Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 19, 1944
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
World War, 1939-1945
Soldiers -- Michigan
Correspondence
Love letters
Motion pictures--1940-1950
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 19, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 22, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing his latest news including going to see a double feature at the movie theater downtown and receiving birthday mail from his family back home in the United States.
Olexa, Joseph P.
Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 2, 1943
Africa, North
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 2, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, New York, New York, dated March 11, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed overseas in North Africa, sharing the news of his happiness in receiving her Valentine and Christmas card, and his recent haircut in anticipation of warmer weather.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 22, 1942
Camp Blanding (Fla.)
Guard duty
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 22, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated March 23, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes describing the various training activities that are planned for the week including combat firing, hiking with equipment, and firing an automatic rifle on the range. He also continues to write about the "Fighting First Division" and their motto, in addition to their Regimental motto, and his personal thoughts on the subject. Please note, this portion of the letter includes harmful and offensive language toward the Japanese people and should be viewed with awareness and cultural sensitivity.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 25, 1945
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 25, 1945. The envelope is sent from 6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.), 6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.), A.P.O.-551, U.S. Army, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 30, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes with positive news of his recovery upon leaving the hospital, in addition to his feelings for his future wife as they approach the one year anniversary of their engagement.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 26, 1944
Nature
Spring
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 26, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 29, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England and shares his appreciation of the natural beauty of spring after his stroll around town, including the bird songs and blossoming trees he witnessed in the countryside.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 27, 1944
Easter
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 27, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 29, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while missing her and her letters, hoping that she is in good health and wishing he could spend the upcoming Easter with her.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 28, 1942
Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 28, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes during a time of hard training at Camp Blanding, where he carries a rifle for twelve hours a day and his division trains rain or shine.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 4, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 4, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 7, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes many pages to Agnes sharing his most recent news including how happy he was to finally receive her letter dated February 14th, in addition to the package of writing supplies she sent to him. He also updates her on the most recent double feature he saw including the films "The Squeaker" and "Sunset Serenade."
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 4, 1945
V-mail
Handwritten V-Mail letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 4, 1945. The envelope is sent from 522nd Co. 65th Repl. Bn., A.P.O.-551, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 12, 1945. In the V-Mail letter, Joe writes a brief message to Agnes just two days before his third birthday spent overseas, sharing the news of his new assignment away from the front lines and all of his love to his bride-to-be.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 5, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 5, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 7, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England on the day before his birthday, sharing how much he wishes they could be together and the latest news on their friend Roy's wedding.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 5, 1945
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 5, 1945. The envelope is sent from 522nd Co. 65th Repl. Bn., A.P.O.-551, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 7, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes on the day before his birthday, sharing how he is homesick for her and wishing they could celebrate his special day together.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 7, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 7, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 9, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes of his excitement in receiving three of Agnes' letters that day, wishing they could have been together for his birthday, and sharing the news that his siblings plan to visit her in Grand Rapids.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 8, 1942
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 8, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated March 9, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing his experiences at Camp Blanding including their training during the rain-filled weekdays and their weekends spent swimming in the sunshine. Enclosed in his letter is an additional note to Agnes' younger sister, Gloria.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 8, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 8, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated March 11, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes from England expressing his love for her and his good mood in knowing she is waiting for him back home in Michigan.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 9, 1945
Weddings--Planning
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated March 9, 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 circa March 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing the news of his new job and his furlough request for a thirty-day return home to the United States.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 12, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 12, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 14, 1944. In the letter, Joe shares his excitement over their initial wedding plans with Agnes as he awaits his parents' response regarding their good news.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 13, 1942
Furloughs
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 13, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated May 14, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after receiving three of her letters and her latest package, and writes of his hopes for a furlough in the future and rumors of an upcoming move.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 14, 1942
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 14, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated May 14, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while on "Charge of Quarters" and hopes that she still has her fingers crossed regarding his potential furlough in June. He also writes of the 44 new men that joined their company and the Sergeants relocating due to new outfits being made, in anticipation for their being sent into action in the upcoming weeks.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 16, 1942
Fort Benning (Ga.)
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 16, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated May 17, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while worrying about her letters seeming downhearted on his behalf and encourages her to not worry about the future. He also writes of their upcoming move to Fort Benning, Georgia for a few months and encourages her to take a furlough to visit him at his new location.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 2, 1942
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 2, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated May 3, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes in surprise after receiving a letter and photographs from her on the previous night, and noticing how much she had changed. He also writes of his planned furlough in June, where he will be spending nearly a week visiting her and her family, and his Army promotion as a "full-fledged Corporal."
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 20, 1943
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 20, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 23, 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed in North Africa and reaches a personal record for longest letter that reaches eight pages in length. In those pages, he covers various subjects such as the war in Africa ending and how he spent Easter Sunday in a fox hole.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 20, 1944
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 20, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 30, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while sharing his admiration for his future wife and pride in her recent accomplishments at work. He also writes of his faith and how blessed he is to have Agnes in his life.
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 21, 1944
Church services
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 21, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated May 23, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes after an enjoyable church service, wishing she were there with him and hoping their families will visit each other back home in Michigan. He also writes of the recent movies he has seen including "Tarzan Triumphs" and "Light of Heart."
Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 22, 1942
Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated May 22, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Fort Benning, Georgia, dated May 24, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes upon arriving at Fort Benning and shares that they will be staying there for five weeks, in a location so remote that the nearest town is 17 miles away.