dad a happy Father's Day, visiting an Army "rest home" (cemetary) on one of the islands, starting his first technical job and commenting that "This was the first day that I had done anything to help the war effort. The first time in 15 1/2 months of service", anticipating and hoping for the end of the War, becoming too busy with work to write home as frequently as he'd previously been able to, losing his interest in a former paramour, clearly telling his family to stop buying war bonds, wishing his mom a happy birthday, attending a Fourth of July barbecue, advising his brother to be more sympathetic to soldiers on the frontlines ("You'll learn someday maybe. I sure hope not for your sake."), taking on a second job bartending for the officer's club, feeling annoyed by the constant humidity preventing his foot rash from healing and his laundry from drying, considering applying to Officer Candidate School, sending gifts back home, making his cot more livable with a cupboard and an adjustable light ("The fellas in our tent just like to survive and that is all - no ambition!"), losing plenty of weight due to the lack of good food, and being dismayed by the lack of correspondence from his female acquaintances.

Folder 6: October 1944 – February 1945

• This folder contains 52 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about the continuing campaign in the Pacific with forces getting as far as Mindanao Island in the Philippines, requesting items to be sent to him from home, meeting with visiting friend Lieutenant Jerry Evan Lumbert, apologizing to his brother for forgetting his birthday, griping about the organization of the U.S. military as compared to Australia's or New Zealand's and how "the present standards should be revised so an officer isn't a high and mighty lord and the men aren't so many scums", asking to be set up with a female friend of a friend, doing some volunteer work in exchange for more food and use of a swimming facility, getting angry at a former girlfriend for her insinuating that he's living in paradise and bragging about "'Her Tommy'", becoming friendlier with the island natives, receiving Christmas packages from home, reminidng his friends to appreciate the freedom "which none of us would trade for the Army any day", feeling as though he's been in the army a lot longer than he has, transferring to another island in the Southwest Pacific and setting up base camp there, being on edge in the evenings because "we can not have lights and we don't walk around. Anyone shoots first and finds out what it was in the morning", reminding his family how much he loves and misses them, complaining about how much he's done and yet he hasn't been promoted beyond the rank of Private, becoming nervous and unable to sleep at night due to being caught in bombing raids, being too busy to answer his stacks of letters, anticipating the coming end of the war in Europe, being drafted to complete various odd jobs and "Every day something seems to come up to cause me to do something else but work in the shop", applying to join a bomber group, observing how all of his friends are now engaged or married and how he is still single, admitting to his family "Do you know that I am homesick?", being caught in a torrential downpour of rain lasting for weeks, and reluctantly adopting a dog with other members of his company.

Folder 7: March – June 1945

• This folder contains 37 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about the poor treatment of the GIs, complaining about commanding officers having their priorities in the wrong places, requesting and being denied a transfer to a new unit, keeping track of his finances, musing about what he will do after the war, being called to his first real job as a technician "to work on radio troubles of a transport plane", the post office increasing the cost per ounce of letter "hence the reason I write on the back of pages", the constant presence of rain, fantasizing about finding a girlfriend, celebrating his birthday while on service, taking plenty of photos to be sent home, attending church services but recognizing the "service of a GI nature lacks 95% of a common church", keeping busy with new jobs and assignments, complaining about officers failing to commend their enlisted men, catching up with his friend Evan Lumbert who is enlisted in the Air Force, his displeasure over an incident in which two officers stole a folder of radio receivers meant "to be raffled off to the enlisted men", getting back at the officers by cancelling war bonds, noticing that many of the other troops are falling ill due to poor nutrition, creating a financial plan for the future, expecting frequent visits from Evan, purchasing books of water color paintings depicting the troops in the Pacific, considering signing up for courses on movie theater management and maintenance after his enlistment, hearing his family home was flooded for the second year in a row, being disgusted by the poor treatment of soldiers in the base hospital by nurses, finally getting a "huge boost in rank after almost two years" of service, expressing his disdain toward the Jewish people ("Little by little I'm beginning to see the ex-Mr. Hitler's viewpoint. Their existance isn't really necessary to the world"), acknowledging Germany's defeat but that his service is not over yet, transferring into a new outfit in the Philippines, reminiscing about Sunday church services with his family, working primarily in the radio shop once more, keeping up with news from his class at Kansas State College and realizing he would be graduating around this time, doing the work of a Staff Sergeant while still ranked as a Private First Class and remarking that "If a business was run like this army, it would be bankrupt in 6 weeks", taking a few days off for rest leave in Manila, and designing a new radio and navigational set up for a unit in his outfit.

