During World War two, there were multiple forces aimed at boosting morale, these included: jugglers, advertisements, editorials, featured star event/large events, singers, and most importantly: letters. On an administrative end, letters served to provide information and updates. They were primary ways of sharing information about the war including news on the front lines helped keep people informed about the wars progress. For the troops, letters were ways to keep a connection between those on the field and their families, friends, loved ones, or in the case of our Muhlenberg alumni, schools. Receiving letters from home provided a sense of connection and comfort to soldiers on the battlefield. These letters often contain words of encouragement and support, which in turn boosts morale. “Letters were a great comfort. And the mail was indispensable. We couldn’t have won the war without it. It was terribly important as a motivator of the troops. Mail call whenever it happened it was a delight.” – Paul Fussell (https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/communication-letters-diaries) So many letters were sent that the government turned to the introduction of V-mail, short for ‘Victory- Mail’. V-Mail letters were essentially just pictures of written/typed letters, copied onto microfilm, and shipped overseas to be reproduced at one quarter of the original size at a processing station where it was then delivered to the address indicated on the back. V-mail helped to reduce the weight and bulk of mail and save space for other vital war supplies. It also sped up the process of sending letters. (https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/victory-mail-introducing-v-mail/resizing-lifelines-planning-v-mail ) With so many letters, yet the acknowledgement of its importance, letters had to pass through censors before being sent.
The phrase loose lips sink ships became a popular wartime slogan during World War II in the US. It was a reminder that discussing sensitive information in public spaces or letters were not authorized and may lead to grave consequences such as the endangerment of troops and the war effort. In a way this was a good use of propaganda since it evokes a sense of patriotic/civil responsibility in protecting the war front and army from espionage or information falling into the wrong hands. To do this, censorship was carried out by military authorities who reviewed and redacted portions of letters deemed damaging or inappropriate. One Muhlenberg alum, Wilmer Cressman was a censor for his crew and wrote that, “ This job of mine can be compared with the wire-editor at times, especially when we are breaking down a lot of encoded stuff concerning pacific operations. Naturally some of the copy never does get to print…, “ (1944-07-08 https://www-jstor-org.muhlenberg.idm.oclc.org/stable/community.24649951?searchText=creator%3A%22Cressman%2C+Wilmer%22&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcreator%253A%2522Cressman%252C%2BWilmer%2522%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydHMiOnsiSlNUT1JCYXNpYyI6MjV9fQ%25253D%25253D%26doi%3D10.2307%252Fcommunity.24513922&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_phrase_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1446ec05edf31dcf997a1c947e366817&searchkey=1696826497174 ) Letters were redacted by being stamped over or covered words with ink. if the section that needed to be redacted was too big for either of those they would often confiscate the letter entirely. Censorship of letters typically involved: location and movement, specific details about injuries, arrival dates, departures, casualties, technical information, weaponry, battle plans, personal identifiers, and anything too sexually graphic in nature.
While most if not all letters went through a sensor, some soldiers and correspondence censored themselves long before the letter was signed and delivered. Knowing what was going to be censored, most people avoided writing information that could jeopardize security. Soldiers knew that writing information that could be deemed inappropriate would result in the delay of letters or closing of contact to their loved ones. Wilmer Cressman wrote to Gordon Fister that “ I sure do know my censorship regulations, after censoring the crew’s mail for all these months. In fact, I know them so well that one of my letters to you never left the ship. I really went off the beam, and while it wasn’t a case of out and out violation, it was doubtful to say the least. True to our censors code, ‘When in doubt, cut it out’. I promptly wrote another letter.” (1944-07-17 https://www-jstor-org.muhlenberg.idm.oclc.org/stable/community.24650011?searchText=creator%3A%22Cressman%2C+Wilmer%22&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcreator%253A%2522Cressman%252C%2BWilmer%2522%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydHMiOnsiSlNUT1JCYXNpYyI6MjV9fQ%25253D%25253D%26doi%3D10.2307%252Fcommunity.24513922&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_phrase_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1446ec05edf31dcf997a1c947e366817&searchkey=1696826497174 ) Aside from purely logical reasoning, it can be inferred that people often censored themselves in favor of sounding hopeful. (Though, some may have been signs to read between the lines to figure out what was actually happening.) Many letters during World War II were filled with words of encouragement, support, and expressions of love which boosted spirits from the recipient and the sender. Often soldiers did not want their families to worry so they admitted details about war and suffering. Some examples of these included very short letters which were just checking in on family members or giving a sign of life instead of a full update.
On the other hand this self-censorship could have also served to show the naivety of the letter writers. “Miss Breed” (by Joanne Oppenheim), is a collection of letters from interred Japanese children sent to Miss Clara Breed, the Children’s Librarian at the San Diego Public Library from 1929 to 1945. Despite being in Japanese internment camps the letters from these children expressed hope and longing. one child Katherine Tasaki wrote that, “My mother washed the kitchen towels for two months, so this month she got 32 dollars for the two months. We didn’t get our pay for a long time so when we finally got it, we bought a lot of things now we have only ten dollars left from the pay. I wanted so bad to get yarn to make my doll a pullover sweater, but my mother wouldn’t let me. When I go home I’m going to get a lot of yarn and make a lot of things.”( Katherine Tasaki December 31, 1942 https://janm.emuseum.com/objects/7952/letter-to-clara-breed-to-katherine-tasaki-poston-arizona).While sending updates to Miss Breed, kids also noted terrible conditions such as horrible heat, dubious assurances from officials, and child labor, they never dwelled on it, opting to share new explorations or knowledge. These letters serve to reduce anxiety and provide hope of their return to loved ones.
To ease addressee’s worry some soldiers came up with codes or secret messages to put in their letters to assure their loved ones of their safety, or on the other hand, warn them when times were getting rough, or they were preparing to go into battle. In the behind the Lions love lover letters podcast, Barbara Harrison and Andrew Carroll share the letters of lovers Norma Clinton and Harry Clip. Clip decides to give Norma a special sign off for his letters to indicate going into battle. in his letter he writes, “We are not supposed to tell anyone when we go into actual combat until after we are aboard ship and on the way to make a landing on Jap territory and that letter doesn’t get in the mail until several days or possibly weeks after we leave our base. To let you know that there will be no letters for a long time I’ll end my last letter before leaving by saying ‘Goodbye for a little while’. Will you remember that?” (Nov 28th https://www.historynet.com/mystery-date-pacific-war-edition/ ). Other codes included four-leaf clovers, extra X’s and O’s at the ends of letters, words like ‘In the thick of it’ and other previously negotiated terms with correspondents.
Sources
- https://www.buzzsprout.com/1691689/7850692-episode-3-love
- https://www.historynet.com/mystery-date-pacific-war-edition/
- https://janm.emuseum.com/objects/7952/letter-to-clara-breed-to-katherine-tasaki-poston-arizona
- https://www-jstor-org.muhlenberg.idm.oclc.org/stable/community.24650011?searchText=creator%3A%22Cressman%2C+Wilmer%22&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcreator%253A%2522Cressman%252C%2BWilmer%2522%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydHMiOnsiSlNUT1JCYXNpYyI6MjV9fQ%25253D%25253D%26doi%3D10.2307%252Fcommunity.24513922&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_phrase_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1446ec05edf31dcf997a1c947e366817&searchkey=1696826497174
- https://www-jstor-org.muhlenberg.idm.oclc.org/stable/community.24649951?searchText=creator%3A%22Cressman%2C+Wilmer%22&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dcreator%253A%2522Cressman%252C%2BWilmer%2522%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydHMiOnsiSlNUT1JCYXNpYyI6MjV9fQ%25253D%25253D%26doi%3D10.2307%252Fcommunity.24513922&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_phrase_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1446ec05edf31dcf997a1c947e366817&searchkey=1696826497174
- https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/victory-mail-introducing-v-mail/resizing-lifelines-planning-v-mail
- https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/communication-letters-diaries
