Bernard J. Ward, Edward J. Ward, Robert F. Ward and Thomas P. Ward four brothers from Newington, Connecticut all participated in the armed services during World War II. All the correspondence is directed to Bernard “Bernie” or his wife, Louise. Of the four brothers, Bernie was the last to join the service during World War II and the only one to remain stateside for the duration. Bernie, who when writing to his wife signed his letters “Joe Joe”, joined the Navy in 1943, trained at the Naval Training Station in Sampson, New York, as was then stationed at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut . Eddie joined the Army in 1942 and received his basic training at Ft. McKinley ( Maine ). From there, the correspondence follows his experiences at the Fort Williams Radar School, continued training at Fort Monroe ( Virginia ) and his service in Australia and New Guinea . Robert was also in the Army, but his correspondence follows his service beginning at Fort Jackson ( South Carolina ), Camp Pickett in Virginia, by way of Louisiana and California, before shipping out to active duty in the Philippines . There are references in the letters to his wife, Ann and daughter, Pat who was born in 1944. Thomas Ward trained at the Naval Training Station in Rhode Island before he served in the Philippines on the U.S.S. Lovelace. The majority of the letters were written between 1943 and 1944.
From the guide to the Connecticut Soldiers Collection, Ward Family Papers, undated, 1942-1945, (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center .)
