Scrap album of all his WWII correspondence to his sweetheart from an American GI who comments on meeting Gertrude Stein.
1943 - 1945. An album of unusually eloquent correspondence from an American soldier, Sol. A. Lind, to his sweetheart back home from all his locations, spanning the period of his training and combat duty, and concluding with celebrating VE Day on the Champs Elysees, and in September of 1945, meeting Gertrude Stein.
Of Stein Sgt. Lind writes, "Several days back I had the pleasure of listening to Gertrude Stein at an informal gathering in the lounge of our mess-hall. I can report that Miss Stein does not speak as she writes ... Miss Stein loves to talk. ... In making a comparison between the French and Americans, she claimed that we lacked the spiritual strength of the former. She spoke with indignation about our attitude on fraternization. She thought is was shocking the manner in which G. I's made friendly overtures to the German women, and in some cases expressed a preference for the Germans over the English or French ..." Lind met Gertrude Stein through an Army educational program in French at the Paris Study Center, which he enrolled in as a "quasi civilian" before his return home.
This is a carefully organized album detailing the experiences of an articulate American, Sol A. Lind (1907-1990), born in the Bronx, a graduate of New York University, who enlisted as a private and whose initial training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi brought him in contact with his sweetheart and correspondent, Jeannette Priebatsch of Brookhaven, Mississippi. His further training took him to Aberdeen Proving Grounds; a language course at Yale University; Camp Pickett, Va.; Fort George G. Meade, Md., before landing in Europe in September of 1944. The recipient of the letters, Jeannette Priebatsch, (1912- ), was born in Brookhaven Mississippi. In 1932, she was a student at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. While we were not able to trace her in the 1940 US census, there is a Jeannette P. Lind who died in Palm Beach County in 1990, about 8 months after Sol A. Lind died there as well.
Lind goes on to France ("This afternoon Miss Marlene Deitrich entertained the boys") Nov. 14, 1944; Luxembourg (Jan. - March 1945); France again (Lind is promoted to Sergeant and wins expert combat infantryman's badge); Germany; Paris, where he studied French & received a certificate in language from the Army Education Program (July 1945); and finally returns to the US in November of 1945.
Folio album, 64 pp, mostly letters and censored letters; also includes greeting cards, sketches, printed newspaper war maps, telegrams, badge, and b&w photographs. Brown buckram boards with gilt US Army insignia and red, white and blue stars. Cord bound. 12 1/2 x 14 1/2". Some correspondence in the original envelopes with canceled stamps; other correspondence consisting of censored sections of letters, laid down. Very good + condition. Item #21948
Price: $750.00