Physical Description: 0.15 Linear feet(3 folders)
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series contains correspondence from T/5 Roger Highland, USA to his mother Lucy Highland during the Second World War.
The correspondence begins with a letter July 4, 1943 from St. Louis, MO on his way from Grand Island, NE to Fort Knox, KY.
Of the Army he writes "All the thinking is done for you, even. A guy gets up when he's told to, eats, works and plays when
he is told to. Funny part of it is that I am thriving on it....Tell Wayne to stay out of the Army if he can, he sure wouldn't
like it."
At Fort Knox for basic training he writes "Yes, this is the place where they have the gold, but we won't ever see it, except
on officers, and the place is sure crawling with them. Yesterday I had to salute 15 times in two blocks." He asks about his
wife Esther. He describes details of basic field training, infiltration, scouting and patrolling, artillery training, bivouacking.
He describes anticipated radio communications school on "the latest models and methods of radio." He describes food, mess
hall procedure, K.P. He writes Esther has moved to nearby Louisville and has a job in a department store. He describes learning
to drive a tank, gunnery school, inspections. He gives much detail about his radio operations course, learning code, cryptography,
transmitters in tanks, taking code at proficient speed, procedure and theory. Dec. 13, 1943 - shares some thoughts about "negroes"
and Jews, flu epidemic, Christmas with "no snow, no tree ... -- 1944 - January - He writes Esther is pregnant. No correspondence
between Feb. 8 and June 16.
June 16, 1944 - in France "trying to pick up a little French language but having an awful time with it. They don't spell anything
like they speak it... The people .. act like they have had the hell scared out of them."
Sept. 15, 1944, in Germany -"I received the big news the other day when the cablegram arrived...Sure was tickled to get the
news, but am rather anxious now to hear how Esther and the baby are getting along."
Sept 20 - "For a while we were taking a grand tour of Europe with all expenses paid by Uncle Sam. Of course there was quite
a bit of fireworks tossed in ...I had the rather dubious pleasure of being with the first American patrols to enter many a
town and village on the way." He writes about a cigarette shortage, the underground shelter he built for himself, and mentions
anticipated distribution of sleeping bags.
January 1945 - Comments on prices back in the U.S. and shortages of cigarettes, housing, meat, liquor, labor.
April 1945 - "Am now in a room in a German "Gasthaus...the captured Wehrmacht cognac supply is about gone, as is the beer
from a brewery I helped to raid....The war over here is showing signs of ending one of these days. Joined up with the Russkies
now and they have Berlin...I have been lucky though - never sick of injured."
May 30, 1945 - in Prestice, Czechoslovakia - "I am 14Km (9 miles) south of Pilsen.. Saw the Skoda plant, also the false Skoda
plant to lure our bombers. Both plasces got plastered though... If Esther is looking for me to 'walk in' anytime now, might
as well tell her to quit looking. Armies don't move in a day."
June 20 - "As to when I will be home, still don't have any idea." He describes the towns and fields, and (I'm) "All decked
out with a ETO ribbon with 3 stars on it and the blue unit citation over the right pocket."
July 18 - "Well I am now engaged in learning a bran-new (sic) occupation, which seems mostly of climbing telephone poles...Working
mostly with cable...and it all has to be up in the air now that the war is over." In his July 19 letter he describes places
he visited as depicted in photos.
Sept 5 - discusses point system as it affects him "Was hoping to get home for Christmas though. Might make it yet." He writes
of getting a furlough and plans to go to the French Riviera and Sept. 17 letter is from Nice, France. Last letter is from
Pilsen, Sept. 23, 1945 - more speculation about reassignments and shipping out, eager to get home to see his son, plans to
buy a car, travel to Salt Lake City, hopes shortages are over. He describes what he did on furlough in the south of France.
He ends with "Hope to be visiting with you before long. In the meantime, just wish me luck on 'getting out of the damn Army.'"