Letters, 1943

Containers:

Box 1, Folder 4

Scope and content:

Scope and Contents Just like letters in folders #2 and 3, these letters are an extension of those in the previous folder. Dansby continues to write love letters to Sykes from the South Pacific island. During the time span of the letters, Sykes moved within St. Louis, for the second time since October 1942, changed her job, from which she was laid off soon thereafter (letter of 30 October), and had her divorce finalized (letter of 21 November). Dansby, on the other hand, became progressively more depressed and homesick. In comparison to the ports of embarkation in California, the conditions on the classified island were austere and, as it has been the case since Dansby joined the Army, he wished the war were over and he could see Sykes and St. Louis. His morale hit rock bottom at the end of December when he wrote, "I am putting up a fight against the shattering of my morale and darling [sic] I am telling you [sic] it's not easy at all. Whatever happens though [sic] you can bet I'll be here thinking of you and fighting to my last breath" (25 December 1943). While Dansby did not get shipped off to the Pacific front between September and December, his letters suggest that others from his basic training cohort were starting to get shipped off to both, the European and the Pacific, fronts. For example, in his letter from 1 December 1943, he wrote that his fellow soldier and friend, Nelson, had been sent to England. The letters contain much evidence of censorship in the form of cutouts. The most interesting are from 9 and 14 September and 21 November. For example, the 9 September letter has cutouts with cut out penciled in above them.

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