Additional Resources

The Veterans History Project archives contain more than 2,700 correspondence collections, including more than 140 from veterans of World War I. Those collections with finding aids can be searched using the Finding Aids Tool. All VHP collections can be searched from the Veterans History Project website.

Serving: Our Voices

Every veteran has his or her own war, and each is custodian of a unique story and memories. At the Veterans History Project, we treasure the personal narratives sent to us by veterans from all wars. Vivid as if they happened yesterday, these heartfelt accounts make us laugh, cry and remember. The stories are not a formal history of war, but a treasure trove of individual feelings and personal recollections. The following presentations focus on World War I veterans and their stories.

World War I: The Great War
World War I is among the least documented wars of those covered by the Veterans History Project, and the number of collections relating its experiences are not likely to grow dramatically. Because all but a handful of WWI vets are no longer alive, oral history interviews are out of the question, so we must rely on the generosity of relatives and friends of deceased veterans to donate written accounts in letters, diaries, and memoirs, as well as precious collections of photographs. (Released in 2007)
World War I Remembered: 100 Years Later
2014 marks the centennial of the start of World War I. So massive was the destruction wrought by this conflict that many thought it would be the war to end all wars—hence the eventual designation of it as “The Great War.” The United States had over 4.7 million men—and several thousand women—in uniform during World War I. With the passing of these veterans, oral histories are no longer feasible, so we must rely on the generosity of relatives and friends of deceased veterans to donate written accounts in letters, diaries, and memoirs, as well as collections of photographs. While small in number, these collections are a treasure trove of original primary sources, all of which offer insights into the experience of serving in the Great War. (Released in November 2014)
"Please Write Often": Wartime Correspondence
In addition to oral histories, the Veterans History Project collects original manuscript materials—including letters sent to and from veterans during their service. The correspondence collections in our archive present vivid accounts of war. They capture small details of the military experience that might otherwise be lost from memory, or considered unimportant in future retellings. Quite often, these letters are intimate, personal documents; whether exchanged between family members, friends, or lovers, they stand as statements of love. Here, we present 18 collections featuring examples of wartime correspondence. While similarities exist between them, each set of letters tells a unique story about how the individual veteran experienced war. (Released in 2015)
World War I: Echoes of the Great War
On April 4, 2017—nearly 100 years to the day after the United States entered World War I—the Library of Congress launched a comprehensive exhibition on the conflict. Entitled Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I, the exhibition draws on historic documents, photographs, maps, and artifacts from throughout the Library’s collection—including items from the Veterans History Project (VHP). As the home of nearly 400 personal narratives from World War I, VHP’s archive is an unparalleled source of material on the individual experience of the Great War, and we were honored to help tell the larger story of the war from the perspective of those who served in it. (Released in 2017)

Collection Finding Aids for World War I Correspondence Collections

Finding aids provide a gateway to this wealth of Library treasures, helping you discover and navigate through the thousands of boxes and folders that house each collection. These guides provide comprehensive overviews of unique Library resources. Progressively detailed descriptions of a collection's component parts summarize the overall scope of the content, convey details about the individuals and organizations involved, and list box and folder headings. Special service conditions are noted, including terms under which the collection may be accessed or copied. Links are provided to digitized content, when available.

Library of Congress finding aids are XML documents created using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD), an international standard maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.

View ALL Finding Aids at the Library of Congress

The following finding aids describe Veterans History Project collections for World War I veterans whose collections include correspondence.

