Papers (1941-1945) including correspondence, letters regarding pay allotments, liberty, censorship, marriage, family difficulties, etc.
Franklin Warren VanWert (b.1921), son of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. VanWert of Key West, Florida, served in the Naval Reserve in the Special Service Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet aboard the USS BRECKINRIDGE (1941-1943).
Correspondence includes letters to his mother and brother concerning ship life and duty, leaves, description of Cuban women, problems with new pay allotments, and an entry regarding the number of siblings in the Armed Forces (December 13, 1943). Of particular interest are descriptions of engine room duty and the desalinization process for boiler and drinking water (October 17, 1941). A December 7, 1941, letter describes his reaction to the scant information that he has heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
This collection also includes letters from Albert VanWert (brother) while in training at USNTS, Great Lakes, Illinois, and Len Dooren (brother-in-law) while serving in the Pacific Fleet aboard the USS PRENTISS. These letters include information regarding pay allotments, liberty, censorship, marriage, and family difficulties and concerns. Reference is made to their mother reentering the work force. A letter from Dolly (sister) includes a description of travel and housing difficulties for military families whose men have been shipped overseas (August 18, 1943).
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