Finding Aid for the Alice Nelson Korean War correspondence 2015.035.w.r
Lauren Menges
Center for American War Letters Archives
11/11/2016
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Alice Nelson Korean War correspondence
Creator:
Spangler, Thomas G.
Creator:
Nelson, Herbert
source:
Olson, Alice F.
Identifier/Call Number: 2015.035.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 1049
Physical Description:
0.025 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1953 August 11 - 1955 January 30
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence written to Alice Nelson during the Korean War. The letters were written by two soldiers:
her brother, Herb Nelson, USA, and a man she never met, Thomas Spangler.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Korea 1
Container: 9
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Alice Olson (née Nelson).
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Alice Nelson Korean War correspondence (2015.035.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 correspondence to Alice Nelson during the Korean War. Alice went by the nickname "Allie." The two
correspondents were Private First Class Thomas G. Spangler, United States Marine Corps and Corporal Herbert Nelson, United
States Marine Corps.
PFC. Thomas G. Spangler was a pen pal that Alice never met. He was a truck driver in a motor transport unit in the 5th Marines.
He was from Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes that he finds her letters very interesting and enjoys her sense of humor. He signs
his letters "Gerry."
The other letters were written by Alice's brother, Cpl. Herbert Nelson. He was a supervisor for an automotive school. He was
promoted to Cpl. in December of 1954. In his letters it is clear he is homesick and anxious to get home: "It sure is different
8500 miles from home amongst people that you can't stand the sight of. (Letter dated July 10, 1954).
Around the holidays, he seems to have even lower spirits. In his letter dated December 27, 1954, he laments the lack of Christmas
spirit in camp and his desire to get home:"It is hard to hard to try and get a spirit that is inspired by friends and loved
ones when the loved ones are missing. If I'd had at least one person here that meant anything to me I would have felt better…We
had a Christmas dinner but that only filled the stomack. But I have that one thing that no one can take away from me and that
is the consolation that in exactly 47 more days my time will be up and they will have to ship me home." He also writes of
his opinions of the Korean people, which aren't very good. He believes the Japanese are much more modern and similar to Americans.
He uses the term "moose" frequently to describe Korean women - it is unclear if they are prostitutes or not.
In his final letter dated January 30, 1955, he says he is depressed and is drinking a lot. He is growing a moustache just
so he has something to do. When Alice Nelson donated these letters, she stated that her brother ended up killing himself at
age 42. Although he doesn't mention it in his letters, she says he was on the front lines and believes part of the reason
he may have killed himself later was from PTSD - a concept that wasn't heard of during the time.
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
Korean War, 1950-1953.
Korean War -- (1950-1953) -- Correspondence
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Christmas
Nelson, Alice
Olson, Alice F.