Correspondence, 1945 January 13-June 17
Scope and Contents
Letters from Magnusson to a friend at home in Duluth, Minnesota, chiefly document Magnusson's service with the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in Iowa, Virginia, and France. Letters from Fort Des Moines describe WAC uniforms; drills, including a gas mask drill; WAC facilities and buildings; and social activities at the fort and in Des Moines. Letters from Newport News detail Magnusson's perspective on the South and southerners; the reaction of male soldiers and civilians to the WACs; entertainment, including dances, movies, holiday parties, and snowball fights; and dating and weddings in the military.
Detailed letters from Paris, document Magnusson's overall impressions of the city and specific sights; Red Cross and army facilities; leisure activities, including Christmas celebrations, Parisian nightclubs, military weddings, music, and service clubs; overseas uniforms and patches; and war news. Magnusson also provides vivid descriptions of VE Day parades and celebrations and explains her conflicting desires to remain in the service and to return to civilian life.
Also included is a 1943 letter from a male soldier stationed at Camp Peary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Dates
- 1945 January 13-June 17
Creator
- From the Collection: Magnusson, Betty (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: .08 Linear Feet (Document folder with 4 folders )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository