This collection consists of approximately 152 letters, covering the period from August 10, 1942 to April 9, 1945.

WRITER: Leach, Saidee R.
Location: Rhode Island
Relation to Recipient: Mother
Ethnicity: Not identified
Socio/Econ Circum.: Professional - Misc.

RECIPIENT: Douglas Leach
Location: Central Pacific
Military Branch: Navy
Rank first letter: Ensign
Rank last letter: Ensign

Saidee R. Leach of Edgewood, Rhode Island regularly corresponded with her son, Douglas, who served on the USS Elden which operated primarily out of the Central Pacific. During the war Saidee worked at the British War Relief Society in Providence and often wrote letters to her son from this location. Saidee's husband, Arthur E. Leach, had a small jewelry business in Providence and also was a volunteer air raid warden during the war years.

Saidee's letters to her son are filled with information about food and fuel shortages, rationing, air raid drills and her work at the British War Relief Society. As a member of the Calvary Baptist church, she also wrote about special religious services held in honor of those in the service.

Douglas Leach was born in Providence on May 27, 1920. He graduated from Brown University in 1942. After his discharge from the Navy in 1946 he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to finance his graduate education and received his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University in 1952. He taught at Bates and Vanderbilt and retired in 1986. In 1987, his book, Now Hear This : the memoir of a junior naval officer in the great Pacific war, was published. Douglas Leach died on July 1, 2003.

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Letters from 1943

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated June 01, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 24, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 17, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 11, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 10, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 03, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated May 01, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated April 20, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated April 15, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 29, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 23, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 15, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 12, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 05, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated March 01, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated February 16, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated February 9, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated February 5, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated January 27, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated January 18, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated January 11, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated January 4, 1943, Saidee R. Leach

Letters from 1942

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated December 31, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated December 28, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated December 21, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated December 15, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 29, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 24, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 19, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 12, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 06, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated November 03, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated October 26, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated October 22, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated October 15, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated October 6, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 29, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 23, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 21, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 12, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 9, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated September 7, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated August 28, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated August 24, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated August 18, 1942, Saidee R. Leach

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Letter Written by Saidee R. Leach to her Son, Navy Ensign Douglas Leach, Dated August 10, 1942, Saidee R. Leach