BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 7): Mail Call: My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I

DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 7): Mail Call: My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I:

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Description of Pictures: My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I
April 6, 2017 – November 29, 2018
Through personal correspondence written on the frontlines and home front, this centennial exhibition uncovers the history of America’s involvement in World War I. The compelling selection of letters illuminates emotions and thoughts engendered by the war that brought America onto the world stage; raised complex questions about gender, race and ethnic relations; and ushered in the modern era. Included are previously unpublished letters by General John Pershing, the general who led the American Expeditionary Forces and a person who understood the power of the medium. In his postwar letter that begins “My fellow soldiers,” he recognized each individual under his command for bravery and service.
Developed in partnership with the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SIPMMC_180203_016.JPG: Mail Call To many, letter writing may seem a quaint and charming pastime. But for military personnel and their families, mail is essential. Providing prompt, reliable mail service for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen stationed anywhere in the world is a top priority for both the armed forces and the postal system. The ways and means of mail delivery have changed over time, but the essential messages are the same. Our heartfelt letters, official news, and packages from home bind families, resonate with sincerity, and in times of crisis can elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.
2. SIPMMC_180203_019.JPG: My Fellow Soldiers Letters from World War I
3. SIPMMC_180203_021.JPG: My Fellow Soldiers Letters from World War I At the end of the war, General John J. Pershing -- commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) -- wrote a letter that begins "My Fellow Soldiers." Pershing expressed his profound respect and appreciation for the sacrifice, endurance, and will of those who served under him. Each member of the AEF received a copy of the message. Letters were the primary form of communication between the home and military fronts and allowed both writers and recipients to preserve connections and share experiences. The selection of correspondence presented in this exhibition illuminates the relationships, thoughts, and emotions of the authors as they grappled with the effects of World War I.
4. SIPMMC_180203_029.JPG: Staying neutral became increasingly difficult for the United States as the war progressed. Between 1914 and early 1917, Americans sent humanitarian aid and volunteered medical services in war-torn countries. The relief work and America's continued commercial trade with combatants raised questions about the nation's neutrality.
5. SIPMMC_180203_035.JPG: "I shall be tied down with this border patrol indefinitely... and am really fortunate to have something to do." -- Brigadier General John J. Pershing to family friend Anne Boswell, November 3, 1915 (on loan from Andrew Carroll) John Pershing expressed his grief with this black-edged mourning stationery. In late 1915, while Pershing was stationed away from his family, a house fire claimed he lives of his wife Frances and their three daughters. His young son Warren survived, but Pershing's loss was profound. He stayed busy at Fort Bliss, Texas, contending with instability along the border caused by the ongoing revolution in Mexico.
6. SIPMMC_180203_041.JPG: "You have saved us, great American Nation." -- Belgian student Paul Mage to President Woodrow Wilson, February 27, 1915 In the earliest days of the war, Germany invaded Belgium after the government refused to allow German troops passage. The violation of Belgium's neutrality provoked Britain to declare war against Germany on August 4, 1914. The conflict caused severe food shortages in Belgium. Though the United States remained neutral, citizens provided humanitarian aid and sent food supplies to the occupied country of seven million people. Belgian schools organized letter writing campaigns to express the population's gratitude to the United States.
7. SIPMMC_180203_051.JPG: "Never have I had such a heart ache as I had after listening to this man's tale." -- Nurse Marion Doane to her mother and sister, March 5, 1917 Marion Doane was working as an operating room supervisor outside Paris, France, when the war began. The staff of her American-run hospital treated wounded troops and created an ambulance service. She had been treating soldiers for over two years when she head a Frenchman give an account of being a prisoner of war and of the abuse Germans inflicted upon French, English, and Russian prisoners. Stories like this helped cast Germany as an enemy in the eyes of the Americans.
8. SIPMMC_180203_054.JPG: Over There: America Goes to War On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia in retaliation for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The attack triggered diplomatic alliances, which led countries to go to war. The Central Powers coalition of Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria fought against more than 20 allied countries, including Russia, France, and Great Britain. The United States remained neutral until Germany announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917. After the destruction of American ships and other provocations, President Woodrow Wilson told Congress, "The world must be made safe for democracy," as he successfully requested a declaration of war. By June, the American Expeditionary Forces stared deploying to Europe. The AEF trained with the Allies and then engaged in its first battle in autumn 1917. Brutal combat continued through early November 1918 when the two sides negotiated ceasefire agreements. The Great War, later known as World War I, claimed an estimated 17 million lives of military personnel and civilians. The war profoundly changed society and global politics.
