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[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-30]
[Page 1]
Sicily
August 30, 1943
Hello Darling,
Haven’t heard from you in over a week and it seems like ages. I shall probably get them all
together. I’m fine as usual “Sweets” and hope you are the same. I still miss you as much as ever
and think of you most of the time. I got a letter from Helen the other day telling me about my
mother visiting her. I suppose by now that your folks are now living in Grand Rapids. It’s only a
three-hour ride by train from Detroit and I hope that, when, I get back home, we can be together
more often. [sic] I haven’t seen Roy in three days and plan to go over to see him today. We are
having movies every nite. [sic] Some of the pictures
[Page 2]
are old ones but good. Some of the pictures we saw so far are “My Favorite Wife,” “The Navy
Comes Through,” “Hudson Bay,” and a few others. Tonite [sic] I think we are going to see
“White Cargo.” I just came back from church services and heard a good sermon. I couldn’t sing
though, for I’m hoarse from yelling too much at a ball game. Our team won so it was worth it.
How are the Walsh’s and the rest? If you get to see them, don’t forget to give them my best
regards. We are now having the usual training to keep us fit and in shape. Where we are going
from here and when is beyond me. When, I get home, I’m going to have plenty things to talk
about with you and it ain’t going to be about the war either. Just keeping you in suspence. [sic]
Ha! Ha!
[Page 3]
I guess you are disappointed in me not going back to the States as Roy wrote to Carolyn.
Whatever made him write that is beyond me? I nearly forgot to tell you that “Bob Hope” and
Frances Langford were here and put on a pretty good show. Bob Hope sure gave a lot of wise
cracks and jokes you could take in two ways. Well, it was a surprise to me of them coming here
for it’s the first time that we got to see any radio or movie stars. It has been a long time since I
left the States for overseas duty and its going on 14 months since I saw you last. Someday soon, I
hope to make good the last time. Ha! Ha! That’s if you haven’t found another boyfriend. I may
be very jealous you know. I’m sending you some more Italian paper
[Page 4]
money. One is a 5 lira [?] note and the other 2 liras [?]. Worth 7 cents in American money. I
certainly surprised myself by writing a long letter and hope you didn’t faint. Will close for this
time “Honey” and write real soon.
Yours Always,
�With Lots of Love & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Don’t forget to send me some more pictures.
�
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_1943-08-30
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
1943-08-30
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 30, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed in Sicily and covers numerous topics including the most recent news from their families back home in Michigan, the latest movies he has seen, and the entertaining show Bob Hope and Frances Langford put on for the troops. He also writes that he has been stationed overseas for the past fourteen months and missing Agnes every moment of their time apart.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Motion pictures--1940-1950
Hope, Bob, 1903-2003
Langford, Frances
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_1943-10-09]
[Page 1]
Sicily
October 9, 1943
Hello Darling,
Rec’d four of your letters yesterday and was very pleased to hear from you. I’m fine as usual and
hope you are the same “Sweets.” Well, how was the trip to Grand Rapids? I suppose you are sure
busy getting acquainted with all of your relations. I’m glad to hear that you are willing to listen
to what I have to say. All we got to do now is to waite till I get back. [sic] So keep your fingers
crossed “Sweets.” I still miss you as much as
[Page 2]
ever and think of you most of the time. I haven’t as yet rec’d the package you mentioned but
hope to get it soon. Have you gotten the two small packages I sent to you? Mail is still coming in
kinda slow yet and I imagine that they are kept quite busy. I have not seen Roy in a long time.
He is not near us at present so I can’t visit him. I guess the rainy season is here. It sure does rain
at times. So you want to get in a defense plant to earn your first million. Well Honey be sure not
to give me
[Page 3]
the cold shoulder when you get that rich. Well young lady, you’d better start worrying for I’m
going to make my threats good and by the time I get through chewing your ears, they’ll look like
mince meat. How do you like that? These flies are sure pests. They bother you day and nite. [sic]
I sure get mad at them and start swinging.
I love you more and more each day, “Darling,” and praying that we shall see each other real
soon. How are your folks? Don’t forget to give them my regards and Hello. How’s my gal
Beasie? She’d better write to me and explain
[Page 4]
why I haven’t heard from in so long of a time. [sic] Don’t forget to [?] them pictures when you
get them. I haven’t heard from my sister Helen or home in a long while. I heard from my brother
Johnny and his wife. Well, “Sweets,” I shall close and write real soon.
Yours Always,
With Lots of Love & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. You may be right.
�[Envelope front]
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
OCT
12
1943
A.P.O.
U.S. POSTAGE
6¢
VIA AIR MAIL
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
1832 Berkley Ave., S.W.
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
PASSED BY
20639
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_1943-10-09
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
1943-10-09
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, October 9, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated October 9, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated October 12, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and inquires about her move to Grand Rapids, Michigan and her hopes to work in a defense plant while getting acquainted with her new hometown.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
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_1943-09-20]
[Page 1]
Sicily
Sept 20, 1943
Hello “Darling,”
Rec’d two of your air mail letters and was very pleased to hear from you. Your letters were dated
Aug. 24 & 25. I also got the picture “sweets” and it’s a very good picture. All you have to do
“Sweets” if you want to meet my folks is just to drop in and they would be glad to have you visit
them. You can write to my brother Ollie and tell him to meet you at the station. Make sure you
tell him what time you will be there. My sister Frances is very nice. She’s 19 and she probably
can show you around.
[Page 2]
The folks will sure make you feel at home for I ought to know them. I haven’t heard any of the
new songs you mentioned and wish that I could hear the music of them. So, the young lady
wants to learn how to swim. Well you can’t learn to swim setting out of the water. Ha! Ha! I’ll
try to teach you and you’d better be a good pupil or else. Ha! Ha! I’ve already written you a Vmail letter so I must be on the ball now days. In fact I’ve written a lot of them. These darn flies
are sure pests. You almost have to kill them to make them fly away.
[Page 3]
I still miss you “Darling” and it aint [sic] a little. Ha! Ha! If we don’t get to see each other soon,
we’ll probably forget what each other looks like. Yes, I have plans all made up after my Army
Career is ended, but that will have to wait till I see you and then we’ll have the big long “Pow
Wow.” Ha! Ha! Remember “Sweets” it’s a date. I’ve nearly got a thousand dollars saved up
since I came overseas. That isn’t bad is it “Darling”? I plan to send your mother a small
handwork cloth for a small stand providing I find one that will suit me. I also want to send one to
Helen. Paper and boxes are scarce here so I will
[Page 4]
have to wait for some. When I do I’ll send it just as soon as I can. How are your folks getting
along? Does your father have a job in a defense plant? Don’t forget to give them my regards.
Mail comes in slow here and it’s a big job wen so much mail comes in and goes out. Don’t forget
to send me some more pictures when you take them. If you don’t I’ll get mad and bite your ears
via long distance. Young Lady your ears will be pretty well chewed up, after I see you and I’ll
make my threats good. Ha! Ha! What do you think of that? Well “Darling” I shall close for this
time and write real soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love & Kisses
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Forgot to mention that Francis favors me a lot.
[Envelope front]
Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
ASHBURNHAM
OCT 4
11:30AM
1943
MASS.
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
23
SEP
1943
A.P.O.
U.S. POSTAGE
6¢
VIA AIR MAIL
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
[text strikethrough] {11 Main Street}
[text strikethrough] {Ashburnham, Mass.}
1832 Berkeley St., S.W.
Grand Rapids 9, Mich.
PASSED BY
11147
L.T.K. Bleau
�
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/.
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
1943-09-20
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, September 20, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated September 20, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated September 23, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and encourages her to visit his family in Detroit, Michigan and wonders how her family are settling into Grand Rapids.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Detroit (Mich.)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
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_1943-09-17]
[Page 1]
Sicily
September 17, 1943
Dear Agnes,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope you are the same. I think of you often
and still miss you. I’m still hoping that you and I will see each other in the near future. I suppose
by now that your folks are now unpacking and setting the furniture up in your new home. Don’t
forget to give them my regards? [sic] I’ll bet the kids are all excited being in a big city. I have reread your last letter about 5 times already for mail hasn’t been coming in like the
[Page 2]
past. Their probably very busy so a person will just have to waite. [sic] I’ve written you a V-mail
letter yesterday. In fact I’ve written quite a lot lately and here’s hoping you receive all of them. I
got a V-mail letter from Helen and it’s the first time I heard from her in 3 weeks. She said my
Dad was down to her place for a visit. These darn flies almost drive me crazy. Their so thick here
in Sicily that they fly around in bunches. Can’t get no rest from them from morning till dark.
