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[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-11]
[Page 1]
England
April 11, 1944.
Hello “Darling,”
Rec’d two of your letters last nite [sic] dated March 18th and 31st. It was swell to hear from you
again. I’m fine as usual and love you as much as ever. Miss you, too and plenty. I’d be very
happy and contented, “Darling” if you were here to squeeze me, like you said you would. Why,
don’t you? I’ve enjoyed your kisses very much, “Sweets” and their [sic] swell, especially when
they come from you. I sure do remember the last time I kissed you and I miss them very much
now. You’re to blame young lady and just waite [sic] till I get back. I’ll get even then. Ha! Ha!
[Page 2]
As long as you daydream of us, “Darling,” I’m well pleased and I do the same often. It’s grand to
think of it, isn’t it “Sweets.” I could squeeze you ever so much right now and bite your ears.
That!! would be swell! [sic] Ha! Ha! Did you visit my folks or did some of them visit you? I
hope they visited you? My! I’m disappointed in you for falling to sleep holding my picture. Next
time you do that, “Sweets,” I’m going to jump right out of the picture and knip [sic] your nose.
I’ll even jump in and out of your dreams, just to be mean and haunt you. What do you think of
that? Worried?!!! Ha! Ha! You will be! Have you tried to make some cookies for me yet? You
haven’t, well young lady, you’d better get busy and
[Page 3]
make some. So, Gloria’s going to work in the store? I see where I’ll apply for another secretary
job and take care of all the money she makes. I quit being your secretary because you never sent
me anything to balance the monthly budget. Ha! Ha! Has your mother written to me lately? If
she hasn’t, I’m still boycotting her. Is Elaine going to answer my letter? Well, tell her to hurry up
and write. How’s your dad these days? Don’t forget to tell him that I was asking about him, will
you? Today is a very nice day, wish you were here to spend it with me. It wouldn’t cost you
much, except for a broken rib, from me squeezing you. Ha! Ha! Would it be worth it? Did you
wear your Easter Suit? This Sunday “Sweets,” I want you to
[Page 4]
wear it because I’m going to take you for a stroll. That’s going to be swell, then I will be able to
see it. My thoughts are always of you “Darling” and I can hardly waite [sic] for the day we shall
see each other again. Well, I shall have to close hoping to hear from you soon.
Yours forever,
With Loads of Love & Kisses
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
PS. Getting back to my usual short letters, ain’t I? Awful isn’t? Ha! Ha! Sending another
clipping of “Sad Sack.”
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
Free
{Signature accent mark}
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
APR
11
1944
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
20639
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
Lt. [?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-11
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-11
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 11, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 11, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 11, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes expressing his love for her and inquiring about whether she gathered with his family for Easter back home in Michigan.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
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[RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-13]
[Page 1]
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry
Camp Blanding, Fla.
April 13, 1942.
Dear Agnes,
Rec’d both of your letters and was surprised to get two. Yesterday, some of us boys were invited
to attend church in Jacksonville and naturally I went too. We were invited out to dinner by some
of the people there and I must say I had a very enjoyable time.
Coming back at nite [sic] it was very chilly and now I have a beautiful head cold. I’ve had a
nagging headache all day and just about blew Camp Blanding off of the map sneezing. I don’t
feel so well at present
[Page 2]
but in good spirits.
Tomorrow we are going on an 18-mile hike and staying [text strikethrough] out there for a 3-day
problem. So, I decided to write since we came in a little earlier than usual.
The parade was a great success but very hot for us boys who done the marching. It was 2 hours
before we got through parading and what a crowd watching us.
Our training [sic] is hard as usual and the same. Especially getting into the mud and marsh.
Saturday, I put on my swimming trunks and laid out on my invisible beach to get a sun tan. I got
burned a little and red, but now I’m just as white as I was before so I’ll try again.
[Page 3]
I nearly fainted when I got 2 cards from my brother Ollie. He was visiting the place in Ohio
where we used to live.
The Army is still giving out 2 furloughs in a platoon each week now and if I can scrape up
enough money, I may take one, although I don’t want anyone to count on it.
I suppose my brother sent you a card or two, too, or am I wrong. That note you got and sent to
me was taken from a book, for I took business writing in school and the book I had as a reference
gave love letters in the same degree as this one you sent. Believe it or not. I was taught, to put,
commas, in sentences, whenever needed, when I went, to school and I readily, can understand,
the teachings of “Cushing Academy.” [sic] Ha! Ha! Anyway, it doesn’t, cost, me a cent,
�[Page 4]
to add, it in. [sic]
I’ve come to the conclusion that you count the words in my letters to see how long they are. My!
My! - What next? Ha! Ha!
So, you’ve set the law on me. Eh! Well, they’ll have a hard time to keep up with me in this
man’s Army and I could lose them in these swamps. I believe I know where every mud hole is in
these parts, for I haven’t missed a single one of them. So, I’m not afraid.
