Luther College Goes to War: Scuttlebutt and the World War II Letters. Volume I: 1 - Softcover

Slind, Marvin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 059552267X ISBN 13: 9780595522675

Publisher: iUniverse, 2008

Synopsis

During World War II, Chellis N. Evanson, history professor at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, published Scuttlebutt, a newsletter to circulate news and addresses for the former Luther students who were serving in the military around the world. In return, the students sent information about their whereabouts and, to the extent that military censorship allowed, descriptions of their activities. This edition of letters and photographs from that collection provides a unique insight into the lives of men and women serving in World War II. Under normal circumstances, these men would have been living the lives of typical college students: studying for exams, preparing for a ball game, or trying to build up courage to ask the woman next to them in class out on a date. Instead, they were diving for cover from German artillery barrages or attempting to shoot down Japanese kamikaze pilots before their own ship was destroyed. The letters in this first of two volumes detail the soldiers' pre-deployment status, first duty assignments, duty abroad, and their return from overseas. Providing a glimpse of what soldiers experienced in World War II, this collection is a valuable historical resource and a testament to the commitment of war veterans.

About this title

Synopsis

During World War II, Luther College history professor Chellis N. Evanson published "Scuttlebutt," a newsletter to circulate news and addresses for the former Luther students who were in the service. In return, former students sent information about their whereabouts and, to the extent that military censorship would allow, descriptions of their activities. This edition of letters and photographs from that collection provides a unique insight into the lives of men and women serving in World War II. Under normal circumstances, they would have been living the lives of 'typical' college students: studying for exams, preparing for a ball game, hoping for an extra dish of ice cream at the "Boarding Club," or trying to build up courage to ask the woman next to them in class out on a date. Instead, they were diving for cover from German artillery barrages, or attempting to shoot down Japanese kamikaze pilots before their own ship was destroyed. The letters in this collection provide a glimpse of what these men and women experienced in World War II. For example, this report from Italy: 'I have had a few shells land around me, but no harm was done.In fact I got so brave once I had to look out just to see where they were bursting, I got the look but another whistling Joe told me to get back where I belong.

Couldn't say I was scared, I guess I just stopped living for awhile. I kept thinking of room 88 in Larsen and how nice it would be to be back there. I hope that day isn't too far away. Don 'Piecrust' Strom Marvin G. Slind, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of History at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. His specialty is modern European history, focusing primarily on Scandinavia and Germany.

About the Author

Marvin G. Slind, Ph.D., is an associate professor of history at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. His specialty is modern European history, focusing primarily on Scandinavia and Germany. He and his wife, Mickey, live in Decorah, Iowa.

Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 059552267X
• ISBN 13: 9780595522675
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448