11 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes Louisiana and the journey down there. He comments on the expansive nature of the country.

GLC09120.200

15 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond promises Estelle that he is not having sex with his "women". Instead, he just practices old jokes, eats and dances with them. Sidney continues to describe his journey down South and the types of homes and scenes that he has passed.

GLC09120.201

16 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that he is "desperately in love".

GLC09120.202

17 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the East Texan scenery that he is surrounded by.

GLC09120.203

18 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the company mascot, Mabel the dog, digging a slit trench for herself to sleep in.

GLC09120.204

28 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the "torture" of the ten days of simulated warfare that he and his men had just been on.

GLC09120.205

29 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that he just spent an entire day cleaning equipment.

GLC09120.206

31 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that they are devoting the next period of time to providing additional training to the men, teaching them about camouflage, discipline, depression etc.

GLC09120.207

31 March 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes having fought a forest fire during training that day.

GLC09120.208

1 April 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond reminisces over his first date with Estelle. He also tells her during the day, he had been forced to crawl within 500 yards of his target in order to get some decent observation

GLC09120.209

April 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes having taken his troops on a trip to practice compass. He tells Estelle about the surrounding Louisiana scenery.

GLC09120.210

April 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that April 24th will mark a year of army service for him, an experience that has transformed him into a "frowning, quiet, determined man who refuses to listen to excuses".

GLC09120.211

6 April 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond expresses surprise to Estelle that in a few days time he will turn twenty-one years of age. He also tells Estelle that he is bored by the extended rest period that he is currently in. Sidney informs her that he feels ridiculous and embarrassed when adhering to the rules that govern the strict separation between officers and regular soldiers that must be maintained.

GLC09120.212

8 April 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that it is raining hard, but that his tent does not appear to have been greatly affected so he will still be able to sleep in it that night.

GLC09120.213

23 June 1942.

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Describes a simulated "moving up" maneuver that the company had carried out early in the morning. Sid then goes on to detail the rest of the day's events which included a lecture on meteorology, a session on map-reading and map-making and a session on the impact of different weather conditions on chemical operations.

GLC09120.049

circa 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Brief letter written while waiting for the company to be inspected by the captain. Mentions that he is now a qualified rifleman and pistolman.

GLC09120.050

26 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Apologizes for irregularity with which he has been writing letters recently, explaining that he has had very little sleep lately. Sid then describes an overnight excursion that his company had been taken on

GLC09120.051

27 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Describes an argument that he has had with Carter, a soldier from Tennessee, on the "negro question". photocopy

GLC09120.052

28 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Letter written while on guard duty. Discusses the possibility of obtaining a night pass. Attempts to convince Stella that she is "political" with regard to the "negro question".

GLC09120.053

29 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that his is the only group left at the barracks, other than a group of African-American troops left to clear up vacated barracks. Mentions that he has become known as "nigger lover Diamond" by the Southern soldiers, and speaks of his desire to give the soldiers in question a solid blow on the head to make them see reason.

GLC09120.054

30 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Letter written while on guard duty. Diamond describes a formal dance to mark the opening of the camp's new recreation hall that he had attended the night before. He also runs through the couple's financial situation, having been paid that morning. Discusses the training in communications that he has been receiving. Sidney mentions that Carter, his friend, is a member of the Ku Klux auxiliary in Nashville, Tennessee, and states that he is disgusted by "man's inhumanity to man." Diamond expresses his belief that once the war is over the Civil War should be refought, in order to "really…

GLC09120.055

June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Brief letter mentioning that Sid has been through the obstacle course twice during that day, and that he is waiting to find out whether he is to receive a leave pass or not.

GLC09120.056

June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Describes an air raid alert and black out that occurred shortly after he came off guard duty

GLC09120.057

1 July 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the surprising friendship that has blossomed with Carter (the Southern soldier whom had previously expressed extremely racist remarks). Discusses Estelle's forthcoming visit to Edgewood.

GLC09120.058

2 July 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes a trip to the hospital to visit injured members of the company. Outlines what he has done during the day. He also discusses whether or not gas will be necessary in the war effort, stating that in his opinion it will be resorted to in the near future. Mentions that ten of his own platoon had already been shipped, and how much he wants her to come down to visit him.

GLC09120.059