I’ve borrowed Roy’s pen and must say it's a good one. He’s still in the kitchen and we are
surviving from his cooking. He’s going to Texas to get married when he gets a furlough.
Anyway, the love bug has bitten most of these boys here, for they all are writing to they’re
girlfriends
[Page 5]
and proposing to them.
I’ll bet my last dollar you can’t bake a cake as good as I can? Now, you’ve got a challenge.
I haven’t looked around yet to see who smokes Kools or Raleigh cigarettes but I shall give an
answer about it in my next letter.
I can’t remember when Beasie and I gave you a scare, not unless it was riding on the toboggan
when I was there. I was referring to the time when Beasie had to give me a kiss to get her money
back. I sure get a kick out of that when I think of it. How is my little “Chick a dee” Gloria these
days? [sic] Give her my regards and tell her I’m sneezing my tears away for her. Ha! Ha!
[Page 6]
Between you and I, have you got change for two gun patches? You haven’t? Well, don’t send me
any wooden nickels, either, for them. Since I have plenty of stamps and can’t use them, I’m
sending you a few, so that you will not have an excuse for not writing. Ha! Ha! How do you like
my small writing? Not bad, I must admit and saving a lot of space.
When you do make your first million, call me up and I’ll handle the business and [text
strikethrough] financial transactions free of charge.
Did you get that mannish jacket and skirt yet? I’ll bet you didn’t! You’ve sent this letter and
another one with the stamps upside down. I take it as a mistake, but yet I wonder.
[Page 7]
�Don’t mind me, I’ve known all along. In other words, I’m not blind. How is the weather up
there? It’s fine down here and it isn’t a season for ducks either.
Don’t forget to give the folks my best regards and a big Hell----o, will you? [sic]
The Wennebergs [?] still write to Roy, but I guess he isn’t interested in them anymore. He’s [text
strikethrough] {good} got quite a few from Carolyn but hasn’t answered one or two of them so
far.
I’m about due for Guard duty and kitchen police so I’ve come to a distinct conclusion it will be
Saturday and Sunday.
I’ve sneezed over fifty times since I started to write this letter and my head feels as if it were like
a big balloon. So, I will close till I hear from you again.
As Ever,
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
{Signature accent mark}
{Signature accent mark}
You’d better give up {arrow pointing to his additional signature accent mark mimicking hers}
Perfect {arrow pointing to additional signature accent mark}
P.S. Where are those pictures you were going to send me? Huh! {Signature accent mark as
underlining}
Excuse the mistakes for it was my sneezing. {additional signature accent marks}
[Envelope front]
P.F.C.
Joe Olexa
U.S. Army
{Postmark}
CAMP BLANDING
APR 14
5 PM
1942
FLA.
FREE
{Signature accent mark}
�Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
[Envelope back]
P.F.C. Joe Olexa
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry
Camp Blanding, Florida
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-13
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-04-13
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 13, 1942
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 13, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated April 14, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while in good spirits, yet feeling under the weather, while at Camp Blanding and after attending the parade and church services in Jacksonville, Florida.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Camp Blanding (Fla.)
Jacksonville (Fla.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
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[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-13]
[Page 1]
North Africa
April 13, 1943
Dear Agnes,
Rec’d three of your latest letters of March 11, 16, and 19. I’m the same as usual and getting
along as fine as can be. You state that my letters are far in between. Well, I have written every
time I had the chance. I hope by now that you got most of them. Did you receive the French
money and pictures I sent to you? I hope you did and if not let me know as soon as you can. I’ll
send you some more if you didn’t.
[Page 2]
I got a letter from Helen, my brother Johnny, and a newspaper. I sure was glad to hear from
them. So, you were surprised when Helen sent you that clipping. It’s all in a day's work and just
a hint that it isn’t a picnic over here the way some people around there think. I don’t want people
to worry about me, so that is the reason I don’t mention things about myself in letters. When I
get back, I may try to answer some of your questions. I have written to you over
[Page 3]
a week ago and hope you get that letter too. I haven’t answered Beasie’s letter as yet but will
when I have the time. Now for a little sad news. I’ve been reduced back down to the grade of
Corporal for some unknown reason. It’s temporarily and I’ll probably get my promotion back
again. I haven’t done anything wrong or holding out on information. When I find out the reason,
I’ll let you know. Claypool and Tuck, the Lover, I used to write about are now missing in action.
I don’t know whether they are captured or dead.
[Page 4]
Anyway, I am hoping that they are still well and alive. They were in my squad at the time and I
sure miss them. I used to go out with them in the States and over here. Well, it’s the results of
war, so we all have to take the breaks on the chin. Give the folks my regards and Hello. I still
miss you as much as ever Sweets and hope that we will see each other sometime in the near
future.
Will close and write when you can.
Yours,
With Lots of Love
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
℅ Postmaster New York, N.Y.
