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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.

Various [Collections of letters belonging to George A. West and Gerald Planck][Decimalized .01.001-.266, .02.01-.25]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09951 Author/Creator: Various Place Written: s.l. Type: Header Record Date: 1941-1945 Pagination: 291 items Order a Copy

Collection of 291 letters belonging to two soldiers, George A. West and Gerald Planck dated 1941-1945. The collection has been divided between West's correspondence (GLC09951.01) and Planck's correspondence (GLC09951.02).

West's letters are dated 1941-1945 and consists of 266 letters addressed to his wife Mildred West and daughter Sharon. Pertains to basic training, and serving abroad in Burma. Letters are primarily about the household in Ohio and lending words of support to Mildred.

Planck's letters are addressed to his parents Paul H. and Emma Planck. Consist of 25 letters dated 1943-1944. Planck at the time of the letters is 15 years old and enlisted in the Army Specialized Training Program. He is stationed in Texas and later at Louisiana State University until the program dissolves and is transferred to Camp Maxey, Texas.

West, George A., 1921-2007
West, Mildred M., 1918-2005
West, Sharon, 1942-
Planck, Emma, 1896-1951
Planck, Gerald F., 1925-
Planck, Paul H., 1894-1985

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