“Tommy writing home after battle, 1917.”

With Veterans Day on Monday, I thought it would be nice to share some images of soldiers writing home during war time. Most of the images are from World War I, with a few from the horrific sequel, and one from 1908, before anyone knew what lay ahead.

I can’t help but wonder what these guys are writing – are they easing worried mothers’ minds, regaling a lover with tales of heroism real or imagined, or are they admitting their terror to a confidant? Whatever the subject of their letters, these images highlight  the deep need humans have to communicate and connect, even as the world crumbles around them.

For other related imagery, check out this gallery of the iconic  Tuskegee Airmen.

All images are, of course, Found in the LOC.

“Red Cross Worker Helps British Soldier, 1942.”

Image Links:

1. “Tommy Writing Home After Battle, 1917.”
2. “American Soldiers, Chateauroux, Oct. 1918.”
3. “Soldiers in Texas Writing Home, April 1914.”
4. “Military Hospital Tent, France, August 1918.”
5. “British Soldiers with Bug Nets, Egypt, 1940.”
6. “At ease / Signal Corps U.S.A., 1917.”
7. “Red Cross, Chateauroux, October 31, 1918.”
8. “Theodor Horydczak writing at desk, 1920.”
9. “Nurse Writing for a Soldier, Neuilly, June 1918.”
10. “A Letter Home, June 1918.”
11. “YMCA Writing Room, Nice, 1915.”
12. “Writing Home, Fort Hamilton, 1908.”
13. “Writing a Letter Home, Greenville, SC, 1943.”
14. “Red Cross Worker Helps British Soldier, 1942.”