When a person crawls out of his tent in the morning, they zoom down on
[Page 3]
you like dive bombers. Then the fight begins for another day. I sure hate a fly and if he zooms
around my ear more than twice I am out to take hist life. Ha! Ha! Well, “Darling” what do you
think of your new home? The only thing that will be missing is an apple tree. Just think “Sweets”
we didn’t even get to sit under that apple tree in Ash. And it sure makes me mad. Anyway
“Sweets” we’ll sure have a lot to talk about and it ain’t going to be about the war. I haven’t seen
a movie in a long time but who cares. I also haven’t seen Roy and I guess it may be
[Page 4]
Sometime before I do. How’s my girl Beasie? If she don’t hurry up and write, I’m going to get
mad. Well, “Sweets,” I shall close and write soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
�Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
1
SEP
20
1943
A.P.O.
U.S. POSTAGE
6¢
VIA AIR MAIL
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
[text strikethrough] {11 Main Street}
[text strikethrough] {Ashburnham, Mass.}
1832 Berkley St., S.W.
Grand Rapids (9) Mich.
PASSED BY
11147
U.S.
L.T.K. Beau
�
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/.
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
1943-09-17
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, September 17, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated September 17, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated September 20, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and wonders how her family are settling into their new home in Grand Rapids, MI. He also writes of his experiences with the relentless flies in Italy while keeping a good sense of humor and expressing his adoration of Agnes.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Flies--1940-1950
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
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/a4dfabb48ab71efeae9aae445d12d750.pdf
2d2ff69d2f723ffa133706f339c2ff04
PDF Text
Text
�����
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PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-09-01]
[Page 1]
Sicily
Sept 1, 1943
Dear Agnes,
Rec’d your July 30 letter today as was pleased to get it. [sic] It’s the first letter I got in two
weeks. I was sure surprised to hear that you were picking out some civilian clothes for me.
Where did you get my sizes. Why go through all of that trouble, just for me? Was over to see
Roy day before yesterday and he’s about the same. Didn’t have much to say. That nite [sic] we
went to the movies together. We saw “Ice-capade Revue.” That picture bored me too much. Last
nite I saw “Mexican Spitfire at Sea” with Leon Errol, boy I sure did get a kick out of that one. I
don’t know what the picture will be tonite. [sic] Took another shot in the arm today and
[Page 2]
later on I shall be nothing but holes. We also got vaccinated for small pox which make the
eighteenth time in the Army. Have you heard from Helen lately? I suppose your folks have
already gone to Grand Rapids? When you write to them don’t forget to give them my best
regards. I am sending you a few souvenirs and hope you get it. This letter may beat the pkg. so
you can expect it. In the package are 5 coins a horse shoe, with a coin that has an eagle on it.
[sic] This coin may fall out for I had no glue, so have your father do it for you. I made the horse
shoe from a German “Stuka Dive” bomber and the coin is Italian. The heart with its little base is
from a German Pursuit plane, called the Messerschmitt-109. The other was supposed to be the
letter opener that I was making for you and
[Page 3]
broke before it was finished. Your father can glue the heart so it will stand up to put on a dresser.
I hope that you will like them. I have sent you a letter two days ago with some Italian paper
money in it and I would like to know whether or not you have received it. Well “Sweets” I miss
you too and let’s keep our fingers crossed in hopes that them rumors you hear will come true.
Ha! Ha! However we’ll just have to be patient. Is Gloria staying with you? Has she found her
another boy friend? Ha! Ha! You mentioned in one of your letters awhile back that you were
going to send me a package. If you have, I haven’t received it as yet. I hope to get a lot of mail
soon for it has been coming in kinda slow. Well, young lady if I don’t get them
[Page 4]
pictures I asked for I may get mad, so don’t forget to send them. Will close, Sweet, and write real
soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love & Kisses
Joe
�{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
SEP
2
1943
A.P.O. 1
U.S. POSTAGE
6¢
VIA AIR MAIL
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
U.S.
Lt. Robert Ostwald [?]
�
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/.
