World War II was not always about guts, glory and heroics. It was about the men and women who, without hesitation, answered their country's call to arms. It was about orders, good buddies, lonely hours, fear of a faceless enemy, and an intense desire to make it back home. 190 Letters: A Soldier's Story of World War II tells how one soldier, through his letters, made the life of an Army infantryman become real to his family, eased their fears for his safety and kept them hopeful for his eminent return home. With obvious pride, Elvin Ball often regaled his family with innumerable tales of his service in World War II. Inspired by his father's service and courage in the face of combat, Monte Ball offers readers a real glimpse of war through one soldier's eyes. Through Elvin's letters, readers of all generations will gain a deeper appreciation for anyone in the military whose sacrifices ensure and protect our great liberty. Elvin's story mirrors those of countless soldiers, all of which testify to the endurance of the human spirit. Though their lives may not have been particularly glamorous, their actions—facing various hardships and even death for their beloved country—were heroic and should never be forgotten. From April 18, 1941 to June 13, 1945, Elvin dutifully wrote his parents 190 letters. These letters relate every soldier's longing for home and the hope of going home that so often preserved them.

This book is the story of just one newly graduated nurse told in her own words in her letters home saved by her parents and friends. All these collected letters, repressed memories, and commentary, spell out the details and background for Letters Home. It is one of the few stories of nurses in the Pacific area. In the century’s greatest war, one nurse, one boxful of letters, photos, drawings and documents – and a broken leg at the age of 78, came together here in a warm, honest, sometimes graphic description about a time in history that is slipping from our collective memory. Battles are forever documented, troops heroism is scribed and caught on news clips and film, but the role of nurses has not until recently been well recorded. Nurses too are part of “The Greatest Generation” facing unknown places, unknown dangers, extreme physical discomfort and physical exhaustion. They served alongside America’s finest troops, cared for them when they were sick and injured. They mourned for those who could not make it home. Finally recognized by the opening of the Women’s Memorial in Washington DC, October 1997, are women who served and are serving in the uniform of the United States. They are being honored and remembered for their service in the many branches of the Armed Forces. This book gives a glimpse into the Southwest Pacific area in WWII through the eyes of one nurse who saw and recorded how it was.

Over 200 references to literature about the Anga people of New Guinea. Covers mostly journal articles and books published 1901-1972 in English, German, and French. Besides Introduction, entries arranged by authors under Ethnology, anthropology, and history; Linguistics; and Medicine and physical anthropology. Appendix consists of census units of various linguistic groups. 2 maps.

A collection of personal letters from overseas that reveal in day-to-day detail what it was like to serve in World War II. Recounting victory and defeat, love and loss, this is a remarkable and frank collection of World War II letters penned by American men and women serving overseas. Here, the hopes and dreams of the greatest generation fill each page, and their voices ring loud and clear. “It’s all part of the game but it’s bloody and rough,” writes one soldier to his wife. “Wearing two stripes now and as proud as an old cat with five kittens,” remarks another. Yet, as many countries rejoiced on V-E Day, this book reveals that soldiers were “too tired and sad to celebrate.” Filled with the everyday thoughts of these fighters, the letters are by turns heartbreaking and amusing, revealing and frightening. While visiting a German concentration camp, one man wrote, “I don’t like Army life but I’m glad we are here to stop these atrocities.” Meanwhile, in another letter a soldier quips, “I know lice don’t crawl so I figured they were fleas.” A fitting tribute to all veterans, this book brings the experience of war—its dramatic horrors, its dreary hardships, its desperate hope for a better future—to vivid life. “An intimate portrait of the mundane and remarkable, of heroism and terror, of friendship and loss . . . Timely, compelling, and important reading.”—Matthew L. Basso, author of Men at Work