Armed Conflicts & the Military in the Special Collections Research Center

This collection consists of a notebook and pamphlets used by draft counselors at William and Mary, newspaper articles about the draft and the counseling service, and a short review of the activities and history of the service during the Vietnam War.

The University Archives Audiovisual Collection is an artificial collection of various audio and visual formats documenting the College of William and Mary campus, events, people, etc. Includes videos of a number of panels and conferences about the war in Vietnam. See staff for assistance.

The collection includes various image formats documenting campus locales, people, and events including school activities, plays and musicals, organizations, athletics, homecoming, and other typical campus scenes. Includes photographs of Student Protests, 1960s, Student Protests, 1970s, and Student Protests--Teach In, May 7, 1970.

Some files include information about the Vietnam Conference in 2000.

Collection is stored off-site. Please see staff for assistance. Papers, 1921-1967, of A. Willis Robertson, U. S. Congressman and Senator from Virginia. Chiefly his senatorial office files, 1946-1966. Robertson was a conservative Democrat, serving at the same time as Harry F. Byrd, Sr. Subjects in the collection include national defense, agriculture, taxation, banking, government employees, the Moral Rearmament movement,anti- Communism, Vietnam, segregation, wildlife conservation, national parks, the humane slaughter of animals and the humane treatment of research animals.

Professor James A. Bill is the Wendy and Emery Reves Professor of International Studies for the Department of Government at the College of William & Mary. His papers includes numerous documents on the war in Vietnam. See staff for assistance.

This collection is composed of letters written by Fred Pernert of the U.S. Army to his girlfriend and family while stationed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Letters discuss his job, the activity within his Division, a USO performance, Viet Cong attacks, deaths of friends and his friendship with a local Vietnamese family. Letters also show his growing feelings for his girlfriend, Connie Sleamon. A photograph album includes pictures of his buddies and shows the activities around his camp, which is a MARS station (Military Affiliate Radio System). The collection also includes a box of 20 insignia pins, 9 uniform stripes and badges, 3 slides, 1 signal mirror in a canvas sleeve, 1 cardboard box with description “dyed canvas case maintenance equipment M16A1 rifle.” These artifacts are stored separately.

This collection consists of letters, 1966-1968, written by U.S. Army Private First Class Stan Skalski to his fiancee Caren Brereton in Philadelphia, as well as biographic material. Earlier letters concern Skalski's basic training at Fort Jackson, Georgia and Fort Gordon, Georgia, and later his airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Skalski describes various training exercises and his overall acclimation to army life, but also writes at length about personal matters. He frequently mentions family members and mutual acquaintances in Philadelphia, as well as wedding plans. Letters written during Skalski's service in Vietnam describe the activities of his patrol near the Phan Rang Air Base, located in then South Vietnam. Skalski discusses guard duty on base and encounters with the Viet Cong in the surrounding area.

Letters, 1968-1969, of Michael Dennis Hoffman, a Private First Class in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. The first letters describe Hoffman's training, including shifts on guard duty, combat training, and equipment. During training he is stationed at Fort Lewis and Yakima Firing Center, both in Washington. Hoffman is then sent to Vietnam and the letters from 15 June 1969 until the last letter, 25 August 1969, are sent from there.

Letters, 1968-1972, of the Brzezicki family of Quakerstown, Pennsylvania, including 71 of Daniel Brzezicki's letters home during his time in the Marine Corps (1968-1970). Daniel's letters begin with his training at Parris Island, South Carolina starting in May 1968, and continue through his service. He spent most of his service years at Camp Pendleton, California, and then, beginning roughly in March of 1969, at an I-Corps ammo dump approximately 10 miles north of Da Nang in Vietnam. The collection also contains six letters from Daniel's brother Michael in the Navy (1970-1972), six letters from their sister Katie B. Place in Lawton, Oklahoma, (1968-1969), 75 condolence cards from various people to the Brzezicki family upon Daniel's death in 1972, and miscellaneous items.

This collection is composed of letters from B.R. Bramlett to his wife written while on active duty with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, 1966-1967. Topics include everyday concerns for his family at home, and descriptions of his military duties. In describing racial tensions between the black and white American troops Bramlett labels the black troops repeatedly as 'trouble makers'. In each letter he expresses his love and devotion to his wife and children, and often writes about worrying that he has left his wife with difficult responsibilities, such as getting the car fixed, dealing with household problems, and caring for two young children. The collection includes some letters to Bramlett from his wife, who frequently reassures him that she and the children are doing well. In several June 1967 letters, Bramlett advises his wife on paperwork regarding her pending United States citizenship. See staff for assistance.

