Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Reese Melvin Russell Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1914-1918
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Company E, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division
- Location of Service: Camp Lee, Virginia; France
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/18879
Like many men in his infantry unit, Reese Russell grew up in the mountains of Virginia, accustomed to the quiet rhythms of rural life. He joined the war effort, his daughter Frances writes, full of enthusiasm for the cause. Russell was gassed while in combat, and though he came home, married his sweetheart, and raised a family, he was forever marked by the war. The man Frances knew slept too little and drank too much. He died in 1943 at 61, a broken man, and Frances learned of a diary he kept during his wartime service some years later, only after her mother died. Frances offers commentary on the accounts in her father's diary entries, which are by turns harrowing and poignant.
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About this Item
Title
- Reese Melvin Russell Collection
Names
- Estes, David R.
- Russell, Reese Melvin
Headings
- - Russell, Reese Melvin
- - World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Form
- Diaries and journals
Extent
- 2 items
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1914-1918
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Company E, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division
- Location of Service: Camp Lee, Virginia; France
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1917-1928
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran was gassed.
Materials
- Manuscript: Diaries and journals [2 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/18879
Cite as
- Reese Melvin Russell Collection (AFC/2001/001/18879), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image