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
1943-09-01
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, September 1, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated September 1, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated September 2, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and expresses his happiness in receiving his first letter in two weeks. He also describes his recent visit to see two films called "Ice-Capades Review" and "Mexican Spitfire at Sea."
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Motion pictures--1940-1950
Errol, Leon, 1881-1951
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/d876c122b97a3d310afd06915f02374a.pdf
5cfdbf455047bdb2e481e4f2191528e0
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Text
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Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-20]
[Page 1 - front]
Sicily
August 20, 1943
Hello Sweets,
Rec’d your letter of July 24 and was glad to hear from you. It’s the first letter I received in 6
days. I’m fine as usual “Sweets” and hope you are the same. Was glad to hear that you got the
German picture I sent. We are back to the rear now and when this campaign is over God only
knows where we will go next. How are your folks, these days? Probably busy packing. Haven’t
seen Roy as yet but will look him up when I get the chance. He’s got some
[Page 1 - back]
of my pictures that I let him keep for me. We are in an almond orchard [?] and I’ve eaten
almonds so much that they ought to be coming out of my ears. I hope by now that you have
received all of the mail I sent you in the past month. I am to be cited for the work I had done in
this invasion. What do you think of that? I did my job and am well satisfied. Yes, it has been a
long time “Sweets,” since we’ve seen each other but some day, we shall be together. I miss you
very much “Sweets” and think of you often. How is Gloria
[Page 2 - front]
making out since her boy friend went away? Or did she forget him already? Ha! Ha! As for the
package you mentioned in your letter, if you did send it, I have not received it as yet. Don’t
forget to send me that picture I wanted. It wasn’t a coincidence about your mother and I agreeing
about the picture, for it is a good one. I haven’t heard from Helen or home and am anxiously
waiting to hear more about my two other sisters who are in the hospital. It is quite hot out today
and right now big drops of sweat are rolling down my
[Page 2 - back]
face and back. Well “Sweets,” I shall close for this time. Write real soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
�c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL [“SERVICE” missing due to top right corner of envelope being torn]
AUG
24
1943
A.P.O. 1
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
U.S.
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/.
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
1943-08-20
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 20, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 20, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 24, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from an almond orchard in Sicily and hopes to hear more from his family regarding his two sisters who are in the hospital.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Orchards
Almond industry--Italy
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/9c82b875c36860c432b44cf93fd8b08c.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
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PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-15]
[Page 1 - front]
Sicily
August 15, 1943
Hello Sweets,
Today is Sunday and nothing much to do, so I’m back again by writing. I’m still safe and well
hope you are the same. [sic] How are your folks? Have they moved to Grand Rapids as yet? I
still miss you as much as ever “Honey,” and hope some day soon that we can be together again. I
guess the kids are all excited about moving too. Well, they will have to make new friends. I
haven’t received any mail in four days now and that is very unusual.
[Page 1 - back]
I always keep saying, well I get a couple letters today. [sic] Went to the church services this
morning and hear a good sermon. We had a movie last night called Eyes in the Night, with
Edward Arnold. It sure was a good picture and if you get the chance don’t hesitate to see it.
Today is a very nice day and I’ve already though of being there with you. Don’t forget when you
have some other pictures taken, to send them on to me. I haven’t seen Roy as yet and don’t know
when I shall. We’ll see each other sometime
[Page 2 - front]
though. How long do you plan to work where you are now? I wish you luck to get a good job in
Grand Rapids. Still wondering of what you are going to do with that first million. Don’t keep me
in suspense and tell me? Still doubtful, Eh! “Sweets.” I don’t blame you, but it makes my morale
go down. How do I know, well my dear, I hear your thoughts? Oh! You forgot about that didn’t
you. Next time, think when I’m not around. Ha! Ha! Well Sugar, I haven’t much to write so I
shall close
[Page 2 - back]
and will be anxiously waiting to hear from you soon.
Yours always
With Loads of Love & Kisses
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Give your folks my regards. Sending a Italian Lira [sic] worth 1 cent in our money.
[Envelope front]
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
�c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY [“POSTAL SERVICE” missing due to top right corner of envelope being torn]
1 [?]
AUG
1[?]
1943
A.P.O. [?]
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
U.S.
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/.
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
1943-08-15
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 15, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 15, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 1943. In the letter, Joe writes on a Sunday in Sicily hoping that Agnes is safe and well back in the United States and wishes her luck in finding a good job upon her move to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also discusses his recent activities including attending a church service and watching a film called "Eyes in the Night."
