Camp Life
In many letters, servicepersons would describe to their families the conditions of their camps and how their new destinations differed from or resembled home.
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Photograph, Howell D. McKnight, undated.
Portrait of Howell D. McKnight, a veteran of World War I. McKnight departed the United States in 1918 for France as a Private 1st Class. He was also a 1917 graduate of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi.
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Letter, Howell D. McKnight to his sister, July 28, 1918.
In this letter, Howell D. McKnight writes to his sister regarding how he's adapting to camp life and says, "It is nothing more than a row of tents with beds in them, dirt floors, clothes racks, barracks bags, shoes, suitcases, and guns."
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Letter, Robert Burris Ray to Denise Ray, April 22, 1944.
Robert Burris Ray, of Kosciusko, Mississippi, served in World War II from November 1940-February 1946. He entered service as a Captain and was discharged as a Colonel. He was also a 1923 graduate of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi and a 1927 graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine. In this letter, Robert B. Ray writes to his wife, Denise, and describes to her the conditions of his "final destination," Finschhafen, New Guinea. He describes the conditions as good, but muddy. He also asks for her to send him essential items: Picayunne cigarettes, 400 yards of fishing line, hooks, wire leaders, and swivels.
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Photograph, Stewart H. "Bebe"Bridgforth, May 1945.
Photograph of Stewart H. "Bebe" Bridgforth while serving in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, during World War II. Bridgforth served in the U.S. Army as an infantry company commander. He received a Bronze Star and a Presidential Unit Citation for his service with the 2nd Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge. Bridgforth was also a 1942 graduate of Mississippi State College.
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Letter, Stewart H. "Bebe" Bridgforth to Robert and Theresa Bridgforth, October 27, 1944.
In this letter, Bridgforth writes to his parents, Robert and Theresa, that reading their correspondence about their livestock and crops makes him "feel closer to home."
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Letter, Luther Warren Rhodes to Fannye Rhodes, October 11, 1945.
Luther Warren Rhodes was a World War II veteran. In this letter, Rhodes describes to his wife, Fannye, the incredible heat he has experienced while serving in India and states, "My cloth is just as wet as wet can be darling."