U.S. Army
{Postmark} - partially illegible
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
[?]
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
US
11147
ARMY EXAMINER
Robert Ostwald
2nd Lt. Inf.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-13
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04-13
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 13, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 13, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, New York, New York, dated April 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed overseas in North Africa and after receiving three of her letters written back in March, sharing the downhearted news of his returning to being a "Corporal" and the squad members who are missing in action.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Africa, North
United States. Army Promotions
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
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Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-14]
[Page 1]
England
April 14, 1944.
Hello “Darling,”
Got two of your letters today dated March 24th & 28th and a letter from your mother. It sure was
swell to hear from the both of you. I’m fine as usual “Sweets,” and hope you are the same. I still
miss you and love you as much as ever “Darling” and can hardly waite [sic] to be with you
again. I’ve answered your mother’s letter already and asked for their consent to get engaged. I
just couldn’t keep it any longer and waiting doesn’t help me any. It will be grand to get engaged
to you “Darling,” although I did want to be there but waiting to get back is too much to do. Don’t
you think so? We can plan every
[Page 2]
thing when I return though can’t we? As I told your mother, I don’t intend to get married while
being in the Army. Of course, “Sweets” I want your opinion too and we can plan everything as
time goes along. I shall though, waite for your mother’s and father’s decisions and what they
think, will be right? If they do give their consent here is what I’m going to do? [sic] I’m going to
have Helen send you a hundred and fifty dollars to get an engagement ring and a wedding ring.
You may think it will be a lot but it will be worthwhile to get good ones. I’d like the wedding
ring to be plain for if there are small diamonds in it, they may fall out when you least expect
them to. I’m not trying to discourage you on
[Page 3]
the one you like and I shall let you decide. I don’t want you to be hasty in any of your decisions
and really piece them together. I’m really excited as much as you are “Sweets” and who
wouldn’t be? I repeat, that I wish I were there to tell you all I have written and will someday if
you want me to. I always did want a wedding ring that matched the ones of the girl I marry, with
her buying it from her own earnings. In that way, I always shall cherish it and appreciate it,
more, than anyone will ever know. I may be asking for a lot but it will be something I shall never
forget. This is only my opinion and when we can plan all of this together everything will be to
our liking. I don’t intend to come to conclusions until I hear of what your folks think and
[Page 4]
I shall not be discouraged if they want us to waite [sic] and as time goes on, let them know of our
plans. They shall be very helpful with their suggestions of our plans. Don’t you think so? I shall
tell Helen to waite till she hears from you whether to send you the money to get the rings or not.
I will not tell anyone else till I hear from you and your folks. Well “Darling” I shall close being
excited, as we are and hope to hear from you real soon.
�Yours forever
With Loads of Love & Kisses,
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Gave away one of my biggest secrets didn’t it? Helen has my bank book and is taking care
of my money for me.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-14
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-14
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 14, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 14, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing the heartfelt news that he wrote to her mother asking for Agnes' hand in marriage, as he is unable to keep his secret from her any longer. He writes with great excitement over planning their future together, awaiting her parents' decision and Agnes' response in the days ahead.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/01cff356e44f5b614a969ea7460ea3ab.pdf
49055d66aa76c8673f0ef1f441fb36e2
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Text
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[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-16]
[Page 1]
England
April 16, 1944.
Hello “Darling,”
Shall write a few lines before going to church this morning and finish it when I get back.
Thought of you all day yesterday sweets and wished ever so much to have you here with me. I’m
still yearning to be with you again and love you more and more each day. I hope you will receive
my letter of April 14th before you get this one. I just couldn’t keep my secret any longer and hope
you will accept my proposal of getting engaged. Of course, it will have to be on the decision of
your mother and father. If they do give their
[Page 2]
consent, we can plan together all things that will agree to both of us. I hated to propose through a
letter “Darling” but being so far away, I thought it would be best. I would of [sic] liked to be
there to ask you “Sweets” and I’ll do it anyway when I return. I know that we shall be happy and
contented in the future to come. In life people have many disappointments but as long as we face
them and make them crumble, we can enjoy all of the happiness, there is, in our future. [sic] The
only big thing is to adjust our ways to each other and have faith in each other. When this is done
nothing shall keep us from being happy. Don’t
[Page 3]
you think so? I always did want a nice wedding, not too big and no doubt you have thought of
the same thing. It has made me very happy to propose to you “Darling” knowing that someday
we shall share our lives together. I just got back from church and I heard a very good sermon.
While I [was] walking along I thought and wished that you could be here to go with me.
Yesterday I saw the picture “Lassie Come Home” and another one “Secret Enemies.” After
having a bite to eat I went to another show and saw ‘Candlelight in Algeirs [Algeria]” and “A
Ghost and a Guest.” They were swell pictures. The one of Algiers was of the preparations
[Page 4]
for the invasion of North Africa. It was a great interest to me and what a great success the whole
plans were and that it was liberated of Nazism. Well, “Darling” I shall close hoping to hear from
you real soon.
