How The Other Half Lived

 July 11, 1941, Oshkosh Northwestern

Here's an addendum to our Fourth of July coverage last week, tempered with just the right amount of enthusiasm from a World War II-era soldier, reporting back to his hometown folks.  Such newsy letters were a vital tool in keeping up the morale of the general public, who had graciously allowed the US government to take their young men for the war effort.  Morale officers, as described in the letter, ensured that wholesome activities were regulated and available to the soldiers in their charge, lest the public believe there were no other alternatives than the unsavory elements that tended to proliferate outside the installation gates.