Andrew Gbur collection, 1916-1992
A collection of artifacts, clippings, correspondence, military papers, mixed manuscripts, printed matter, and photographs relating to Andrew Gbur’s service with the United States Army in the U.S., Siberia, and the Philippines, and his participation in various veterans organizations.
Charles Edmund Worth collection, 1917-1919
This collection includes clippings, correspondence, military papers, photographs, and creative works relating to Worth’s service in the U.S. Navy in Brazil, and the U.S. during World War I. The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Worth to his mother during his year stationed in Brazil, as well as personal essays on his observations of Brazil.
Clyde Wilbur Russell collection, 1917-1919
The collection consists of correspondence, military papers, and artifacts relating to Russell’s service in the U.S. Army during World War I, including letters to his mother and father, his brother and sister (both unidentified), and an additional brother, Roy, written while the veteran served with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France. Topics covered include training in France, excitement to experience combat, the experience of the Armistice, and the French people.
Edgar D. Andrews collection, 1917-1974
This collection contains correspondence, clippings, civilian papers, creative works, regimental histories, and photographs. The bulk of the collection consists of letters the veteran wrote to his mother, Sarah, his sister, Sue, and his father, George, while serving in France during World War I with the American Expeditionary Forces.
Edward Henry Loudenbeck collection, 1917-1919
This collection documents Loudenbeck's World War I service. He participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and traveled through Camp Custer, Michigan; Camp Greene, North Carolina; Camp Mills, New Jersey; England; Belgium; and France. Spanning 1917-1919, the collection contains correspondence to his family, a daily diary, printed matter, and a photograph of Loudenbeck at Camp Greene.
Ewing Harry Miller collection, 1917-1923
This collection includes clippings, correspondence, creative works, a diary, military papers, periodicals, printed matter and photographs documenting the veteran's service in the U.S. Army during World War I in the United States and France, primarily dating 1917-1919.
Frank Van Pelt collection, 1917-1931
This collection documents Van Pelt's U.S. Army service during World War I. The collection includes correspondence, memoirs, and photographs dating 1917-1931.He worked primarily in radio companies and was discharged as a Sergeant First Class on April 29, 1919.
Harold Benjamin Graham collection, 1917-2012
This collection documents Graham's U.S. Army service from 1917-1920. Spanning's collection includes correspondence from Graham, his mother, and other family members.
Howard Elbridge Robbins collection, 1918
Robbins' collection includes correspondence and military papers related to Robbins' service in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
John Carroll Parent, Sr., collection, 1907-2015
The collection includes biographical information, books, clippings, correspondence, creative works, memoirs, military papers, printed matter and photographs relating to John Carroll Parent's service in the United States Army in the Philippines, France, and the United States.
John McRae Kennelly collection, 1917-1919
The Kennelly collection contains correspondence relating to the veteran’s service with the United States Army during World War I.
Joseph Royston Gathings, I, collection, 1914-1936
A collection including clippings, correspondence, military papers and photographs relating to Gathings' service in the U.S. Army in France during World War I.
Leo Joseph Bailey collection, 1917-2008
Collection includes clippings, correspondence, a memoir, transcription of memoir, military papers, photographs, and a video recording of two speeches given to the Southern Cayuga Central School in 1987, documenting Bailey's service during World War I.
LeRoy Feay Thompson collection, 1918-2011
Thompson's collection documents the veteran’s U.S. Army service during World War I. Spanning 1918-2011, the collection includes correspondence, printed matter, transcripts, digital prints and an optical disc.
Louis Milton Ronsheim collection, 1914-2000
The collection includes biographical information, books, civilian papers, clippings, correspondence, creative works, diaries, maps, memoirs, military papers, periodicals, printed matter, photographs and artifacts relating to Ronsheim's service in the U.S. Army during World War I.
Philip E. Scholz collection, 1918-1920
This collection documents Scholz's World War I service. Born in Wisconsin, Scholz was a private in the U.S.Army and served at Camp Grant, Illinois; Camp Upton, New York; England; and France. Dating 1918-1920, materials include correspondence, a memoir, military papers, printed matter, and photographs.
Wallace E. Rand collection, 1893-1919
This collection consists of correspondence, photographs, military papers, and civilian papers relating to the veteran’s service during World War I. Topics covered in the correspondence include mail delivery, living conditions in France, finances, injury while in France, and letters of sympathy after veteran’s death. Photographs include portraits of the veteran and family portraits.
William Hamilton Felton, Jr., collection, 1917-1918
The collection documents Felton's United States Army Coast Artillery Corps service during World War I. Felton was stationed in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Fort Monroe, Virginia; and throughout France. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant and promoted to Captain. Dating 1917-1918, the collection contains correspondence to Felton's wife, Luisa, and a photograph of Felton with another soldier.
William Hurn, Jr., collection, 1917-2014
This collection primarily documents Hurn’s U.S. Army service during World War I. Items include biographical information; civilian papers; clippings; correspondence; creative works: diaries and journals; military papers; printed matter; and photographs.
William Sylvanus Morris collection, 1917-2016
Morris served in the U.S. Army, 1917-1919, with the Headquarters Lines of Communication, American Expeditionary Force, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Paris, France and Bordeaux, France. He worked in a water supply department and designed water systems for camps, hospitals and training centers throughout France. He also oversaw the construction of a large hospital facility.

Folklife Today Blog

Folklife Today is a blog for people interested in folklore, folklife, and oral history. The blog features brief articles on folklife topics, highlighting the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congress, especially the American Folklife Center and the Veterans History Project.

View ALL Folklife Today Blog Posts

The following blog posts focus on Veterans History Project collections relevant to World War I veterans and their correspondence.