Yours forever,
With Loads of Love & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
�P.S. Give my regards to your folks. Excuse the writing. It’s terrible!!
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
APR
19
1944
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
20639
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
Lt. [?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-16
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-16
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 16, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 16, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 19, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes in great anticipation as he awaits her response regarding their engagement, dreaming of their future wedding and the life they will build together.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Motion pictures--1940-1950
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6fdfba4044dd7e7ef042b516c352fe49.pdf
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Text
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PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-17]
[Page 1]
North Africa
April 17, 1943
Dear Agnes,
Writing a few lines since I have some spare time at the moment. I’m still the same and in good
health. Hope that this letter finds you the same. I hope that after this campaign [I] will be able to
go back to the states for a rest. It was a good rumor once but it’s torn to pieces now. How is
everyone over there nowdays? [sic] Don’t forget to give them my best regards. Roy came up to
see me the other day and we had a pretty good chat together. The next day I went down to visit
him
[Page 2]
and ate supper down there with him. It was a good ways back to our company so he took me
back in a “Jeep.” He also showed me Carolyn’s graduation picture. It was a good picture of her.
We got paid the other day for the first time in two months. I sent the money to my sister for safe
keeping, for I can’t spend it over here. I suppose by now that spring is in full swing over there. It
is getting a lot hotter over here too. I would like to be over there for Easter but that’s out
[Page 3]
with the distance too great.
Well “sweets,” I haven’t much to write which isn’t unusual so I shall close. Write when you can
and in the meantime I shall be thinking of you.
Yours,
With Lots of Love
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Give the Walsh’s my regards when you see them.
[Envelope front]
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. #1
�℅ Postmaster New York, N.Y.
U.S. Army
{Postmark} - partially illegible
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
APR
2 [?]
1943
A.P.O.
Via Air Mail
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
US
11147
ARMY EXAMINER
Robert Ostwald
1st Lt. Inf.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-17
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943-04-17
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 17, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 17, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, New York, New York, dated April 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed overseas in North Africa and in good health, sharing the news of their recent payday and how he wishes he could return home for Easter.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Africa, North
Easter
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a6d47d404e1056dc7cbdae71ac4e3819.pdf
152f1ad541432752114286d83b6c2d5c
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Text
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Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-02]
[Page 1]
England
April 2, 1944.
Hello Darling,
Just got back from Church and how I wished that we could have gone together. Rec’d three of
your letters a couple of days ago and was very pleased to get them. I did miss them and your
kisses and hope both of our mail doesn’t get on a banana boat. Ha! Ha! I keep reading your
letters over and over, which makes everything tingle inside of me. I look at your pictures and it is
very tempting to try and bite your ears and mess your curls. Wish you were here “Darling” so I
wouldn’t have to write about it. I love you very much “Darling,” miss you a plenty and
[Page 2]
my thoughts are always of you. When I return all of my writing will be put in use and squeeze
you ever so much and tell you how much I have missed you. It will be swell, to be together again
and talk over our future plans. Days that we have missed being together will be forgotten. My
hopes, thoughts and wishes will never cease to be with you always. See!! What you have done to
me young lady? So, you’re blaming me again for your cold. What an awful meanie you are but
young lady, there will be a day that I shall get even? Ha! Ha! If I were there now, I’d knip that
nose of yours just for a starter? [sic] Ha! Ha! I did it anyway on the picture. Did you feel it? I’m
so pleased to hear my
[Page 3]
folks asked you down for Easter and hope you can visit them? I can’t be there but you can look
at the pictures I have at home and think of me and you being together. I read in a paper not so
long ago of a fellow who returned from the front and broke two ribs squeezing his mother so
hard. Now if I were to squeeze you and my mother that hard I’d get credit for four ribs. Gee!!
That’s going to be swell and then I could bring flowers and candy every day for the both of you.
