Connecticut Soldiers Collection, Raymond E. Hagedorn Papers

The collection consists of the personal letters sent and received by Major Raymond E. Hagedorn. Hagedorn corresponded regularly with his wife, and less frequently with friends, during the second World War. The letters provide detailed accounts of his training at Fort Blanding, Florida and Fort Benning, Georgia in 1941, and follow him through his service in the pacific between September 1942 and April 1943. The letters are organized into two groups. The first is comprised of materials he sent to his wife and son, and letters he received from them. The second is comprised of letters sent to him and his wife by friends and relatives, and letters he sent to friends and family.

Hagedorn describes life in the army in detail, and his letters provide a fascinating account of military preparations prior to the war. While training Hagedorn discusses topics such as his living conditions on base, food in the army, other officers and their families, and the monotony of army life. He often inquires as to the nature of life in Manchester, Connecticut, the daily affairs of those at home, and into the well-being of his wife and son. Other topics discussed in his early letters include going to the movies, the weather, the attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR, the Japanese army, Coca-Cola, and often include intimate remarks.

There is a substantial gap in the correspondence between himself and his wife during the period of February 1942 to September 1942. However, based on letters sent to his wife from friends, it appears that he was living with her in Oklahoma during that time period. Their correspondence resumes in September 1942 when he is at Fort Ord, California. In October he leaves the United States for New Zealand. These letters are very upbeat and discuss topics to include food, life in New Zealand, buying souveniers for his family, going to the movies, receiving mail (to include V mail), and the environment. Hagedorn often discusses his movements, but tells his wife where he is in code. He provides humorous details about the environments he encounters, to include squawking birds, swarms of mosquitos, varieties of fruits, and the activities of the native populations.

By early 1943 the letters begin to focus more on his declining health, and the activities he engages in to stay busy. He also spends much more time inquiring about his son and his family. Beginning in February the letters are focused on his leaving the Pacific to return home. It is also around this point that letters from his wife begin to be returned to Manchester, as by the time they arrive he has been sent back to the United States, and it is from this period that the majority of the letters from her survive. From this point forward the majority of his letters describe his time at military hospitals both in and outside of the United States, and the process of medical retirement from the Army. After returning home in June, the correspondence picks up in July and continues to October 1943 at which point it stops all together. The final letters between he and his wife are concerned primarily with his health, and whether he will be returned to duty or retired. The letters provide great detail into medical retirement from the army and life at military hospitals during the second World War.

Also included in the collection are numerous letters between his wife, Gertrude, and her friends. These letters discuss various wartime issues including rationing, their husbands' service, and domestic issues. The letters are comprised primarily of those sent to Gertrude by friends and family, with a large portion being made up of letters from other officers' wives. These letters discuss the various events of the war, and provide a valuable perspective of the war. There are also letters from various doctors detailing her son's health issues.