“Family Archaeologist” explores a century of family letters, diaries, and artifacts, and how they illuminate history and our shared humanity. To get an overview of the blog, click: “Welcome to Family Archaeologist”
LATEST BLOG POSTS
World War II pressures and reluctance to marry
I don’t know who the gal who wrote this letter is, but she sounds very ambivalent about how to respond to a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. A lot of guys wanted to get married before they left for the service. Many girls were suspicious of their motivations. In an era when girls had to be more concerned about getting pregnant (no birth control; no abortion), many were more reluctant than girls today to have sex without the benefit of marriage.
World War II air cadet writes letters while on duty
Frank really wants to keep in touch with everyone back home. It's the surest way to keep the letters coming and relieve homesickness. He's writing about three letters each day, and this missive to his Mom shows how he finagles any extra spare time in between his demanding studies to get the daunting amount of writing done.
The Password is Buy! World War II cadet pays to be trained
Frank bemoans that fact that Army Air Corps cadets in World War II are expected to supply their own toilet paper and even belts, which you think would be part of the supplied uniform. No such luck. He also needs his own shoe polish. He's already been promoted, gaining more and more responsibility. Read on to find out more.
World War II Navigator—Study and responsibility
Frank bemoans that fact that Army Air Corps cadets in World War II are expected to supply their own toilet paper and even belts, which you think would be part of the supplied uniform. No such luck. He also needs his own shoe polish. He's already been promoted, gaining more and more responsibility. Read on to find out more.
World War II Mom: White snow and black coal make hard work
My grandmother starts this letter to her son Frank Ebner at 11 p.m. and doesn’t finish it until 1 a.m. She’ll be up the next morning by 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. to start the daily routine of helping my grandfather with shoveling coal into furnaces and shoveling snow from the steps of multiple-story apartment buildings. In winter they have virtually [...]
Newly minted World War II navigator gets kudos
The Family is thrilled that Frank, the youngest, has been made a navigator, and they send off congratulations. I'm grouping both of Frank's brothers' letters (first from Will, then from Fred) in one post, and a brief postcard, sent in between the brothers' letters, from Frank to his Mom.
World War II Navigator: “Too intelligent to be a pilot!”
Frank Gartz's classification has come through on 1/4/1944. He's been assigned to be a be a navigator. Stephen Ambrose in his book, "The Wild Blue," about B-24 airmen, states: "After mental and physical exams, the men who passed were asked to list a preference: pilot, navigator, or bombardier. Those who put down pilot—a vast majority—figured you needed a top score to quality, but in fact, the AAF [Army Air Force] took its navigators from those who scored best."
Happy New Year from World War II homesick air cadet
Frank Ebner Gartz is now the farthest away from home he's ever been since starting his World War II training. He's in Los Angeles, California, and tells his mom he wants lots of letters from the folks back in Chicago. He sounds a little homesick and wants to keep in touch.
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