See!! What the both of you are in for? Ha! Ha! It’s misty out today and when I go for a stroll
this afternoon, you’re going to be my sunshine. I take you with me everywhere whether you want
to go or not and when I climb a hill
[Page 4]
and see all of the scenery below you are with me to enjoy all the things that mother nature makes
and at times people don’t even notice. Sometimes, I hate to leave for everything in the
countryside is so beautiful. Just think for a minute of being on a high hill looking down and far
into the horizon. What do you see? The first thing that could catch your eye is the countryside
filled with trees, patches of ground that look white, tan, and brown. From there you may gaze at
the green trees, the vastness of grass, a twisting creek in the valley below, a winding road
perhaps that brought you to the top of the hill you are on. Nothing seemed to be interesting as
�you came up but when your gaze went in the direction you came, everything sprang to life. It’s
so peaceful and quiet, no noise
[Page 5]
to interfere with your thoughts. You may see a town far off with tiny houses of different colors
that were so large an hour or two ago. Your eyes then will shift to a big prominent building or a
church that stands all alone and say Gee!! I didn’t know that building was so big? Only a short
time ago mother nature wasn’t very interesting but you see it now and it’s all yours to look at
from day to day. Time passes swiftly and you hate to leave, for everything was so nice, as you
start on your way down the road the buildings and trees get bigger; they stand alone now but way
up they were tiny and together. Coming into town wasn’t half as nice, as it was on the hill, for
you heard a lot of noises, saw people running to and fro, the world seemed to be in one block
crowded with hardly
[Page 6]
room to walk, your mind then wonders, to the different objects you picked out while on the hill,
you seem to forget the people and everything about you. With a sudden jolt you awaken to see
who bumped into who, an apology of “I’m sorry,” and then on your way, again toward home. Of
course you’ll say I’m going up there again, it was so nice to get away from your daily work and
the buildings that were so big. Well “Darling” I could go on but don’t you think one trip is
enough for today? Ha! Ha! Gee!! I’m tired? Ha! Ha! I saw Roy last nite [sic] and gave him your
regards. As yet I haven’t met his wife but I will when I meet him again. He didn’t have much to
say, so I didn’t visit with him long. I got a letter and a package from Helen yesterday. Her
cookies sure were good. Every time she sends me some I think of the first ones she ever baked
and
[Page 7]
she wasn’t discouraged by the taste of her cookies now. Can you bake any for me? If you can,
I’ll promise to send a request every two weeks. I like fat ones, thin ones, big ones, and small
ones. What kind can you make? I don’t mean to be a tease and I’m really serious. After all I
haven’t eaten any you made so don’t forget to get up a lot of courage and a little bit of
confidence and make some. Will you? I also heard from my brother Johnny but as yet no word
from home. I guess they are still busy with the moving. How is your mother and dad? Don’t
forget to give them my regards and hello. Is Venna back from New Jersey? I suppose she hated
to leave. Well I wouldn’t blame her. Give her a hello for me when you see
[Page 8]
her again. I must say, I did surprise myself by writing so much but it is always for a swell girl,
like you, be they short or long of my thoughts and love for you. Will close “Darling” and write
real soon.
Yours forever,
�With Loads of Hugs & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1
c/o P.M. - New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
Free
{Signature accent mark}
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
APR
5
1944
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
20639
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
Lt. [?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-02
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-02
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 2, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 2, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 5, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes discussing his family's upcoming Easter and his latest stroll around the countryside where he appreciated the beauty of Mother Nature and imagined being together with Agnes.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Easter
Nature
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6306f2cffb14015546547ef19268e6e5.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
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Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-20]
[Page 1]
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry
Camp Blanding, Fla.
April 20, 1942.
Dear Agnes,
Rec’d your letter today and was glad to hear from you. I feel O.K. now since my cold went
away.
On that hike last week, we hiked 22 miles to start it off, then two days of rest and another long
hike back to camp, getting ready for Saturday's inspection. Tonite [sic] we are going out on a
problem which will last till dawn. That hike we had last week made us boys tired even
[Page 2]
though we are used to hiking.
At present, I’m on K.P. and just got a break, so I decided to answer your letter. Saturday
afternoon, I got a light tan and will keep sunning myself till I get darker. Nothing of interest to
write this time and it's the same old routine.
Roy was saying to me today that he is going to write you a letter. Carolyn writes to him about
three times a week and
[Page 3]
he doesn’t answer them. I also saw a very good picture which has a lot of laughs in it. The name
of it is “The Fleet’s In” with Dorothy Lamour.
Where are those pictures you were going to send me? You’ll have to take one wearing your suit
so I can see what kind of a man you are. Ha! Ha! So, you think my brother is different, well, I
say he isn’t, for I’ve known him a long time. He’s a flattering fool and who can’t be? Not my
nature. Tee! Hee!
[Page 4]
His girlfriend writes to me so that makes us even. I’ve known her since she was knee high to a
grasshopper. Nice kid and going to be a school teacher. She’s at college now.
So, you have the impression men can’t keep a budget and don’t know where their money goes.
You’d be surprised and he can account for every cent. That’s more than women can do? Ha! Ha!
[sic]
�The weather down here is swell and I’ll bet it's kinda cold up there. How is my cutie pie, Gloria?
Haven’t heard from her in a coon’s age?
[Page 5] - mistakenly written as page 6 with roman numerals “VI”
I’m a wondering if she’s still living. [sic] When is she going to break her heart and write, to
bring up my mail percentage. Mail service is free to me, ya know. Ha! Ha!
My brother hasn’t written me a letter as yet, except for two cards and I’m going to give him a
lecture for not writing. My father was visiting also at my sister’s in Buffalo and only a few miles
away from there.
