Finding Aid for the Jacob L. Feldman First World War correspondence 2017.583.w.r
Wynter Salazar
Center for American War Letters Archives
4/18/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Jacob L. Feldman First World War correspondence
Creator:
Feldman, Jacob L.
Creator:
Vasterling, Jennie
source:
Hoffmann, Joan
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.583.w.r
Physical Description:
0.08 Linear feet
( 1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1918 July 27 - 1918 October 16
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence between Pvt. Jacob L. Feldman, USA and his cousin Jennie Vasterling during the First
World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWI 4
Container: 9
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Joan Hoffmann.
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
- Series 1, Correspondence from Jacob L. Feldman to Jennie Vasterling
- Series 2, Correspondence from Jennie Vasterling to Jacob L. Feldman
- Series 3, Photographs
Private Jacob L. Feldman, United States Army emigrated from Russia with his mother Sarah Feldman. He trained for the Army
at Fort Riley and served overseas with Company K, 354th Infantry, 89th Infantry Division during the First World War. He was
killed on September 29, 1918 while on daylight patrol near Xammes, France and engaging a machine gun nest; he was 29 years
old. He was buried in St. Mihiel American Cemetary in Thiaucourt, France. He was disinterred on Jan. 31, 1922 and was sent
to St. Louis, Missouri with a Lieutenant Shaw accompanying. He was reinterred at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in St. Louis.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Jacob L. Feldman First World War correspondence (2017.583.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains correspondence between Pvt. Jacob L. Feldman, USA and his cousin Jennie Vasterling during the First
World War. Also included are two photographs of Feldman's dog tags and a photo of his record card.
In this collection there were three envelopes that the donor deemed letterless. One of the envelopes that has a war censor
stamp was deemed to belong to the letter dated July 27, 1918 due to the seemingly same war censor signature on the envelope
and at the end of the letter. The other two envelopes are in this collection in numerical date order. Within the envelope
with the postage stamp dated October 16, 1918 and with the "deceased verified" stamp had contained both letters from Jennie
Vasterling but it has been deemed to belong to the letter dated October 16, 1918 due to the liquid marks located on the envelope
and the letter itself.
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 (1914-1918)
World War (1914-1918) -- France
World War (1914-1918) -- Homefront
World War (1914-1918) -- Casualties
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
Last letters before death
War letters -- Last letters home
War -- Death notification
Hoffmann, Joan
box WWI 4, folder 9
Series 1, Correspondence from Jacob L. Feldman to Jennie Vasterling 1918 July 27 - August 3
Physical Description: 0.08 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains two letters from Pvt. Jacob L. Feldman, USA to his cousin Jennie Vasterling during the First World War.
In the letter dated July 27, 1918 Jacob writes that he is having a good time in France, "I can also say that I am feeling
ok and am having as good a time as I possibly can under the conditions here." He also wrote, "We are getting pretty good eats
here and get enough sleep and also enough hard work. I get more work than is usual as one morning I happened to forget my
gas mask and our Company Commander gave me a hundred hours of extra Duty that means a hundred hours of work after drilling
all day and that keeps me busy all day from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. And that is why I cannot answer
my mail any sooner so don't worry if you don't hear from me as soon as you would like too." He also discusses his insurance,
writing, "I have fixed up about the insurance and have fixed it so that Uncle Ben Aunt Pauline and your mother will benefit
through it." At the end of this letter has a signature from a war censor.
The letter dated August 3, 1918 he writes "Our trip across was pretty nice but it could have been a whole lot better as far
as enjoyment is concerned and as for myself if I was looking for enjoyment I'd find something else besides a trip on the ocean
during war times." He adds, "I only want you to write to me as often as is possible and also tell everybody in the family
to do the same as you cant imagine how it livens a fellow up to hear from home." The letter does not have Jacob's signature
but it is his writing in the letter.
On September 29, 1918 while on daylight patrol near Xammes, France, Feldman engaged a machine gun nest and was killed. He
was 29 years old.
box WWI 4, folder 9
Series 2, Correspondence from Jennie Vasterling to Jacob L. Feldman 1918 October 1 - 16
Physical Description: 0.08 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains two letters from Jennie Vasterling to her cousin Pvt. Jacob L. Feldman, USA during the First World War.
Both of these letters were within the envelope with the postage stamp dated October 16, 1918 and with the "deceased verified"
stamp but it has been deemed to belong to the letter dated October 16, 1918 due to the liquid marks located on the envelope
and the letter itself.
In the letter October 1, 1918, Jennie asks him to write her back, "I haven't rec. a letter from you for a long time so I wish
you would write me soon I am anxious to hear from you." She also talks about food, "Ive been kept pretty busy putting up things
I just got through putting up some crab apple jelly and now I am putting up some catsup this makes the 2nd bushel of tomatoes."
In the letter dated October 16, 1918, pleading with him to write back, "I guess you think I have forgotten all about you but
I haven't. I don't understand why you don't write and let us know how you are getting along everybody at home is worry about
you so I wish you would write a few words anyhow." She adds, "If you don't hurry up and tell us what you want for Christmas
you won't get any for the time is growing short we have until the 15th of Nov. to get all packages to New York. I want you
to have some thing and you might as well tell us what you want I guess by the time you get this letter it will be too late
but I wrote to you early and gave you plenty of time." She writes about a dream she had, "I dreamed about you the other night
I dreamt you where back home and you looked so well better then I ever seen you look but you where here for a short while
for you where going back."
Jennie also mentions the 1918 flu pandemic writing, "Everything is still closed on account of the influenza this evening paper
states that there has been 69 deaths here in St. Louis but they expect the schools and picture shows and everything that they
closed to open next week."