Art of War

In addition to oral histories, manuscripts, and photographs, the Veterans History Project also collects creative material, such as paintings, sketches, and cartoons. Much like writing in a journal or composing a letter home, for these veterans, the act of creating art provided a way to capture, articulate, and process what they saw and felt during their service. Whether they used pen, ink, or a camera, the resulting artwork offers a vivid and evocative statement on their individual experience and perspective of war. In all of these collections, the artwork speaks volumes, proving that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

View the blog post related to this online presentation.

View a Story Map related to illustrated envelope collections in the VHP Archive:
The Art of Correspondence

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    personal narrative
    Robert K. Bindig Collection Staff Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Camp Grant, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas; Manila (Philippines); Korea.
    • Contributor: Bindig, Robert K. - Bindig, Robert
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Normand Henry Carleton Collection Technician Five, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Benning, Georgia; Camp Gordon, Georgia; European Theater.
    • Contributor: Bruce Stone - McGuckin, Briana - National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) - Weisel, Robert - Carleton, Normand Henry - Central Connecticut State University
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    David Ray Dresser Collection Technician Five, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Camp Roberts, California; New Caledonia; Manila and Luzon (Philippines).
  • personal narrative
    Joseph George Farris Collection Staff Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Camp Croft, South Carolina; France; Germany; European Theater.
    • Contributor: Farris, Joseph George - Farris, Joseph
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Carl Les Fordahl Collection Specialist Five, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Washington, DC; Germany; Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Fordahl, Carl Les - Hakala, Amanda - Anoka Ramsey Community College
    • Date: 1967
  • personal narrative
    Sumner Grant Collection Private First Class, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Panama; Japan; Pacific Theater.
    • Contributor: Grant, Sumner - Grant, Helen
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Doane Hage, Jr. Collection Staff Sergeant, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - England; St. Nazaire, France; Moosburg, Bavaria, Germany; Krems, Austria.
    • Contributor: U.S. Senate/Richard Lugar - Retta Parsons - Lugar, Richard - Ordner, Larry - National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) - Hage Jr., Doane
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Carl Albin Hall Collection Corporal, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Pacific Theater; Leyte Island (Philippines); Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands).
    • Contributor: Traver, Sheldon - Hall, Carl Albin - Holiday Retirement Corporation
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Charles E. Kavenagh Collection Staff Sergeant, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - European Theater.
    • Contributor: Kavenagh, Charles E. - Hickey, Caroline
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Mimi Lesser Collection Civilian, World War, 1939-1945 - Germany; Czechoslovakia; Paris, France; New York.
    • Contributor: Lesser, Mimi Korach - Lesser, Mimi
  • personal narrative
    Henry Walker McIver Collection Corporal, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Algeria; Italy; France.
    • Contributor: McIver, Henry Walker - McIver, Tom
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Frank Jay Moore, Jr. Collection Lieutenant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Korea; Germany; Spain; Chile; Pacific Theater.
    • Contributor: Moore, Dahrl - Moore Jr., Frank Jay
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Aldo Stephen Panzieri Collection Sergeant, Air Force, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Dreier, David - Sleeth, Keith - U.S. House of Representatives/David Dreier - Panzieri, Aldo Stephen
    • Date: 1966
  • personal narrative
    Joseph V. Parrino Collection Corporal, Army, Cold War - United States.
    • Contributor: Parrino, Joseph - Parrino, Joseph V.
    • Date: 1953
  • personal narrative
    Ralph Reeves Pyle, Jr. Collection Staff Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Pacific Theater; Camp Haan, California; Camp Irwin, California; Hawaii. Staff Sergeant, Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Korea.
    • Contributor: McClain, Patricia - Pyle Jr., Ralph Reeves - Connie J. Parchman - U.S. Senate/Richard Lugar - Lugar, Richard - National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Peter Sanfilippo Collection Private First Class, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - England; North Africa; Sicily; Italy.
    • Contributor: Sanfilippo, Peter
    • Date: 1941
  • personal narrative
    Norman Schatell Collection Gunner's Mate Third Class, Navy, World War, 1939-1945 - United States; Australia; Philippines; Hawaii.
    • Contributor: Schatell, Norman - Schatell, Glenn
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    James Allen Scott Collection Corporal, Marine Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - San Diego, California; Camp Pendleton, California; Camp Elliott, California; Pacific Theater; Solomon Islands; Guam (Mariana Islands); Iwo Jima; Volcano Islands.
    • Contributor: Setterholm, Susan - Scott, James Allen
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Victor Selinsky Collection Technician Five, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Pacific Theater.
    • Contributor: Selinsky, Victor - Hester, Katherine - John Dutton - Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Rsvp) of Sacramento, CA
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Joe Thompson, Jr. Collection Major, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - England; Normandy, France; Belgium; Rhine Valley; Kassel, Germany; Central Germany.
    • Contributor: Thompson Jr., Joe - Nashville Room, Nashville Public Library - Barnickel, Linda
    • Date: 1941
  • personal narrative
    Sidney D. White Collection Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Lexington, Kentucky; Gower Field, Boise, Idaho; Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington; North Africa; China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater.
    • Contributor: White, Sidney - White, Sidney D.
    • Date: 1943