"Beyond 21 Steps," December 1, 2021
Post by Kerry Ward, VHP Liaison Specialist, about veterans who have served as Tomb Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
"Pandemic: A Woman on Duty," March 26, 2020
Post by Lisa Taylor, VHP Liaison Specialist, discussing the service of Alice Duffield, a World War I era Army nurse
"‘If I Could Only Get My Mind Back To Normal’: PTSD in the Aftermath of WWI," November 13, 2018
Post by Matt McCrady, Digital Conversion Specialist, about World War I veterans and post-traumatic stress
"Armistice Day: 100 Years Since the end of World War I," November 11, 2018
Post by Stephanie Hall of the American Folklife Center about the centennial of the end of World War I
"Words of War and the Road Back," November 5, 2018
Post by Kerry Ward, VHP Liaison Specialist, about the Library of Congress' events honoring the centennial of the end of World War I
"Don't Play in Mixed Company: Audio Correspondence from the United States' Wars," April 25, 2018
Post by Matt McCrady, Digital Conversion Specialist
"Collection in Action: the Irving Greenwald Diary," December 18, 2017
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist, about a VHP collection used as inspiration for a theatrical performance
"A World Overturned," September 22, 2017
Post by Rachel Telford, former VHP Archivist, about part three of VHP's companion site to the Library of Congress exhibit "Echoes of the Great War"
"Postcards of World War I," September 11, 2017
Post by Irene Lule, a Library of Congress Junior Fellow during the summer of 2017
"Passed Censor," August 28, 2017
Post by Justina Moloney, VHP Archivist and former Junior Fellow, about the censorship of World War I correspondence
"World War I Homecomings," July 31, 2017
Post by Irene Lule, a Library of Congress Junior Fellow during the summer of 2017
"C'est la guerre - That's the War!" July 24, 2017
Post by Justina Moloney, VHP Archivist and former Junior Fellow, about World War I collections she has worked with
"Over There," June 30, 2017
Post by Rachel Telford, former VHP Archivist, about part two of VHP's companion site to the Library of Congress exhibit "Echoes of the Great War"
"'When I First Got Ready For the War,' a Song of World War I," June 19, 2017
Post by Stephanie Hall of the American Folklife Center about African American World War I veteran Wilson "Stavin' Chain" Jones
"Gallery Talk: Immigrant Voices of the Veterans History Project," June 12, 2017
Post by Owen Rogers, VHP Liaison Specialist, about the service of immigrants in the American Expeditionary Forces
"VHP WWI Nurses and Fashion Savvy Influence," May 12, 2017
Post by Candace Milburn, VHP Processing Technician, about World War I nurses and their impact on the fashion world
"'Trench Blues': An African American Song of World War I," November 23, 2016
Post by Stephanie Hall of the American Folklife Center about African American World War I veteran John Bray
"'Dear Mom and Dad:' A Look Inside the Letter Collections of the Veterans History Project," September 8, 2016
Post by Owen Rogers, VHP Liaison Specialist
"Caught My Eye: John McGill’s WWI Photograph," May 9, 2016
Post by Christopher Pohlhaus, IT Specialist, about an evocative photograph from the John McGill Collection
"New VHP Acquisition: Irving Greenwald’s WWI Diary," April 22, 2016
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist
"'Please Write Often': Wartime Correspondence," March 19, 2015
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist about VHP correspondence collections from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War
"Beyond 'I Regret to Inform You,'" February 23, 2015
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist, about notable correspondence collections in the VHP archives
"'Today Was Tough–But I Took It,'" February 18, 2015
Post by Matt McCrady, Digital Conversion Specialist, about notable correspondence collections in the VHP archives
"'Moments with You': Correspondence in VHP Collections," February 9, 2015
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist
"VHP's Newest Online Exhibit: WWI Remembered," November 7, 2014
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist
"Commemorating World War I," April 8, 2014
Post by Megan Harris, VHP Reference Specialist honoring the centennial of the beginning of World War I

Library of Congress Exhibition

Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I
An examination of the upheaval of world war as Americans confronted it—both at home and abroad—this exhibition considers the debates and struggles that surrounded U.S. engagement; explores U.S. military and home front mobilization and the immensity of industrialized warfare; and touches on the war's effects, as an international peace settlement was negotiated, national borders were redrawn, and soldiers returned to reintegrate into American society. With the most comprehensive collection of multi-format World War I holdings in the nation including those materials gathered and preserved by the Veterans History Project, the Library of Congress is uniquely positioned to tell stories through the words and images of those in the seats of power as well as lesser-known participants whose lives were shaken by the Great War. Featuring newly digitized footage, some not seen for nearly 100 years, Echoes of the Great War makes vivid this turbulent time in our nation's history.

World War I Correspondence Collections in the Veterans History Project

Veterans History: Ask a Librarian

Additional Resources

Serving: Our Voices

Collection Finding Aids for World War I Correspondence Collections

Folklife Today Blog

Library of Congress Exhibition