Our Collection

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.

Advanced Search
Back to Collection Search

Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945 to Estelle Spero

Order a pdf of this item here.

Log in
to see this thumbnail image

A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09120.042 Author/Creator: Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945 Place Written: Aberdeen, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: circa. early summer 1942 Pagination: 8 p. : Height: 18.5 cm, Width: 27 cm Order a Copy

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 particular rifles and revolvers, a session on how to pack combat packs and a lecture on the reasons for which Germany's attack on England failed. Describes the strictness with which white-"negro" segregation is enforced in the army Written at Edgewood Arsenal.

Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945
World War II
Soldier's Letter
Military History
Women's History
Finance
Weaponry
Global History and US Foreign Policy
African American Troops
African American History
Segregation
World War II

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.