The Importance of letter writing in World War II
Imagine a world with no Internet, no email, no television, no communications satellites and limited telephone access. This was the reality of life during World War II. The naval aviator on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise could not email his family to let them know he was alive and well after the Battle of Midway. A worried mother whose son might be fighting in the jungles of New Guinea or Guadalcanal could expect no phone call letting her know her child was safe. Those fighting the war longed for news from home and those at home anxiously awaited news that their loved ones were safe and sound. For most, letter writing became a ritual that formed a much-needed link between home and the war. We today are very fortunate that letter writing was such a vital part of wartime life at home and abroad, because many of these letters have survived the ravages of time and stand as a written reminder of a past that is quickly fading.
"There is one front and one battle, where everyone in the United States - every man, woman, and child - is in action. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives."