Kenneth L. Gritton Second World War correspondence

This collection contains correspondence from WO Kenneth L. "Ken" Gritton, USA to his future wife during the Second World War. Also included are correspondence from their nephew A1C William D. "Bill" Hughes, USAF during the Vietnam War and a graduation invite from A/C Gerald A. Sutton, USAAF during the Second World War, as well as one photograph of Gritton in uniform, a certification of recognition, one Christmas dinner menu, one playbill, and two clippings.

Ken wrote to Wilma while serving overseas in England. He mentions moving place to place and in his letter dated May 13, 1945 he gives a full accounting of his time abroad and movements because censorship had been lifted. He tells of air raids and bombings very close to him and a nightly need to run to the air raid shelters. He tells her that he feels he has done a good job though he had never actually fought but kept the "boys on the line." Many of the correspondence are telegrams simply telling Wilma that he has made it to his destination in the US safely, and many birthday and Christmas cards, including one Christmas V-Mail.

Their nephew Bill Hughes wrote from Da Nang air base in Vietnam. He speaks more candidly to them about his dangers and location than to his mother, according to one letter, though he does mention being far enough away that mortar attacks are more annoying than dangerous. Also mentioned is censorship and the fact that soldiers burned their mail so that they would not fall into enemy hands; not citing an intelligence issue, rather that the letters are used against them in a propagandistic way to demoralize the troops. In his last letter he mentions being nearly a month away from returning home.

Other materials include the following:

• One photograph, Kenneth Gritton in uniform, taken in Bristol England (APO 413)
• One certificate of recognition, Illinois Service Recognition Board, dated 1947
• One menu, Christmas dinner, Depot Q-104 in Great Britain, December 25, 1943
• One playbill, Piccadilly Theatre, Piccadilly Circus, "Panama Hattie," songs by Cole Porter,
• Two clippings, one with cartoon and one in reference to the cartoon, G.I. Joe "Chairborne Troops," by Lt. Dave Breger