June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Describes the different gases that he's been working with.. Written at Edgewood Arsenal.

GLC09120.032

13 June 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Informs Estelle that he has become qualified in the use of pistols, the test for which only 33% of candidates pass. Wishes Estelle a happy 18th birthday, stating that he regrets nothing from the four years which they have spent together. Written at Edgewood Arsenal.

GLC09120.033

April 28, 1942 - January 19, 1945

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Header Record

Title: [Collection of WWII letters of Sidney Diamond to Estelle Spero] [decimalized]

Sidney Diamond (1922-1945) enlisted in mid-April 1942, interrupting the chemical engineering degree that he was undertaking at City College. Diamond was sent to the South Pacific in June 1943, where he served as First Lieutenant to the Eighty-Second Chemical Battalion. On January 29th 1945, Diamond was killed by a Japanese knee mortar while acting as a forward observer during an assault on Fort Stotsenburg, north of Manila. Throughout his time in service, Sidney maintained an epistolary correspondence with Estelle Spero, his sweetheart and subsequently fiancée, the letters from which she…

GLC09120

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Writes that he has enclosed ten very hard-earned dollars with the letter. Describes the ways in which he intends to save money. Outlines the day's schedule - a session on how to administer First Aid to gas attack victims, a lecture and film on map-reading and map-making, a drill in the afternoon and then another session with the rifle. Mentions that he refused to participate in a discussion on the "negro situation" as he believes that some people are simply born prejudiced.Written at Edgewood Arsenal

GLC09120.036

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Letter written while Diamond is on guard duty. Discusses differences between the treatment of black and white soldiers. Diamond mentions that he is being trained as a communications and staff man, and what this role will entail. He also outlines what he believes the war is about, and states that some important questions will need to be answered upon its conclusion. Written at Edgewood Arsenal.

GLC09120.040

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that the training camp that he is in is the only Chemical Warfare training center in the country Written at Edgewood Arsenal

GLC09120.041

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Responds to a series of comments that Estelle had raised in a previous letter. Speaks about a "friend" of Sidney's who has attempted to date Estelle. Also discusses another friend who did not enlist and managed to acquire $2000 somehow. Instructs Estelle to respond to any of her mother's questions regarding the war vaguely. Discusses his hopes of being made an officer, and how advantageous it would be for them financially. Describes loneliness of life of a soldier. Outlines the day's events, which included a lecture on military discipline, one on different gases, two sessions on…

GLC09120.042

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Apologizes for brevity of letter, explaining that he has spent the evening with Joe, Percy Hamburger and Julie Zimmerman reminiscing old times.

GLC09120.043

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Writes of the implications of having been charged to a chemical weapons company; instead of being shipped as a unit, they will all be assigned to different parts of the service - infantry, field artillery etc. Mentions some of the rules that he has received concerning guard duty, and a session that he participated in regarding the handling of rifles. Informs Stella that he spends most of his free time studying gases.

GLC09120.044

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Writes that he is suffering from the "empty week-end blues". Sidney puts this down to a visit from his parents, which was accompanied by constant references to home and Estelle.

GLC09120.045

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Describes the experience of being subjected to a dose of chloracetophenone (tear gas) in order to demonstrate to the soldiers the value of the gas mask. Outlines the rest of the day's schedule - a class in military customs and the History of chemical warfare, a class on the identification of airplanes, a session during which the company were forced to lay out field wire and telephones and sessions with both the rifle and revolver. Explains the etymological root of the expression, a "gig", meaning a special detail assigned after hours as a mode of punishment

GLC09120.046

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Expresses concern that Estelle is losing weight, and reassures her that he has attempted to stay away from anything dangerous and that he has every intention of returning. Registers surprise at the fact that his Southern compatriots had never tasted Chinese chow mein before, and instructs them on how to eat it when presented with this food at dinner. Describes a lecture that the company had received on dealing with chemical agents, protection against them, use of gas etc.

GLC09120.047

circa. early summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Runs through the day's rather hectic schedule, apologizing for the brevity of the letter.

GLC09120.048

circa summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes to Estelle the day that he has spent on the firing range. He also expresses frustration about the rumors circulating concerning when they are to get married.

GLC09120.064

February 8, 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Photocopy …" He then describes his men's combat firing practice. The following day, he is to go out to a nearby range and practice the emplacement of mustard land mines.

GLC09120.189

February 9, 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes having lost his temper after a squad leader let loose a chemical gas attack forgetting that two men were in front of him.

GLC09120.190

February 9, 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond warns Estelle that she will receive no mail for the next week as he is taking the men on a grueling four-day trip.

GLC09120.191

February 28, 1943

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the experience of making a telephone call to Estelle.

GLC09120.195

circa summer 1942

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond explains that the weekend pass that he had been granted for the coming weekend may be retracted as the corporal has threatened to "knife" him, meaning being given a gig or some other punishment. Sidney describes his day which has consisted of a three-hour drill in the morning and a ten mile hike in the afternoon. He also goes through what he can expect the interview with the board to constitute.]

GLC09120.106

February 7, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the telephone operator, Kallor, as a Jewish dress cutter from New York who is in Sidney's father's union.

GLC09120.344

February 8, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond comments that he has never been ill during his army career.

GLC09120.345

February 8, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes Estelle a "short note in field on message & overlay paper."

GLC09120.346

February 9, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Typed letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that their "apartment will have a double apron barbed wire fence about it covered by a slew of machine guns to keep all relatives away…"

GLC09120.347

February 10, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the process of selecting new observation posts.

GLC09120.348

February 18, 1944

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he imagines embracing Estelle.

GLC09120.355