By Sarah Osorio and Leah Booth
Collection Overview
Title: Letters to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945
Predominant Dates:1943-1944
ID: 001/01/MSS 2018-025
Creator: Sawyer, Elmarine Feagle (1914-1993)
Extent: 5.0 Boxes
Arrangement: Letters from Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. are arranged in chronological order. Letters by other authors are arranged alphabetically by correspondent, then chronologically.
Date Acquired: 06/18/2018
Languages: English [eng]
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Primarily love letters written by Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer in 1943-1945 during his service in the United States Army in World War II. The letters document Sawyer's persistent love for his girlfriend/fiancée/wife while chronicling his everyday life as a serviceman at Washington, D.C.; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Ord, California; the South Pacific; and the Philippines.
The collection also includes letters to Elmarine from her friends, family, coworkers, in-laws, and past love interests, written between 1942 and 1945. There is one letter and a Father's Day card written by Elmarine to her father in 1942, prior to his death on July 1. There are also three letters written to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. and a booklet providing a history of the 176th Infantry up to July 1943.
Biographical Note
Verous Elmarine Feagle Sawyer was born on June 19, 1914 in Lake City, Florida. During World War II, she worked in payroll for the United States Army in the Chief of Engineers office. She married Herman David Sawyer, Jr. (1919-1991) first during an elopement when she visited him at Fort Benning, Georgia between August 11-15, 1943. She married Sawyer second on March 22, 1944 in South Mills, North Carolina. She married Sawyer a third time on June 7, 1947 in Suffolk, Virginia. Sawyer was a member of the Ladies of Disabled American Veterans. She died on December 7, 1993 in Norfolk, Virginia and was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions:
This collection is open to all researchers.
Use Restrictions:
The status of copyright for these materials is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.). Copyright restrictions may apply.
Acquisition Source:
American Legion Post 327 by donation
Preferred Citation:
Letters to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, MSS 2018-025, Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library, Norfolk, Virginia.
Processing Information:
Processed November 17, 2022.
Box and Folder Listing
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 January-February
- PFC Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
- Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 March-April
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 May
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 June
- CPL Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 July
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 August 3-10
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 August 16-31
- Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 September
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 October
- Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 November
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 December
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 January
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 February
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 March
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 April
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 May
- Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 June
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 July
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 August
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 September
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 October
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 November
- Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 December
- Folder 9: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 January
- Folder 10: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 February
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 March
- SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
- Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 April
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 May
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 June
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 July
- S/SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 August
- T/SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 September
- Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 October
- Folder 9: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 November 7
- Includes photographs.
- Folder 10: Correspondence, Eunice Mae Feagle Brown to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944
- Folder 11: Correspondence, Juanita Geraldine Brown to Elmarine Sawyer, 1943 April
- Folder 12: Greeting Cards, Emily C. to Elmarine Feagle, circa 1943
- Folder 13: Correspondence, Leo P. Crandon to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 July 27
- Folder 14: Correspondence, Elmarine Feagle to L. J. Feagle, 1942 June 18
- Includes a Father's Day card from Elmarine to her father in addition to a letter detailing Elmarine's life in Washington, D. C.
- Folder 15: Correspondence, Joseph E. Gay to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 March - 1943 June
- Folder 16: Correspondence, Loca Ruth Feagle Gay to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944
- Folder 17: Correspondence, Raymond D. Gay to Elmarine Feagle, 1942-1943
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Lauretta Hightower to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943-1944
- Folder 2: Correspondence, Paul Kanstoroom to Verous E. Feagle, 1943 June 16, 1944 June 16
- Folder 3: Correspondence, Lorine Bernice Feagle Pulis to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Estella S. Pulis to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 June 19, December
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Beverly Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944
- Folder 6: Correspondence, Harvey Lee Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 April 19
- Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Sr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944
- Folder 8: Correspondence, Melvin A. Sawyer to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944
- Folder 9: Correspondence, Rufus S. Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 June
- Folder 10: Correspondence, Ruth Sawyer to Elmarine Feagle, 1944
- Folder 11: Correspondence, William A. Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 May
- Folder 12: Correspondence, Mattie Susan Smith to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 June 19
- Folder 13: Correspondence, George B. Stanton to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 January-September
- Folder 14: Correspondence, Warren A. Zeh to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 December - 1945 April
- Folder 15: Correspondence, Lillian Zelnick to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943-1944
- Folder 16: Correspondence, Gertie to Elmarine Feagle, 1943
- Folder 17: Birthday Cards, The 'Gals' / 'Payrolls' to Elmarine, 1943-1944
- Folder 18: Christmas Cards to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 December
- Folder 19: Correspondence, Miscellaneous Individuals to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945
- Folder 20: Correspondence, George A. Bridgers to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr., 1944 July 31
- Folder 21: Correspondence, Emily C. to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr., 1943
- Folder 22: Booklet, One Hundred Seventy-Sixth Infantry, A Brief History, 1943 July
- Folder 23: Blank Cards, circa 1942-1945