Finding Aid for the Mildred H. Walter Second World War correspondence 2019.118.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
11/15/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Mildred H. Walter Second World War correspondence
Creator:
Priebe, James A., Master Sergeant
Creator:
McKissick, George, Seaman First Class
Creator:
McKissick, Richard C., Sergeant
Creator:
Rebecca, Keene
Creator:
Priebe, Mary
Creator:
Nicholson, S.J., Aviation Ordnanceman Third Class
Creator:
Savage, Dale G. , Colonel
Identifier/Call Number: 2019.118.w.r
Physical Description:
.3 Linear Feet
(6 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1915 November 10 - 1945 December 8
Date (bulk): 1943 May 7 - 1945 December 8
Abstract: This collection contains approximately 70 correspondence to Mildred H. Walter neé Hinds during the Second World War. The bulk
of the collection was written to Mildred from Sgt. Richard C. "Dick" McKissick, USA during the Second World War. Also included
are returned letters from Mildred to Sgt. McKissick, letters to Mildred from seven other authors, as well as three letters
from a Japanese boy named Toshifumi Tatsumi in Osaka and a postcard from B. Kanno in Japan from 1915-1917.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 141
Container: 5-10
Container: 1-6
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Knox Martin, purchaser.
This collection is arranged by author and chronology:
- Series 1, Correspondence from Richard McKissick
- Series 2, Correspondence to Richard McKissick
- Series 3, Correspondence from various authors
- Series 4, Correspondence from Japan
- Series 5, Partial or undated correspondence
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Mildred H. Walter Second World War correspondence (2019.118.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 approximately 70 correspondence to Mildred H. Walter née Hinds during the Second World War. The bulk
of the collection was written to Mildred in Filer, Idaho from Sgt. Richard C. "Dick" McKissick, USA during the Second World
War. Also included are returned letters from Mildred to Sgt. McKissick, letters to Mildred from seven other authors, as well
as three letters from a Japanese boy named Toshifumi Tatsumi in Osaka and a postcard from B. Kanno in Japan from 1915-1917
while Mildred was as yet unmarried (last name Hinds) and living in Illinois.
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
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
World War (1939-1945) -- Japan
World War (1939-1945) -- Christmas
World War (1939-1945) -- Philippines.
Basic training (Military education)
Military training camps
United States. -- Navy
United States. -- Army.
Military hospitals
World War (1939-1945) -- Hospitals
box WWII 141, folder 5-6, folder 1-2
Series 1, Correspondence from Richard McKissick 1943 May 7 - 1945 November 16
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear Feet(2 folders)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains fifteen letters, nine V-Mail, and one postcard from Sgt. Richard C. "Dick" McKissick, USA to Mildred
H. Walter during the Second World War. Also included are eight empty envelopes and two notes. One of the V-Mail is a full,
unphotographed form.
Sgt. McKissick wrote about the weather and thanked Mrs. McKissick for her packages of cakes and cookies. He trained with the
56th Medical Training Battalion, Company D at Camp Barkeley near Abilene, Texas and Camp Breckenridge in Kentucky, as well
as Elkins, West Virginia and Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In April 1944 he deployed to North Africa with the 27th Evacuation
Hospitalwhere he discussed the landscape and the Arab people. In May 1944 he went to Italy and mentions seeing "Eddie's" grave
but does not discuss much else because of censors. In September he reached France and wrote for months about the landscape,
by November included a cartoon of Santa eating K Rations for Christmas.
In March 1945 he was in Nancy and Haguenau, France and begins wishing he could be home. In June he was promoted to sergeant
and reached Starnberg, Germany, then Feuchtwangen and Darmstadt. Here he speaks of "no more battle casualties" which have
lightened the load. In September he was assigned to 4th Battalion, N Company, BAU (Term#1) in Biarritz, France where he began
an education in math and other subjects. He told Mildred of his journey from Frankfurt, Germany through Metz, Paris and Bordeaux,
France before Biarritz. In October he graduated his courses and rejoined the 27th Evac. Hosp.
