Wartime Letters Home: Now, I Know

Susan Hunter — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:31:53 -0400

There's no argument that the historiography of war can best be studied through those who lived it. But to interview a soldier even months post-war runs the risk of slightly faded memories and lessened emotions.

What if there were a way to talk to soldiers from years, decades, and even centuries ago, enabling us to hear their thoughts on their respective war, straight from the front lines. How do we go back in time and hear from them with the raw emotions of the moment?

We do this through the letters written from an encampment, foxholes, and bedrolls.

I'm a pretty curious person; so many things fascinate me but reading letters from wartime is right up there in the top ten. This fascination with letters became apparent when I discovered a treasure trove of correspondence from the Vietnam War in my mother's attic. Although I didn't know it at the time of discovery, these letters and the stories within would change my life's direction. After publishing a book about my mother's writing campaign during the Vietnam War, I immersed myself in letters from wartime. I have since partnered with Barbara Harrison from Behind the Lines podcast and Andy Carroll from The Center for American Wartime Letters (https://rly.pt/2Q5unsX). Over the past two decades, Andy has collected over 150,000 letters from wars dating back to the Revolutionary War. We will work together to bring you some of the most fascinating letters written from the hearts of our nation's bravest men and women.

We thought it would be fitting to kick off this column with a response written to a friend back in the States, who had written how he was "envious" that he, the soldier, was living history. Arguably, this is one of the single greatest war letters ever written, a literary anthem for all veterans. This soldier's name is Major Oscar Mitchell, and he wrote this letter exactly 77 years ago today.

April 15, 1944

Dear Syl,

I received your letter. You say that you wish you were over here.

Although most people think that they are War Conscious— are they really?— so far removed from the far-flung battle fronts, how can they be?

You are really War Conscious when you see the airplanes, in formation, early in the morning, flying to meet their rendezvous— and see this same formation returning in the evenings. But the number is not the same.

Twelve went out, nine returned.

You stand there, looking up, watching them fly into the distance, into the horizon, then disappear.

You wonder— what really did happen? Those who went down in flames, do they die as you see them in the movies? I don’t think so.

Not with a smile on their lips and a happy gleam in their eyes, but rather painfully and regretfully with the knowledge that— this is it.

You’d have to see the wounded streaming back from the front after a battle, above all, to see the light go out of men’s eyes.

Young men shaking from nervous exhaustion. Strong men they are, or were, who will not have the chance, ever, to live normal lives.

People may think they know what War is like. Their knowledge is facts of the mind.

Mine, is the war-torn body, scared to soul’s depth.

When I was in the States, War was far away, unreal. I had read, I had seen pictures… but now I know.

~Oscar

Susan P. Hunter
Author, “77 Letters, Operation Morale Booster: Vietnam”
Co-Producer/Director/Writer, “Every Time the Wind Blew” Documentary

The Center for American War Letters

The Center for American War Letters at Chapman University houses more than 90,000 letters from soldiers and their families spanning 230 years and dozens of wars and conflicts.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Apr 15 at 2021 9:36 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:36:21 -0400

So many Americans who went over to England to help with the fight got a real taste of it as the Germans bombed the UK

Response by Wayne Soares made Apr 15 at 2021 9:48 AM

Wayne Soares — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:48:41 -0400

Awesome! Congratulations Susan!

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Apr 15 at 2021 10:12 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 10:12:23 -0400

Excellent history share Ms Susan Hunter , thank you for the great share.

Response by Wayne Tucker made Apr 15 at 2021 7:25 PM

Wayne Tucker — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:25:03 -0400

Great blog
Very well written!

Response by PO1 Steve Ditto made Apr 29 at 2021 1:52 PM

PO1 Steve Ditto — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:52:04 -0400

Thank you for the history.

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made Jun 1 at 2021 9:33 AM

SFC Jim Ruether — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:33:41 -0400

Such a short conversation and yet a very poignant one between a veteran and his family.
I remember a program years ago back in 1987, called Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. These were letter read by actors and actresses while real footage played showing a Napalm Strike Danger Close or a firefight in broad daylight. Being wounded and waiting for your own medi-vac while you hope your buddy lying beside you makes it too. Battlefield promises to notify a soldiers dad or mom to tell them he loves them and he was a good soldier. These stories need to be shared. Maybe if more of them had been shared, our law-makers would leave the troop decisions to the troop commanders and not some grandstanding politician. I think this was a great share Susan Hunter. I enjoyed the letter from "Oscar to Syl" and your intro explaining the how and why you got started with this project.