9. SIPMMC_180203_061.JPG: Mobilizing equipping, recruiting, and training the military stretched over the nineteen months of America's engagement in the war. Congress declared war on April 6, 1917, and enacted the draft for men one month later. Eventually over four million men and women served in the military. Social welfare organizations also expanded to provide essential services.
10. SIPMMC_180203_066.JPG: Writing letters was seen as a patriotic duty for sustaining morale. Americans sent 35 million letters from home to deployed service members in the firs year after entering the war. The home front showed support by rationing food and purchasing government-issued Liberty Bonds; women also took on new jobs in the work force.
11. SIPMMC_180203_071.JPG: Postcards were on inexpensive and easy way for busy service members to communicate with friends and loved ones. Charitable organizations distributed postcards for free to encourage military personnel to write. Some postcards even came with pre-printed messages, which helped regulate the content and tone of information sent home. Picture postcards offered glimpses into life at training camps, scenes of the war's destruction, and sentimental or patriotic messages.
12. SIPMMC_180203_074.JPG: Writing kit of Corporal Robert L. Wade, Company I, 130th Infantry, 33rd Division.
13. SIPMMC_180203_080.JPG: "Somewhere in France" was how most service members on the front lines referred to their locations. The military censored outgoing mail to ensure sensitive information like troop movements and numbers did not reach the enemy. These constraints affected how people wrote. Many on the home front hid their worries and sent only words of encouragement and love.
14. SIPMMC_180203_083.JPG: Writing kit of Colonel B. Taylor, Headquarters, Motor Transport Corps, Advance Section
15. SIPMMC_180203_088.JPG: Modern technologies changed warfare and challenged the strategies and fortitude at both sides. The American Expeditionary Forces took lessons from the Allies on the use of airplanes, tanks, and poisonous gas. By the summer of 1918, the AEF embarked on major battle campaigns. In late September, the AEF and the Allies launched their final offensive.
16. SIPMMC_180203_090.JPG: Bicks pen with container of ink disks The Bicks Ink Company of Chicago produced this pen. Bicks held the earliest identified US patent for the so-called "trench" pen, dated September 1, 1914. Even humble pens underwent technological advancements during the war. Carrying glass bottles of ink was inconvenient and potentially dangerous for troops. Companies developed and marketed "trench" pens for easy use in the field. A soldier simply mixed the dried ink pellets and a little water directly in the pen's barrel.
17. SIPMMC_180203_099.JPG: Establishing peace began with a ceasefire on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The resulting celebrations gave way to the long process of recovery. Service members looked forward to returning home and planning for the future, while diplomats began to negotiate treaties that redefined European borders.
18. SIPMMC_180203_102.JPG: Repurposed shell casings sold as souvenirs by French artisans
19. SIPMMC_180203_106.JPG: My Fellow Soldiers Letters from World War I America's role in the war can be examined through the unique lens of personal correspondence written by soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, aid workers, and their loved ones on the home front. Letters contain the stories of these men and women in their own words. What and how people wrote was influenced by censorship rules and social expectations. With few other forms of communication readily available at the time, letters were a lifeline for maintaining relationships and hope. The centennial of World War I encourages reflection on the war's importance in shaping of the United States and the globe. A reconsideration of the war provides perspective today on similar issues ranging from patriotism to censorship.
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Description of Subject Matter: Mail Call
November 10, 2011 – Permanent
Level 1: Mail in America Galleries
Soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen anxiously awaiting mail delivery is a familiar scene from movies, newsreels, and documentary photographs. Mail call is the moment when the frontline and home front connect. This exhibition tells the history of military mail from the American Revolution to 2010: How does this mail reach its destination? What roles does it play? Why does it influence morale? The exhibition explores the great lengths taken to set up and operate postal services under extraordinary circumstances. It also features letters that reveal the expressions, emotions, and events of the time. On the battlefront and at home, mail provides a vital communication link between military service personnel, their communities, and their loved ones.
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