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
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/2fdabb8641f12ba01ae4665e5c78a7a2.pdf
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Text
�����
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57c8e45c3989321011c7c4afee822621
PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-12]
[Page 1 - front]
Sicily
August 12, 1943
Hello “Sweets,”
Thought to drop you another letter, letting you know that I’m still safe and well. I still miss you
and think of you in my spare moments. How are you making out with your new job. Do you still
like it? I guess by the time you get this letter your folks will be in Grand Rapids. I’m still
surprised of hearing about my brother getting married. I got a letter the other day from my oldest
brother saying that one of my older sisters
[Page 1 - back]
and the youngest one are in the hospital and have had an operation. Boy! What unexpected
events which seem to happen. How is everyone over there? How is Eileen and her folks? When
and if you see them, don’t forget to give them my regards? Today is my fourth day back with the
Company. We are now having a rest. Sicily has plenty of wine, citrus fruits, watermelons, and
plenty of sunshine. It really gets hot here and it is very mountainous. I just received a package
my mother sent me with
[Page 2 - front]
a pocket book [sic] and some hard candy. Well, at present it hits the spot. I had asked for a
pocket book for I sure did need it. I can put a lot of pictures in it also. The regimental band just
drove in and now we’ll have a little jazz music to brighten us up a bit. What are the most popular
songs and bands back now days? The last one I got a chance to hear was “When the Lights gone
on again All over the World.” [sic] From what I hear my brother Ollie has been inducted into the
Army. Well, I only
[Page 2 - back]
can wish him luck and hope he stays out of what I had gone through. Haven’t anything else to
write, so I shall close “Sweets.” Write real soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
�Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL [“SERVICE” missing due to top right corner of envelope being torn]
AUG
18
1943
A.P.O. 1
Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
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/.
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
1943-08-12
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 12, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 12, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 18, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and describes his impression while residing there including the warm weather, mountainous landscapes, and an abundanace of sunshine.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Music--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/2d6240dc9b10f87d0d54f5ea732e5457.pdf
11172fc467565b5092a2bd4a415c90d5
PDF Text
Text
�����
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/baa3603eb9e3ba32a726c965ce3b43f1.pdf
a86538ccbf487bc3edc163e47b96f011
PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-10]
[Page 1 - front]
Sicily
August 10, 1943
Dear Agnes,
Writing a few lines again to-day [sic] since I have the time and was thinking of you. I still can’t
get over the surprise of my brother Johnny getting married. This is the second day back with the
Company and I must say that there are a lot of new faces. Its plenty hot here and if a man can’t
get a good sun-tan within a week over here, he just plain lazy. I got a card from my brother Ollie
and that also was
[Page 1 - back]
a great surprise. I wonder if he was inducted? I’ve written a few V-mails today answering other
letters I got. I hope that when you move to Grand Rapids that you will be able to find a good job
like the one you have now. What do you intend to do with your first earned million? Ha! Ha! Has
[sic] your folks left or are they busy packing? Anyway I can sure visit you when going home and
its not over 5 hours out of Detroit by train. We don’t have to worry about
[Page 2 - front]
where we will be stationed when we get to the States for that’s a long way off. How ever I’ll
surely get to the place, where you are at. [sic] I have not seen Roy as yet and many not for a long
time. I don’t know where he is, at the moment. I suppose Carolyn just can’t wait till Roy gets
back so that they can get married. It’s a great life if you don’t weaken, from what I hear. I
wonder if she can cook? Or is Roy going to do the cooking. Ha! Ha! I’ve always said that a good
cook makes the best wife for a man who
[Page 2 - back]
really likes to eat when working. I’m a man who likes to eat and have some meat on my ribs.
Well, so much for that. How is Gloria making out, since her boy friend went into the service?
Tell her to cheer up for better days are coming. Ha! Ha! Well “Sweets,” I shall close for this time
and shall be thinking of you.
Yours always
With Lots of Love
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
P.S. Don’t work too hard at your new job.
[Envelope front]
�AMERICAN RED CROSS
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL [“SERVICE” missing due to top right corner of envelope being torn]
1
AUG
15
1943
A.P.O. [?]
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
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/.