We have been wearing our summer clothes a week and it sure is a relief.
[Page 6]
Ran out of blue lead so I’ll finish with this.
What were you trying to do, fool me by writing a letter in pencil and the address with ink? My!
My!
Well, it's getting around to the time that I’ve got to go to work again, so I’ll close.
Give the folks my best regards.
As Ever,
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Roy said to give all of you his regards and a big Hello.
[Page 7]
P.S.S. You ought to see my haircut now. Just as short as I could get it without getting a baldy.
[sic] Ha! Ha!
I’ve been listening to a woman squealing like a pig on the radio and I wish she were in front of
me right now, so that I could throw rotten tomatoes at her.
Roy yelled for K.P.’s so off I go.
[Envelope front]
�P.F.C.
Joe Olexa
U.S. Army
{Postmark}
CAMP BLANDING
APR 21
3 PM
1942
FLA.
FREE
{Signature accent mark}
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
[Envelope back]
P.F.C. Joe Olexa
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry
Camp Blanding, Fla.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-20
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-04-20
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 20, 1942
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 20, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated April 21, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while taking a break on K.P. duty and discusses the recent 22 mile hiking trip during training, in addition to their families and the agreeable weather in Florida.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Camp Blanding (Fla.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8915bee8ea01e404e3884574373a2d4.pdf
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Text
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Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-20]
[Page 1]
England
April 20, 1944.
Hello “Darling,”
Rec’d two of your letters dated April 7th & 10th and was very pleased to hear from you. Was glad
to hear you enjoyed yourself visiting your cousin. Gee!! “Sweets,” I sure would like to see your
Easter outfit and dress, maybe I will someday? I still miss you as much as ever “Darling” and
you are always in my thoughts. I guess, I am just about as anxious of seeing you, as you are me.
We don’t know when that will be, but it’s going to be a grand day for us, isn’t it? I love you as
much as ever
[Page 2]
“Darling” and never get tired of looking at your pictures. I sure would like to bite your ears right
now and squeeze you ever so much, just for my being away so long and missing all of your hugs
and kisses. See! What you’ve done to me young lady? No, I shan’t be selfish in the things I’m
going to do and I guess we won’t have much rest either. It will be worth it though, won’t it?
Well, “Darling,” I just can’t waite [sic] for your answer to my proposal and I still wish that I was
there to ask you about getting engaged. I just couldn’t waite [sic] any longer, though, so I
decided
[Page 3]
to ask. If your folks do give their consent, it’s going to be grand to be engaged to a swell girl like
you. If you are in doubt just wait till I get back and I’ll prove it. Your letters and kisses mean so
much to me and I can’t help thinking of how much I love you and missed you. This war may
keep us apart but my thoughts are always bringing you to me. At times, I just wish I could take
you out of the imaginary picture before me and squeeze you with all my might. Someday I shall
be able to do that and I shan’t ever let up because I’ve always been yearning to be with you
[Page 4]
again. I’m very pleased to hear that you’re not going to cut your hair. To me, you look very
beautiful, having it that way. You needn’t worry about some other girl over here “Sweets”
because there isn’t any that could be as good as you. At that, I don’t have time for any because I
have you with me wherever I go. Well “Darling” I shall close hoping to hear from you real soon.
How are your folks? Don’t forget to give them my best regards? Went down to visit Roy but he
wasn’t around. Don’t know when I shall bump into him again.
Yours forever,
With “Loads of Love & Kisses”
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Don’t forget to send some more pictures?
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
Free
{Signature accent mark}
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
APR
25
1944
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
20639
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
Lt. [?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-20
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-20
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 20, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 20, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 25, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while awaiting the answer to his proposal and looks forward to the grand day when they are able to see each other once again.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a8663a4da4a88a74dcb12086d63e50bc.pdf
ef33accd8075b580c2d88d16ab4af99c
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Text
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PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1945-04-21]
[Page 1]
England
April 21, 1945.
“My Dearest Darling,”
Haven’t written to you in over a week and I hope I am forgiven. We have been very busy and a
lot of times, I started to write but was too tired to finish. I was very surprised “Sweets” to get that
package you sent to me with the watch and fountain pen in it. That was the only thing out of the
package that was not broken or spoiled. Gee! “Darling” I miss you terribly and could stand a lot
of “loving” from you. I keep looking forward to the time when we shall be together. Gosh! I
have so much that I would like to do then. I’m going to squeeze
[Page 2]
you with all my might and never let up. I love you with all my heart “Darling” and waite [sic] for
the day when we shall get married and start our little home, being happy and living an enjoyable
life. Golly! I wish it were now, don’t you? I shan’t be worried about you hugging and kissing me
till I vanished but will love it. I wish you would squeeze me real hard right now. Will you? I’m
glad you liked my flowers I had sent to you. Wish I could’ve been there to see them in full
bloom. I’m sorry to hear about your aunt passing away but we all shall go when the time comes.
