F. W. Gleason Jr. Letters, 1943 - 1945

File — Box: 4253.003, Folder: 014

Letter from Wesley Gleason, USS Arthur Middleton, to Mom, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 12, 1943

Christmas card from Wesley Gleason, USS Arthur Middleton, to Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Gleason, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 12, 1943

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of eleven letters, one being a Christmas card, and one being a Mother’s Day card from Lt. F. W. (Wesley) Gleason Jr., U.S.C.G.R. (United States Coast Guard Reserve), aboard the USS Arthur Middleton, out of San Francisco, California, to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Gleason, New Orleans, Louisiana. These letters are dated from December 1943 to February 1945. In the June 9, 1944 letter, he states, “Yesterday made nine months since I reported aboard.” He mentions Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, his parents’ birthdays, some of his fellow shipmates, and his wife, Adelaide. He is not able to mention where he is. He mentioned in one letter that he has “heard some talk about the gov’t allowing the distilleries to make whiskey again… next to hearing the war is over, that’s the best news the people could get.” He mentions that they will “start carrying beer. Not to drink aboard but so often we have gotten into . . .ports where drink are impossible to get.” He asks his parents if they are going to the Sugar Bowl; he had heard “over the radio that it is a sellout.” He is also interested in the stock market and banking.

Dates

1943 - 1945

Creator

Gleason, F. Wesley, Jr. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.