Folder 8: July-September 1945

• This folder contains 36 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about spending days with his friend Evan Lumbert, keeping track of his savings and bonds, complaining that "Twenty-nine months in the Army + 16 of them over here at one job should begin to qualify me" for an increase in rank beyond Private First Class, receving letters and care packages from home, being angry about not being able to return stateside, being too occupied with work to write home as often, reminiscing about his college days and desire to return, eating much better tasting and nutritious food compared to his last post, setting up and bartending at a new officer's club, seething about a lack of letters from female correspondents and noticing that "after a year or so of being away you're old friends forget about you", healing up from all of his various ailments, resolving to work even harder and prove himself worthy of a promotion, being annoyed at people stateside who are "dead set upon still trying to live like peace time...A few good ole healthy bombing raids would do a lot of good back there!", awaiting the end of the Pacific Campaign, beginning planning for Christmas, being assigned to a moble repair crew for the outfit's planes, hearing of friends' engagements and marriages, deciding against applying for officer candidate school, visiting his cousin Chuck, hearing about America's atomic bomb ultimatum and Russia's declaration of war against Japan, finding out "At last Japan admits defeat" and celebrating the coming acceptance of their surrender, looking into college programs for when he returns home, being envious of all of his married friends, finding more free time to prepare for his plans upon returning, feeling concerned over his mother's hospitalization, getting "so darn tired hearing about that big hero" General Douglas MacArthur and his need for praise, falling sick and needing to go to the troop hospital, awaiting the retaking of Paris, feeling insulted by his continued lack of recognition and promotion, feeling a sense of freedom after censorship is officially lifted, considering post-war education plans, and being discouraged by the bottleneck of soldiers attempting to return home.

Folder 9: October – December 1945, August – November 1979

• This folder contains 19 letters, written primarily by James A. Dunbar to his family in Wichita, Kansas. He writes about transferring to different living quarters multiple times in the stretch of two weeks, going on beach dates with Filipino girls, deciding what path he will go down in terms of education, getting his teeth cleaned by a Filipino dentist, occupying his thoughts with home ("I'm writing like I'm thousands of miles away. Come to think of it I am. I'm right back there instead of out here in Bimmaley, Luzon, P.I."), transferring to Japan for occupation and being surprised by its beauty, feeling annoyed by Wichita's continued lack of preparation for flooding, finally earning some new commendations and remarking that with "Four + possibly five ribbons...it will look as if I really went through some rough battles + wars", visiting Japanese cities like Wakayama and Osaka, converting a wool carding factory into their new headquarters, feeling vindicated that the officers aren't able to enjoy all of their privileges, finally receiving his discharge orders and expecting to retun home "by New Years. What a way to start 1946 - the best and how!", having his return delayed slightly, and traveling to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington. Additionally, this folder also contains 9 correspondences from Mrs. Beulah Dunbar to her son James while he worked for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in the late 1970s. She writes about attending lectures and activity groups while on vacation, asks him to write her more often and be honest with her, complains about the confusion in addressing her letters, hopes he enjoys his work, mentions trying to sew a blouse by hand, discusses the wildfires in Altadena, and asks him to convince his wife that she's a part of the Dunbar family.