It was very saddening news to hear of President
[Page 3]
Roosevelt passing away and of Ernie Pyle the news reporter. I remember him from Africa and
give him a lot of credit of appreciation for what he got for us boys. He was a swell guy. I was
sorry to hear that my folks did not get to see you, but they will when they can get away. I still
haven’t gotten those pictures of you that were taken when you went down to Helen’s and I hope
that I shall receive that. Your small proofs are wonderful and you look very beautiful in every
one of them. How’s your mother and father these days? Don’t forget to give them my best of
wishes, will you. Yes! “Darling” the Lord does wonderful things for us if we are patient and
think of Him always. Thee [?] has brought me through the Valley
[Page 4]
of Shadow of Death not once but many, many times. I thought that I would not make it and I’m
thankful to him. I’m still waiting patiently for my name to appear on orders for that furlough
home. Gosh! What a wonderful day it will be to be with you once again. I’ve missed almost 3
years of loving, so do you think I can make it up in 45 days? I knew you’d say no. Meanie! Ha!
Ha! Well, “Precious” I shall close for now hoping to hear from you real soon.
Always,
With Loads of Love & Kisses
�Your Future Husband
“Joe”
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.)
6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.)
A.P.O.-551 c/o PM. – N.Y., N.Y.
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
APR
22
1945
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave. S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
56591
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
[?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1945-04-21
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1945-04-21
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 21, 1945
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 21, 1945. The envelope is sent from 6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.), 6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.), A.P.O.-551, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 22, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes for the first time in over a week, sharing his appreciation for the package she sent him in addition to the news of President Roosevelt and American journalist and war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, passing away.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
Pyle, Ernie, 1900-1945
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
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Veterans History Project (U.S.)
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
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Text
Format
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application/pdf
Language
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eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
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https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/deae37aee963a23ccd5dc3055a2135be.pdf
027df3a244b5551effe7d8f2b5082249
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[RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-22]
[Page 1]
Co. L, 26th Infantry
Camp Blanding, Fla.
April 22, 1942.
Dear Agnes,
Rec’d your letter today and writing since I’m not going to the show. I saw two movies which
were fair. One was “The Remarkable Andrew” and the other “The Male Animal.” Saturday nite
[sic], I’m going to see Charlie Chaplin in “The Gold Rush.” I saw this picture about 12 years ago
and can remember some parts of it.
I had two days of K.P. instead of one because they didn’t send anyone to relieve
[Page 2]
us. I get credit for it though and won’t be on K.P. for two months now. Tomorrow, we have a 20mile hike which isn’t so bad for we are going to hike out 10 miles and then 10 back. We hiked
out to the grenade range today and practiced throwing them. It’s about 5 miles from here.
We came back in early and ran through an obstacle course. It consists of a rope over water, two
logs, a 10-foot fence, hand bar erection, two pipes to crawl through, and a mad dash for the
[Page 3]
ending point. It isn’t very big but it’s a great exercise. We have a bigger one but we’ll have to
work ourselves a little for that one.
There is a rumor of us boys going to Georgia for a 20-day maneuver. It will start the 9th of May,
but I’m from Missouri so I’ll wait till then.
The First Division is the best in the world and we’re going to clean up on the Japs and then lick
the Germans. [sic]
No kidding, can I catch a cold under an apple tree? Well, now you’ve got me curious, so now I’ll
get me a blonde and find out. Ha! Ha!
[Page 4]
So, my little cutie is stealing stamps and of all things using it to write to another fellow. Boy!
Now, I’m disgusted, humiliated and mad. She threw me over like a ton of bricks. It’s just like the
women. [sic] Ha! Ha! I thought this eagle or goose that you sent was a paper doll at first, but
when I opened it, I was fooled.
�It’s just like [text strikethrough] women to look for sympathy when they fall and hurt themselves
a little. If they were in the Army, they would learn to take it and laugh, just as I did. When I get
hurt, I don’t want sympathy and I always blame
[Page 5]
it to clumsiness or from being injured more seriously. We have a church for each Regiment and I
attend church regularly.
My brother hasn’t written as yet and I’m just as stubborn as he. I wrote to him though when my
folks sent me a package and thanked them for it. Roy hasn’t taken his furlough but he may this
pay, providing he gets picked to go. It’s too far for me to go on a ten-day furlough not unless I
change my mind but I’m not taking one as yet.
I haven’t seen hide nor hair
[Page 6]
of Claypool in a coon’s age. He’s still at the baking school. My friend, the lover, is in the
hospital with a touch of flu or pneumonia. I’m going to visit him Saturday providing he isn’t too
sick.
Still haven’t received them pictures and I’ll bet you didn’t take any. Carolyn sent some pictures
of herself, Larry, mother and father to Roy in her last letter. Larry had his uniform on and he
looks swell in it. I’m sending you some more stamps for I’ve got a lot more left and don’t forget
[Page 7]
to hide them in a better place. Ha! Ha! Forgot to tell you today is my brother’s birthday.
