Personal Narrative 3D Object Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Richard E. Merwin Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Stringham (APD 6); USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255); USS Greene (APD 36); USS Rathbone (DD 113)
- Location of Service: South Pacific; Treasure Island, California
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/12728
A Naval officer stationed aboard various ships in the Pacific Theater, Richard Merwin focused his correspondence not on military achievements or the hardships he faced, but rather on what was happening stateside, particularly with his wife, Sally-Ann. Because he sent the letters he received back to Sally-Ann for safekeeping, we are able to read not just one side of the correspondence, but rather their full conversation. Despite the vast differences in how each experienced the war, their letters are similar in content, focusing on the pain of their current separation and anticipation of life after the war. Both, too, employed the same term of endearment for one another: "Dearest Stinky."
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About this Item
Title
- Richard E. Merwin Collection
Names
- Merwin, Richard E.
- Merwin, Sally Ann
Headings
- - Merwin, Richard E.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Stringham (APD 6); USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255); USS Greene (APD 36); USS Rathbone (DD 113)
- Location of Service: South Pacific; Treasure Island, California
- Dates of Service: 1944-1946
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran also worked as a civilian on the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) project at Los Alamos, New Mexico (1949-1951) and at the Department of Defense on anti-ballistic weapons systems (1968-1978).
Materials
- Manuscript: Clippings [27 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1945-02-10-1945-08-05)
- Manuscript: Correspondence [308 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1944-08-28-1946-01-23)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1946-05-07)
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [8 items] -- Photograph (collected 1944)
- Artifact: Artifact [3 items] -- (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/12728
Cite as
- Richard E. Merwin Collection (AFC/2001/001/12728), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image