Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Bill Arland papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Bill Arland papers
- Date
- 1943-1945, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Arland, William, 1925-1994
- Extent
- 0.2 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Soldiers -- Correspondence
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0036: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: William Bill Arland papers, 1943-1945, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- William "Bill" Arland (1925-1994) was born in Illinois to William Arland (b. 1901) and Wave Arland (1901-2000); he was the oldest of three children, having two younger sisters, Patricia (1928-2010), and Judith (b. 1938). Arland enlisted in the Army in 1943 and participated in training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Camp Livingston, and Camp San Luis Obispo. He served with the 86th Black Hawk Division during World War II, arriving in France in February 1945, moving into Germany via Dueren and Cologne, and returning to the United States on June 16, 1945. Arland married his first wife, Harriet Josephine Winans (1928-1998), on August 15, 1952 and his second wife, Janet Ann Harris (b. 1933), on November 29, 1979.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The William "Bill" Arland papers (dated 1943-1945, undated; 0.2 cubic feet; 12 folders) comprise 50 letters that detail Arland's experience serving in the Army during World War II. A majority of the letters focus on his experiences while in basic training, illustrating the preparations soldiers went through before being shipped overseas. Arland wrote a memoir of his time in Europe on the back of a map of Germany, describing the devastation the war had caused. Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings about the war and men from Miami County, Indiana who were wounded, killed, or missing in action along with pamphlets relating to an Army IQ test and preparations for demobilization and returning home.
- The William "Bill" Arland papers are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
