Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The correspondence of Vernell R. Miller consists of .25 linear feet (101 letters and 6 miscellaneous items) written during service in World War II from 1945 through 1946.

The collection was purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, Rare Manuscripts & Archives, Watchung, NJ on January 27, 1997. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. The register was completed by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in February 1997.

Biographical Sketch

Vernell R. Miller, from Lindsey, Sandusky, County, Ohio, served during World War II with Co.C of the 13th Engineers, U.S. Army. Son of Ratio [Horatio] R. Miller and Marjorie Hess Miller, the family had a farm in Washington Township, Sandusky County, Ohio. During the course of his active duty, Vernell served at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, Ft. McClellan, Alabama, Fort Riley, Kansas, Fort Ord, California, and Seoul, Korea, attaining the rank of corporal, before being reduced to private again for insubordination. From the context of the letters and information from a Sandusky County directory, Vernell was around 18 in 1945, so it is probable that he was drafted. He also had a brother, three years younger than himself, Elwood.

Scope and Content

The Vernell R. Miller Correspondence consists of 101 family letters and 6 miscellaneous items, covering the period from 1945 through 1946. Primarily the correspondence between Vernell and his parents while serving with the 13th Engineers, the letters tend to deal with mundane daily activities of camp life, and family matters.

The early correspondence deals primarily with adjustment to army life, issues of trying to get a discharge on the basis of agricultural hardship for his family, and descriptions of activities and people in his unit. A sequence of several letters written while en route between Ft. Riley, Kansas and Fort Ord, California, give his reactions to seeing the varying landscape of mountains and observations of agricultural and ranching activity along the way.

A gap of several months occurs in the correspondence after he arrives in Ft. Ord and resumes when he is posted overseas to Seoul, Korea where his duties seem to involve driving trucks, working with parts supply for heavy equipment, and finally with the Division Fire Department. There are almost no internal references to impressions of Korea except for derogatory mention of gooks and to sending some kimonos home. For the most part the description of activities parallels that of his impressions of army base operations in the States.

Series Description

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - PERSONAL
1945-1946
Arranged chronologically
Letters home, primarily to his parents, with a few to his brother Elwood, one from one other individual to Vernell, and two to his parents from a neighbor, Jim Leiser, also in the service. The correspondence was written while at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, Ft. McClellan, Alabama, Ft. Riley, Kansas, Ft. Ord, California, and Seoul, Korea

CORRESPONDENCE - OFFICIAL
1945
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence and notification relating to the Selective Service classification of Vernell. Apparently, some attempt was made to get his draft status changed

CORRESPONDENCE - FORMS
1945-1946
Arranged chronologically
Standard forms dealing with disposition of civilian clothing and mustering out pay

PRINTED MATERIALS

PAMPHLETS
1944
Question and answer booklet issued at the Cleveland Induction Center

Inventory

Box 1

1. Dear Folks, Camp Atterbury, Friday nite, March 30, 1945
2. Dear Folks, Camp Atterbury, Sunday Afternoon, April 1, 1945
3. Dear Elwood, Camp Atterbury, Mon PM, April 2, 1945
4. Hello Mom, Dad, & Elwood, Tues PM, [April 3?, 1945]
5. Dear Mom & Dad, Camp Atterbury, Thurs AM, April 5, 1945
6. Dear Elwood, Camp Atterbury, Thurs PM, April 5, 1945
7. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Ft. McClellan, April 7, 1945
8. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Ft. McClellan, April 8, 1945
9. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Ft. McClellan, April 9, 1945
10. Dear Elwood, Ft. McClellan, Wed nite, April 11, 1945
11. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Ft. McClellan, April 12, 1945
12. Dear Elwood, Ft. McClellan, Fri nite, April 13, 1945
13. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Friday nite, April 13, 1945
14. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Sunday AM, April 15, 1945
15. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Sunday noon [written on verso of Chapel Bulletin] April 15, 1945
16. Howdy Elwood, Ft. McClellan, Sun nite, April 15, 1945
17. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday AM, April 17, 1945
18. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Tues nite, April 17, 1945
19. Hello Pvt. [from Donald Miller], April 18, 1945
20. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday, April 19, 1945
21. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday nite, April 19, 1945
22. Dear Mom, Dad & Elwood, Sun morning, April 22, 1945
23. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Mon nite, April 23, 1945
24. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Wed nite, April 25, 1945
25. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday nite, April 26, 1945
26. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Sun nite, April 29, 1945

1. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Wed nite, May 2, 1945
2. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday nite, May 3, 1945
3. Dear Elwood, Ft. McClellan, Friday nite, May 4, 1945
4. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sun nite, May 6, 1945
5. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Wed noon, May 9, 1945
6. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Sun morning, May 13, 1945
7. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday, nite, May 15, 1945
8. Dear Folk, Ft. McClellan, Fri nite, May 18, 1945
9. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tues afternoon, May 22, 1945
10. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday nite, May 24, 1945
11. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Sat nite, [May 26, 1945]
12. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sun nite 8:00, May 27, 1945
13. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sun nite, May 27, 1945
14. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Mon nite, May 28, 1945
15. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tues nite, May 29, 1945

1. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Friday nite, June 1, 1945
2. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday morning, June 3, 1945
3. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday noon, June 5, 1945
4. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Wednesday nite, June 6, 1945
5. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Friday nite, June 8, 1945
6. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Mon nite, June 11, 1945
7. Howdy Elwood, Ft. McClellan, Thursday night, June 14, 1945
8. Dear Mom & Dad, Ft. McClellan, Friday nite, June 22, 1945
9. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday AM, June 24?, 1945
10. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday AM, June 28, 1945

1. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday nite, July 1, 1945
2. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Mon PM, July 2, 1945
3. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday morn, July 3, 1945
4. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Saturday 1:30 PM, July 7, 1945
5. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday nite, July 10, 1945
6. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Wednesday nite, July 11, 1945
7. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday nite, July 15, 1945
8. Dear Mom, Ft. McClellan, Wednesday nite, July 18, 1945
9. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday PM, July 22, 1945
10. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Tuesday noon, July 24, 1945
11. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Wednesday noon, July 25, 1945
12. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Thursday nite, July 26, 1945
13. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Friday PM, July 27, 1945
14. Dear Folks, Ft. McClellan, Sunday noon, July 29, 1945

1. Dear Mom, Ft. Riley, Sunday morning, Sept 2, 1945
2. Dear Folks, Ft. Riley, Monday nite, Sept 3, 1945
3. Dear Folks, on the Train, Wednesday AM (postmarked Glenwood Springs, Colo.) Sept 5, 1945
4. Dear Folks, on the Train, Thursday 1:00 PM (postmarked Elko, Nev.) Sept 6, 1945
5. Dear Folks, on the Train, Thursday 6:00 PM (postmarked Winemucca, Nev.) Sept 6, 1945
6. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Saturday nite, Sept 8, 1945
7. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Monday nite, Sept 10, 1945
8. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Wednesday 7:00 AM, Sept 12, 1945
9. Dear Folks, Ford Ord, Wednesday PM, Sept 12, 1945
10. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Thursday nite, Sept 13, 1945
11. Dear Mom, Fort Ord, Friday AM, Sept 14, 1945
12. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Saturday AM, Sept 15, 1945
13. Dear Folks, Fort Ord, Sunday AM, Sept 16, 1945

1. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, March 20, 1946
2. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, March 29, 1946
3. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, April 3, 1946
4. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, April 10, 1946
5. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, April 15, 1946
6. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, May 1, 1946
7. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, May 16, 1946
8. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, June 2, 1946
9. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, June 10, 1946
10. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, June 15, 1946
11. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, June 19, 1946
12. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, June 26, 1946

1. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, July 9, 1946
2. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, July 17, 1946
3. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Aug 2, 1946
4. Dear Folks, [from Jim Leiser], Aug 10, 1946
5. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Aug 15, 1946
6. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Aug 26, 1946
7. Dear Folks, [from Jim Leiser], Aug 29, 1946
8. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Sept 2, 1946
9. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Sept 8, 1946
10. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Sept 30, 1946
11. Dear Folks, Seoul, Korea, Oct 23, 1946

1. Selective Service Board of Sandusky County, March 21, 1945
2. Dear Vernell [from Mother], Tue evening [April 1945]
3. Dear Vernell [from Mother], April 24, 1945

1. Form for disposition of civilian clothing, 1945
2. Form for mustering out pay, Dec 30, 1946

1. Answers to Questions - Induction Center, 1944

Manuscripts by Subject | U.S. in Wartime