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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC09120.038 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of WWII letters of Sidney Diamond to Estelle Spero |
| Title | Sidney Diamond to Estelle Spero |
| Date | 17 June 1942 |
| Author | Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) |
| Recipient | Spero, Estelle |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Allays Estelle's fears regarding the use of mustard and lewisite gases in the war effort. Letter written while Sidney is on guard duty, and he mentions that an important feature of this job is keeping the white soldiers out of the "Negro" section. Recalls an incident that occurred at Fort Dix when armed black malcontents were shot at by white M.P.s. Discusses the racial tension that exists in the segregated army. |
| Subjects | World War II Asia Soldier's Letter Love Letters African American History African American Troops Science and Technology Chemical Warfare |
| People | Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) Spero, Estelle (b. 1924) |
| Place written | Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland |
| Theme | World War II; African Americans; Science, Technology, Invention |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1860-1945 |
| Additional Information | Folder information: Sidney Diamond (1922-1945) enlisted in mid-April 1942, interrupting the chemical engineering degree that he was undertaking at City College. Diamond was sent to the South Pacific in June 1943, where he served as First Lieutenant to the Eighty-Second Chemical Battalion. On January 29th 1945, Diamond was killed by a Japanese knee mortar while acting as a forward observer during an assault on Fort Stotsenburg, north of Manila. Throughout his time in service, Sidney maintained an epistolary correspondence with Estelle Spero, his sweetheart and subsequently fiancée, the letters from which she preserved. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |