MDL recently digitized World War II-era letters from soldiers overseas

During World War II, The Columbia Heights Record newspaper editor, Peter Tema, sent every soldier from Columbia Heights free copies of their local paper to help them stay connected to their home. Soldiers wrote back to him to let him know where they were stationed, when their addresses changed, what they were doing, and to thank him for sending the news.

For example, in March 1945, Willard Bolling wrote from somewhere in Germany, “It has been quite awhile since I have received a Record and I sure do miss it. I would rather receive the Record than I would a Mpls. daily paper. I sure would appreciate it if they started to come again.” His letter and dozens more are preserved in the "Peter Tema Collection" of the Columbia Heights Public Library.

Over the past few years, the library has worked with the Minnesota Digital Library to digitize, describe, and transcribe these letters so they are easily accessible online. MDL recently added 29 more letters to the digital collection on our website. In addition to letters, the collection includes press releases, postcards, postmarked air mail envelopes, and V-Mail. Together, these records preserve unique viewpoints of the local experience during World War II.

Browse the full collection.

Image credit: Air Mail envelope of a letter to Peter Tema, dated April 22, 1944 from Private First Class Arthur L. Bentzen, stationed in London, England. Columbia Heights Public Library, https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll636:13