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
1943-08-10
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 10, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 10, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 15, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from Sicily and shares his surprise regarding his brother Johnny getting married and his appreciation for her upcoming move to Grand Rapids, Michigan with its proximity to his family living in Detroit.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
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/82860fe109f1167d0f786df9fd26129a.pdf
e71f96e168e00fed89a63b5cbc04bbfb
PDF Text
Text
��������
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/19932469feca41f377b685fa92b0c265.pdf
eeeb00124f94e71b2bb2a63162034d5d
PDF Text
Text
[RHC-93_Olexa_1943-08-09]
[Page 1 - front]
Sicily
August 9, 1943
Hello Sweets,
Back again with the outfit and still in good health. As I had written I was on detached service
with the Navy and on the water most of the time. So you see I didn’t have much time to write. I
did manage to write you a few letters around the 18th of July. I got 14 of your letters besides a lot
of others. I sure did enjoy reading them. I always look forward in getting your letters. I wish that
I could write more than
[Page 1 - back]
I do but it can’t be helped. If I had a job like Roy’s where he doesn’t do much, I’d write you just
as much as he does. Oh! Well no use crying about it. He’s just fortunate. I really do miss you
also and I often think of you. You shouldn’t be so doubtful of me though. Well, I wish I were
there to prove it. Well, I sure got a lot of surprises reading all of the different mail. First of all is
that you got your job, you’re [sic] folks moving to Michigan, Ollie waiting for introduction,
Johnny
[Page 2 - front]
getting married and so on. I was working on the souvenir that I was going to send you yesterday
and broke it. Boy! I never knew I could swear so much. It was a piece of vision glass from a
German plane. I was making a letter opener out of it and the blade broke off near the handle. It
was going to be a surprise but now I’ll have to wait to get me another piece. I did manage to
make a good sized heart out of another piece but haven’t finished it yet. Roy sure had all the time
[Page 2 - back]
in the world to send Carolyn souvenirs. Its just the opposite with me. My job on detached service
was to mark the beaches for the troops on the invasion. We had to swim about 900 feet from a
rubber boat to the beach and mark it with a flash light [sic] till the troops landed. Our job was
very successful but dangerous and when the beach was marked and we were going back in the
rubber boat we were machine-gunned. The bullets flew all over but none of us were hit. We were
the first ones on the beach of Sicily. Not bad Eh!
[Page 3 - front]
That was my job and it was completed to the “T.” The Lord was with me then and he is always. I
don’t worry none for everything will turn out alright keeping my faith in God. I guess the only
time I’ll get to go home is after the war. At least it looks that way. But I shan’t forget you
“Sweets” and if it wasn’t for your mail, I don’t know what I’d do. If you ever get the chance to
go to Detroit look up my folks and you won’t be sorry, none. They’ll sure be glad to meet you.
�[Page 3 - back]
Well, I’ve been overseas a year and seven days. Boy that’s a long time when a man stops to
think. I also thought of you on the 4th even though I was on a ship. How are your folks? Don’t
forget to give them my best regards. Have you visited the Walsh’s? How are they? How is
Beasie and the rest? Well how is Gloria taking it since her flirt went away or did she forget about
him already? Ha! Ha! As for picture I have none, haven’t taken any since the 4th I spent with
you. If I’m lucky enough some day I’ll probably take some when the chance occurs.
[Page 4]
Was glad to hear you got so many graduation gifts. I still haven’t forgotten about it and as I say
I’m going to deliver it in person. Stubborn you know? Ha! Ha! Your Mother and Dad beat me to
the punch again getting you what I had in mind. Next time this happens, I’m going to start a
“feud.”
Well “Sweets” I shall close for this time and write soon.
Yours always
With Lots of Love
Joe
{Signature accent mark}
[Envelope front]
Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893)
Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1
c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y.
U. S. Army
{Postmark}
U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE
AUG
14
1943
A.P.O. 1
Miss Agnes Van Der Weide
11 Main Street
Ashburnham, Mass.
PASSED BY
11147
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/.
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
1943-08-09
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 9, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated August 9, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated August 14, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes from the Mediterranean island of Sicily and describes his job while on detached service with the Navy. He also describes his excitement in receiving fourteen of Agnes' letters and the many surprises written within them including her new job and her parents move to Michigan.
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Sicily (Italy)
United States. Navy--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