In his last letter in November 1945, he reached Braunfels, Germany having been with the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt
and now the 29th Field Hospital. The 97th was an occupation unit but he describes them as "more of a repple depple," referring
to the slang term for a replacement depot.
box WWII 141, folder 7, folder 3
Series 2, Correspondence to Richard McKissick 1945 September 24 - 1945 December 8
Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains six letters from Mildred H. Walter to Sgt. Richard C. "Dick" McKissick, USA during the Second World War.
All of these letters were returned to sender.
Mildred sent a total of 47 clippings with her letters, 17 of which were cartoons and most of the rest were "In the Services"
sections that informed about local servicemen in Twin Falls, Idaho area that had been overseas from the Twin Falls Telegram.
Her letters discuss the farm and neighbors, as well as German prisoners in the area. They apparently helped with many farms'
harvests and as late as November 1945 there were "truck loads" of them coming by every day.
From Mildred, Nov. 27, 1945:
"The sugar beets are nearly all dug and topped now so we will soon be losing the Germans. Suits me. Some people think that
they are not being fed well enough but they are getting fat and that is more than their prisoners did. I heard recently that
the last of them would be on the way to Europe by the first of April and that farmers here could not count on their help next
spring. A lot of our own farm workers should be released from service by that time so that the farm labor situation should
be improved."
She also mentions a housing problem for which the government provided 47 trailer houses for returning veterans, the Thanksgiving
date change that year, and the weather.
box WWII 141, folder 8, folder 4
Series 3, Correspondence from various authors 1941 December 15 - 1945 December 8
Physical Description: 0.1 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series is arranged chronologically, irrespective of author.
This series contains 16 letters and 4 empty envelopes from various soldiers and sailors to Mildred H. Walter during the Second
World War.
- Colonel Dale G. Savage, USA
- Master Sergeant James A. Priebe, USA
- Mary Priebe, D.RC
- Aviation Ordnanceman Third Class S.J. Nicholson, USN
- Rebecca R. Keene, WAC
- Seaman First Class George McKissick, USN
- Unknown author, Army Administration School, University of Mississippi
In April 1944, Rebecca Keene thanked Mildred for cookies that were unable to reach their destination, so the HQ Company, Army
Service Forces, First Service Command, WAC detachment ate them.
S2/C McKissick wrote from San Diego in June 1944 and in November aboard the USS Logan.
In March 1945, Mary Priebe wrote on an Easter card from England. McKissick sent an Easter poem from the South Pacific aboard
the Logan.
In May 1945, McKissick explains that he had been through Honolulu, the Marshall Islands, Guam and was in the battles of Okinawa
and Iwo Jima, the latter which he was given a commendation for actions as part of the beach party from February 20-24. He
transcribes the entire wording of his commendation from the captain of the ship, and again in the next letter in June. He
then had liberty, but could not say where. In September he was promoted to seaman first class and changed to "R" Division
aboard the same ship. He had been back to San Francisco and was heading out to Osaka, stopping in Honolulu to pick up the
98th Infantry Division and Philippines for the 391 Regiment, a stop at Saipan, then to Wakayama near Osaka, Japan. He mentions
the smell and the poor Japanese as he wrote in October, pulling into Samar, Philippines.
In October, MSgt. Priebe wrote from Manila, Philippines with HQ Base X, Command Section. Censorship had ended so he told Mildred
that he had been to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea and then the Philippines; Tacloban on Leyte, Bagakai Island, Catbalogan, then
Manila after his first ever plane flight, working in the office of the commanding general.
By November, McKissick was back at sea and in December says he is not sure if he will be making it home for Christmas, briefly
explaining the ritual of changing from "polliwog" to "shellback" when he crossed the equator.
Authors listed above and not mentioned contained only empty envelopes.
box WWII 141, folder 9, folder 5
Series 4, Correspondence from Japan 1915 November 10 - 1917 June 10
Physical Description: 0.01 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains four letters from Japan to Mildred Hinds from 1915 to 1917. All of the letters were written in English,
with one exception. Three of the letters were from a student named Toshifumi Tatsumi at Nara Normal School in Osaka, one including
a letter written in Japanese script. The last letter was a postcard written by B. Kanno in English, with some Japanese script,
and a picture of a Japanese woman on the back.
box WWII 141, folder 10, folder 6
Series 5, Partial or undated correspondence