Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 29, 1943
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
V-Mail
Roller skating
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 29, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 29, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe is sill going strong as he writes his third letter to Agnes on the same day and shares his surprise in receiving a letter from her mother in addition to his appreciation of roller skating.
Olexa, Joseph P.
Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Lipstick
Cooking
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 29, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 10, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes his fourth message to Agnes in one day where he affectionately teases her regarding the lack of lipstick imprints on her letters and encourages her to refine her cooking skills while he is away.
Christmas
New Year
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 29, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 10, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes his fifth and final letter of the day to Agnes where he reassures her of his feelings and wonders if she had a good Christmas with her family back home in the United States.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 3, 1944
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 3, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes for the first time in a long time and reassures her that he isn't injured or in the hospital. He shares with her that he hasn't written any letters in a long time due to suffering from "war nerves," needing rest and relief from the front lines and holding onto her lovely picture for hope during challenging times.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 30, 1943
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 30, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 12, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing his excitement for New Year's Eve the following day and how he wishes he could be with her to celebrate the holiday.
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 30, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 12, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a second message to Agnes that day and expresses how he wishes they could see each other again.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 30, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 30, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 2, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes during the holiday season, sharing the news of his slow recovery in France and how much he misses receiving her letters while in the hospital.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 31, 1943
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 31, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated January 12, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe expresses his appreciation of Agnes' most recent message and the letter he received from her mother. He also encourages Agnes to visit his family if possible and to explore learning how to cook in her free time.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 4, 1943
V-mail
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 4, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 18, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes to Agnes with great excitement upon receiving the two packages she sent to him and wishes her a "Happy Birthday" while stationed overseas.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 5, 1943
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 5, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 9, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes a full-length message to Agnes after writing many V-Mail letters in recent days. At this time, he is awaiting another letter from Agnes and beginning to worry about her after not hearing from her for a week.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 7, 1941
Fort Devens (Mass.)
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 7, 1941. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, Fort Devens, Massachusetts, dated December 8, 1941. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after arriving back at Fort Devens and filling her in on the latest news regarding furloughs over the holidays and his Thanksgiving spent in the field.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, December 7, 1943
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated December 7, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated December 19, 1943. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes letting her know that he has been thinking of her all day and wishing he was with her to celebrate her birthday back home in Michigan.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 10, 1944
Motion pictures--1940-1950
Sea wolf (Motion picture)
Valentine’s Day
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 10, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 15, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England sharing how he recently saw the film "The Sea Wolf" for the second time and asking her to be his Valentine in anticipation for St. Valentine's Day. Joe also opens up to her about his experience overseas losing friends and how his faith has gotten him through many hard times.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 12, 1944
Love letters
Souvenir
England
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 12, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 15, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes with a feeling of romance in the air after receiving three V-mails and two letters from her and while enjoying a peaceful Saturday overseas. He also writes of his dreams of returning home and sweeping Agnes off her feet in Grand Rapids, in addition to his plans to send her souvenirs from England.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 13, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 13, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 15, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes with great affection for Agnes after receiving all of her most recent letters on one day and shares his pride for her good work ethic back home.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 14, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 14, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 17, 1944. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a special Valentine's Day letter to Agnes asking her to be his "Darling Valentine" and imagining their future homecoming together.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 14, 1945
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 14, 1945. The envelope is sent from Det. of Patients, 4152 U.S. Hospital Plant, A.P.O.-63, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 16, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while recovering in the hospital in England and after receiving the first forwarded letters from her in over three months. He continues to write that he will be leaving the hospital in the near future and placed on "Non-Combatant" duty, in addition to updating Agnes on his latest news.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 15, 1945
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 15, 1945. The envelope is sent from Det. of Patients, 4152 U.S. Army Hospital Plant, A.P.O.-63, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 16, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England hoping she received the Valentines he sent and sharing how he spent his Christmas holiday thinking of her while traveling on a hospital train from Paris, France.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 16, 1942
Camp Blanding (Fla.)
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 16, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, Fort Devens, Massachusetts, dated February 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after returning to camp at Fort Devens and sharing the news of their next move to Camp Blanding, Florida. He also writes to express his sincere gratitude towards Agnes' parents for the kindness they have shown him during his visits and travels.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 16, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 16, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 18, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England inquiring about the new photograph he sent and notifying her of the package of souvenirs he sent back home to Michigan.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 17, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 17, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 21, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed in England and with an upcoming birthday, which he hopes to not spend in a foxhole. He also mentions his appreciation for the lipstick kisses Agnes includes with her letters and how his sister, Helen, is looking forward to meeting her someday.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 18, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 18, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated circa February 29, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while feeling under the weather with a head cold in England and shares the good news that he had been appointed to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 19, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 19, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated February 24, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England after receiving her Valentine in the mail in addition to letters from his siblings expressing their hopes to meet her one day.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, February 19, 1945
Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated February 19, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while recovering in the hospital in England, highlighting the nearly three years they have been apart and his plans to make up for lost time. Joe also writes teasing Agnes about his early retirement plans upon returning home to Michigan.