Letters between William C. Bliss, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, and his wife, Leslie Hill Bliss of Berkley, Michigan during the Vietnam War time period. Concerns their son, Bill, the Marine service of William C. Bliss and family life at home. Includes letter from Leslie Bliss’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hill, to William C. Bliss.

Correspondence between Strout family members during World War II and the Vietnam War. The Strout family lives in Milbridge, Maine. Includes certificates and publications from each era. Herbert C. Strout, WWII, was stationed in Germany at the close of the war. Jerry L. Stout, Vietnam War, was a member of the 132nd Assault Support Helicopter Company and served two tours. The World War II correspondence was accessioned as Mss. Acc. 2008.23 and the Vietnam War material was accessioned as Mss. Acc. 2008.22. Both are grouped under 2008.22.

Letters written from Vietnam in 1970 by Roger Hicks, Co. B, 4th Engineers Battalion to Shirley Ann Crook of Baltimore, Maryland.

3 letters written by Ronald P. Miner, while on duty in Vietnam with the 560th MP Co. to Michele Egnot at James Madison College, Harrisonburg, Virginia, February to May, 1969. The letters are mostly of a personal nature, but Miner also describes the arrest of a AWOL and being shot at while on patrol by a GI who was carrying illegal drugs.

Papers, circa 1960s-1970s, of the Bristow Family of Middlesex County, Virginia. Includes letters written to Joseph Christian Bristow, Jr., while at the University of Richmond and letters written to him while serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. The primary correspondent is Kitty Major, of Stormont, Virginia, who seems to be in a relationship with Bristow for most of their correspondence. Topics include Major's daily activities, events happening in Stormont and Urbanna, marriages, local gossip, and Bristow's lack of communication with Major, among other items. Other correspondents include Kitty Major's sister, Deborah Major, Bristow's parents, people with whom Bristow went to the University of Richmond, and other solidiers, among others. Included is a card mentioning the protests against the war in Vietnam.

Collection of letters, October 1968, written to Craig White, a terminally ill patient in the Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts by members of the armed forces mostly serving in Vietnam. Craig White's story was in the Armed Services paper which let people know that he was saving postcards and letters as a hobby while in the hospital. Many of the letters describe areas in Vietnam where the soldier was stationed and explain their jobs.

Letters, 1963-1966, of Raymond Vincent to a woman named June. He is training on Kessler Air Force Base in Mississippi. Vincent is also a drummer and mentions that the gets his own room because of it. He also mentions in the last letter that his orders have been cancelled.

Papers collected by Anthony Esler concerning youth revolts of the 1960s and 1970s. Most of collection pertains to the anti-Vietnam War movement. Includes notes, writings, flyers, radical newspapers (university and national) as well as protest buttons. Some of the material included concerns activities at William and Mary.

This collection includes audio recordings and a paper by Mark Wurzbacher related to student political activities circa 1969. The paper is entitled "A Comparative Study on the Origin and Development of Political Beliefs and Attitudes in Student Liberal Activists and Student Conservatives (using samples from the Students for Liberal Action and the Young Americans for Freedom at the College of William and Mary in Virginia)". Groups referenced related to the peace movement and include Students for Liberal Action and Young Americans for Freedom. The audio recordings include reel-to-reel tapes and audio cassette tapes of an interview given by Mr. Wurzbacher. Topics covered include Vietnam, Young Americans for Freedom, and Communism.

Papers of the Reverend Cotesworth P. Lewis of Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, Va. More than one-half of the collection consists of letters written to Lewis relating to a sermon he gave 12 November 1967 with President Lyndon B. Johnson in the congregation. Lewis questioned United States policy in Vietnam. Most of the letters in the collection are favorable to Lewis' sermon. The rest of the collection consists of other sermons, 1938, 1947-1995 (1200 sermons), eulogies given by Lewis; church bulletins and other church materials. Additions include more sermons, retirement material, correspondence and material on Bruton Parish and the Southern Diocese of Virginia.

This collection includes material created by and for unofficial student activities including pep rallies for the football team, coffee houses, and anti-war protests. The material is usually in the form of fliers and notices.

This collection contains the diaries, correspondence, and biographic material of Maude M. (Mathas) Presslor (1898-1972) of Montezuma, Indiana from 1913-1970. Earlier papers and material relate to Presslor's life as a teenager and young adult during the World War I period. Letters from friends serving in France and a baby book detailing the early years of her three children, Betty Jean (Presslor) Montgomery, Frank Richard Presslor, and David Lowell Presslor, date from this period. Later papers and material from the World War II period include letters from her sons serving in the armed services as well as diary entries and newspaper clippings concerning major events of the conflict, such as the first use of atomic weapons. Post-war papers and material focus more on her family life and the activities of her children and grandchildren.