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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

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1960-1969

Photograph

Title: Mrs. Sue Fity and Aunt Lucy

A photograph of two African American women standing in front of the steps to a house. The one on the left wears a pearl necklace and earrings, holding a cane. The one on the right wears a patterned dress and holds a book. On the reverse, "Mrs. Sue Fity, Aunt Lucy" is handwritten.

GLC09587.407

1929-1939

Photograph

Title: [Photograph of a young woman]

A photograph of a young African American girl. The photo is taken from slightly below and she looks off-camera to the left with a serious expression. On the reverse, "Jena" is handwritten.

GLC09587.408

1960-1969

Photograph

Title: [Photograph of two women]

A photograph of two African American women. They are standing with their arms around each other in the backyard of a house in front of a globe on a post. The one on the left is older with graying hair. The one on the right is younger, with short dark hair.

GLC09587.409

15 July 1969

Robinson, Joyce, 1957-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Richard J. DiChristina

Joyce starts by addressing the letter to "Dear Someday Husband" and writes throughout how much she loves Richard. She mentions that her parents went to the Melody Fair and that she and Greg are home. She also mentions a school friend Jim who came over to get pictures of prom. Joyce updates him on her classes and asks how Richard is doing, mentioning that there are only 23 days left of basic training. She asks about his health and how he is doing after a cold. Joyce also mentions that the next day "the guys are leaving for the moon." Referencing the Apollo 11 mission. Joyce closes the letter…

GLC09626.13

9 January 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes Joyce how much he misses her, and loves her. He mentions that he and his group walked into a valley and were shot at. He reports that nobody was hit, but it scared all the men. It took about an hour to walk through the valley and about 2000 meters out they camped for the night. Richard complains that it rained during the night and now all his stuff is wet, but that it might get a chance to dry because the sun is out now. He is not sure if they are moving, but it turns out that they stay in place all day. Richard asks after family and says he will be writing to his sisters and…

GLC09626.14

January 10 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes to Joyce how much he loves and misses her. He mentions that they will be supplied and he will be able to send a bunch of letters he had written her and other family members. He writes they are leaving for the landing zone (LZ) in about an hour so it will be a short letter. Richard says they have to walk for 1000 meters and they will stop for the night and mentions that this morning's breakfast is a pork slice, and pound cake.

GLC09626.15

January 11, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He also mentions that it had rained all night and he is once again all wet. However he is hopeful that in 6 or 7 days they will be out of the field and going to a "Fries Bacise" (fire base) where he can shave as he hasn't been able to in 3 weeks. There is a missing page as it skips to a page marked 3. At which point Richard is at a fires bacise (fire base) for the next few days and is complaining about rain.

GLC09626.16

February 1, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He mentions that they are going to get paid today and that he plans to send her $100. He later mentions that something was wrong with his pay so he is only sending $65 but will work it out and send her the right amount as soon as he can. He mentions getting a letter from Joyce about her skiing trip and receiving 3 other letters from home as well. He mentions getting his CIB (combat infantry badge) orders and that he was going to send her one. This letter is written on pink paper.

GLC09626.17

February 2, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He mentions that colored troops of the 4th division would be going home in about 2 months, and the rest will be going home within his 10 months, which means he would leave with them and be home in 6 or 7 months. He mentions his mother writing letters to senators and his hope that they would work and he could come home. Richard also mentions that "all we do is walk around looking for a fight Darling and I am sick of it Darling sick very very sick of looking for the VC and NVA all I am doing is looking out for me and my babby and not the VC and…

GLC09626.18

February 3, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He mentions that they moved 3000 meters but that it went fast because he was thinking of walking to her. Richard also mentions letters he is expecting to get from his mother in a few days, and that there is some plan to hopefully get him home early in just a few months. Richard mentions what he ate for dinner saying "I have truck loaf in a can and peahes in a can and peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam in a can Darling and one vanilla cream Bar and all the food was made in 1966 and we eat it all."

GLC09626.19

February 4, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He writes that he wishes he could send a long letter but is running out of paper and asks Joyce to put in some when next she writes. They should be going into a fire base soon and he can't wait because everyone's going crazy out there. He also mentions what they are having for lunch, "for lunch I have Boned turkey again and Peanut Butter and Jam again and Peaches again boy I can wait until I come home to you and you make me dinner."

GLC09626.20

February 5, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He asks her for a number of food items including Hostess donuts, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon bread, a variety pack of cereal, sliced bread and mounds bars. He says his platoon is still out in the field even though all of the 3rd platoon went in. They are heading up a mountain and should be in a landing zone the next morning.

GLC09626.21

February 7, 1970

DiChristina, Richard J., 1949-2016

Autograph letter

Title: to Joyce Robinson

Richard writes how much he loves and misses Joyce. He says that they are on the mountain and it looks like they won't be going in for 3 or 4 days, but while they sit around the guys are making things up. One thing was, "The grunts have windows, the lifers have wifes, They sit Each day and play with our lifes, Making Mistakes that cost us our men going out the Next Day and Doing it again and when its all over They'll make it a story turning all the senseless Deaths into Glory. This is what we live for, This is why we Die." The second is, "you have never lived until you've nearly died for those…

GLC09626.22

June 1969

Photograph

Title: Richard J. DiChristina in uniform

A photograph of Richard J. DiChristina in uniform with a flag and globe in the background. On the back is the date June 1969 and the note says Dad, Rich.

GLC09626.24

24 June 1963