In the first half of the twentieth century, the world went to war twice. Nations around the globe found themselves embroiled in conflict, and that destruction was felt on a very individual level. Americans took part in the fighting, and the diversity of American culture, across state boundaries, allows the Center for American War Letters Archives to take a look at specific examples.

Correspondence and memorabilia, documents and photographs have been selected from soldiers that served in the First and Second World Wars that were either California natives or came to call this state home and make their mark as Californians. In this new exhibit, husbands write to wives from overseas, fathers write to their sons in far off lands, and a sense of home is discussed to bring comfort.

A focus is placed on the home front and the family that remained behind while soldiers left to fight, as well as those who were stationed in one of California’s many military installations, sometimes not far from their families. Of note, there is also a highlight of Charles Stanley Chapman’s correspondence with his father, Charles C. Chapman who founded Chapman University. First Lieutenant C.S. Chapman served during the First World War with a field artillery battery and his words home were as inspiring as the love that was expressed by his father.

Please join the Center for American War Letters Archives in honoring these Californians and see their legacy in the form of this engaging and informative exhibit.