Finding Aid for the Alex Hamas Second World War correspondence 2017.173.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
5/23/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Alex Hamas Second World War correspondence
source:
Hamas née Kucan, Mary Louise , b. 1924
source:
Meisner née Hamas, Linda
Creator:
Hamas, Alex, Corporal, 1922-2004
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.173.w.r
Physical Description:
.04 Linear feet
(1 folder)
Date (bulk): 1943 - 2008
Abstract: This collection contains sixteen correspondence from Corporal Alex Hamas, United States Army to his then fiancée Mary Louise
Kucan during the Second World War. Also included are one photograph of Hamas, one certificate of enrollment to the World War
II Registry of Rememberances, and one biography written by Mrs. Hamas.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 146
Container: 21
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mary Louise Kucan Hamas, facilitated by Linda Hamas Meisner.
This collection is arranged chronologically. The photograph and biography are separate.
Corporal Alex Hamas (pronounced HAY-miss), United States Army (7/25/1922 - 4/19/2004) was born and lived his entire life in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Taylor Allderdice High School and later two years at the University of Pittsburgh.
Cpl. Hamas served in the Army from January 20, 1943 until his separation on January 18, 1946, first training in North Carolina
and with the 199th General Hospital in England and the 4th Infantry "Ivy" Division in Germany. When he returned to America
after the war, he married Mary Louise Kucan in August 1946 and was active in veterans organizations, especially the Veterans
of Foreign Wars and the 4th "Ivy" Division. He took leadership roles in those organizations and continued activities until
his death in 2004. He and his family visited the 4th Infantry Memorial in Luxembourg in 1986 (Mrs. Hamas' bio has it in 1984,
the photograph says 1986) and he has since been memorialized in the Registry of Rememberances as part of the National World
War II Memorial.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Alex Hamas Second World War correspondence (2017.173.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 Cpl. Alex Hamas, USA to his then fiancée Mary Louise Kucan during
the Second World War. Also included are ten photocopied correspondence, one photograph of Hamas in 1986, one certificate of
enrollment to the World War II Registry of Rememberances, and one biography written by Mrs. Hamas.
In his correspondence, Cpl. Hamas discusses the comforts of home, missing Mary, the Thanksgiving meal of 1944 and the morale
that built for the men, following events back home in Pittsburgh including football, and some of his general day to day activities
including going to church, though he was careful of the censors. Some of his V-Mail were sent as hand-drawn Christmas cards,
and according to his wife this was a service he provided for many of the other men in his unit. After the war ended, he mentions
seeing Germans and Poles and Russians returning home and the various flags they waved. At that time he did not mind the monotonous
daily routines or duties because it was better than being shipped to the Pacific, which he and many of the men were "sweating
out," that is to say worried about. He also mentions an argument about the point system to send soldiers home and how the
fathers and husbands feel they should have priority.
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)
World War (1914-1918) -- Christmas
World War (1939-1945) -- England
World War (1939-1945) -- Germany
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
Military hospitals
World War (1939-1945) -- Hospitals
Hamas née Kucan, Mary Louise , b. 1924
Meisner née Hamas, Linda