Some fellow came over and said I write a lot. I do and if people I write to aren’t too lazy, I’d get
a lot more of mail. [sic] No hear-ee, from me, if they don’t answer, is my motto o o o o o o. [sic]
Did you get a letter from Roy? He said that he sent you one and funny for he was in the mood.
[sic] I also forgot to tell you that I got a new supply of blue lead or didn’t you notice it. You did,
well ain’t that sumptin. [sic] Ha! Ha!
[Page 8]
When I sat down, I thought this letter wouldn’t be a long one but my brains rattle once in a
while, ya know. [sic]
How is Florence? I haven’t heard from her yet, have you? Well, I shall close and write when you
can.
As Ever,
�Joe
{Signature accent mark}
You need 2 more years of practice {with arrows pointing to his signature accent mark}.
P.S. Give the folk[s] my best regards and tell Gloria, I’m not on speaking terms with her
anymore. Not unless she writes and gives me a good explanation. Ha! Ha!
Soo - long - [sic]
[Envelope front]
P.F.C.
Joe Olexa
Co. L, 26th Inf. A.P.O. #1
Camp Blanding, Fla.
U.S. Army
{Postmark}
CAMP BLANDING
APR 23
3 PM
1942
FLA.
FREE
{Signature accent mark}
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-22
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-04-22
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 22, 1942
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 22, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated April 23, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after two days of K.P. duty and discusses the recent movies he had seen, the training activities planned for the days ahead, and the rumor regarding their trip to Georgia for a 20-day manuever.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Camp Blanding (Fla.)
Military maneuvers
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9a62b586a6c5faff6ae62d12ce9981ba.pdf
9306a7b8232aeeb8e5794838a544697c
PDF Text
Text
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b2a798bff4e9748af9d3bf9c99a9df5e
PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-22]
[Page 1]
England
April 22, 1944.
Hello “Darling,”
It’s a beautiful day out and a good one to go for a stroll. Would you care to go with me? You
shall in my thoughts and I always keep saying, I love you so you will be able to hear it. I still
miss you “Darling” and just can’t wait till I shall be able to hold you and squeeze you again. I
always say, Gee!! you’re a lucky guy Joe, to have a swell girl like Agnes back home waiting for
you. When I think of you “Darling” everything seems to tingle inside of me and then I just wish
that I could chew your ears or knip [sic] your nose. I like to daydream about us, too, and I’m
anxiously
[Page 2]
waiting to hear from you and your folks. What for, well I shan’t tell? Ha! Ha! Believe it or not
“Darling” I got a letter from Ollie. Boy, I nearly fell over from the shock. He’s engaged to Janice
and has been since Nove. [November]. That was another surprise, too. Well “Darling” if you
should except [accept] my proposal, he’ll be the same way. I’m very excited and contended but it
would have been more so if I were there to say, “Darling, would you marry me?” I’ll bet you are
as excited as I am about the whole thing, aren’t you? Did you get the flowers I sent to you for
Easter? I hope you did? [sic] I got your V-Mail dated the 13th of April but you didn’t mention
getting them. I also am depressed and blue when I don’t hear from
[Page 3]
you and keeping saying, hope I get a letter from Agnes today. I often worry about you being sick
and unable to write but when I get your letters, I’m relieved of such a burden and awful thought.
My folks are living in the other house and the address is 1693 Clairmont St. Ollie said that he
will pay you a visit just as soon as he has a little time off. Hope [text strikethrough] he has
already? My folks still keep writing about you and how nice you are. I think so too and maybe
more. What do you think? Just wait till I get back young lady and I’ll be able to prove my only
thoughts? [sic] Did Elaine get my letter as yet?
[Page 4]
How’s Gloria, ain’t she ever going to answer that letter of mine? Most of all, I’m very pleased to
get your swell letters and kisses, so I’m very contented, whether she writes or not. Well,
“Darling” I will close for this time and give my best regards to your folks.
Yours Always,
With Load of ( )’s & x’s
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Guess, I’ll go to the show and see “Sahara” and Thank Your Lucky Stars. Did you see
them? Today is Ollie’s birthday. He’s lucky to spend it at home.
[Envelope front]
S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
APR
22
1944
A.P.O.
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1913 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, 9 Mich.
PASSED BY
20639
U.S.
ARMY EXAMINER
Lt. [?]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Joe Olexa letters
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Van Der Weide, Agnes
Description
An account of the resource
Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943.
While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941/1946
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-22
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Olexa, Joseph P.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-04-22
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 22, 1944
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 22, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 22, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes as he anxiously awaits Agnes and her parents' response to his proposal, daydreaming about their future together and sharing the news of his brother Ollie's engagement.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
World War II