This month in “Richmond Reads,” John Denniston reviews “The Ghost
Mountain Boys,” the history of a nearly forgotten World War II battle on New
Guinea. The book’s author, James Campbell, uses—among other
sources—soldiers’ letters to tell the story.
Reading personal correspondence is my favorite way to look back in time.
Letters to and from a war zone are rich with poignancy and glimpses into
what the writers value.
In Norfolk’s Town Point Park, visitors to the Armed Forces Memorial can read
excerpts from soldiers’ letters in the form of large bronze “pages” on the
ground, as if scattered there by the breeze. Those original slight pieces of
paper, lovingly folded and unfolded, became a gift to the world.
Soldiers are writing home from this war, but are more likely to use e-mail
or instant messaging than pen and paper—to the relief of loved ones waiting
to hear from them. Instant messaging, like a phone conversation, doesn’t
always lend itself to the longer reflection and narrative that so illuminate
history. Yet I’m confident that many e-mail letters (and, surely, a few
paper letters) are still being written.
If you are in electronic correspondence with someone, whether a soldier in
service or a friend across the country, please consider printing out and
saving your letters. Look for acid-free supplies—most paper is acceptably
acid-free now, but be sure the file or box in which you store them is as
well.
Letters are treasures for their addressees, but they can also be treasures
for future generations.
***
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you missed the September issue, turn to page 35 for another chance!
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