Dwight Fee First World War correspondence

This collection contains correspondence between Sergeant Dwight Fee, American Expeditionary Force and his wife Lucille Fee during the First World War. They were written during his service in France in 1918. Other recipients include Fee’s parents and a few family friends. The bulk of these letters are from Lucille Fee discussing her experiences on the home front, job searching and their immediate family.

Fee’s letters deal with his time in France, while serving with the 80th Division, National Army, American Expeditionary Force. This division took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest battle in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers. The Meuse-Argonne was the principal engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces, during the First World War.

This collection also includes a published book titled 80th Division - Summary of Operations in the World War, on the 80th division’s time in combat and a remembrance book titled The Bayonet Remembrance Book of Camp Lee, Virginia where Fee attended his Army training.

Of interest is a self-published book and collection of biographical notes on the Fee family, written by son William Fee. This book entitled Character(s), gives a detailed history of Dwight and Lucille Fee, their early life and family life, until approximately 1973.

Also, included in this collection is a small, cotton, textile bag that was used to store Fee’s wartime letters.

Added 2017; conservation treatment documentation.