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Albert and Frank Dietrich Collected Papers

 Collection — othertype: CDG-A
Identifier: SCPC-CDG-A-Dietrich correspondence

Abstract

Collection consists of correspondence between the two brothers and their letters to their parents and to Frank's wife, Christine; topics include war, peace, patriotism, daily life in the army and Civilian Public Service, and arguments about the use of military force and pacifist nonviolence in the face of Nazi Germany and expansionist Japan; Frank's letters from the Philippines offer descriptions of life there, and the challenges of wartime marriages and parenthood.

Dates

  • 1939-1946, 1988-1998
  • Majority of material found within 1939-1946

Creator

Language of Material

Materials are in English.

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research without restrictions.

Biographical / Historical

Albert Giles Dietrich; Frank Ryall Dietrich; identical twins, born 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; during World War II, Albert, a pacifist, was a conscientious objector who spent two years building dams, working on hookworm eradication projects, performing emergency farm labor, and training COs for overseas relief work at Civilian Public Service camps; Frank was drafted into the Army Air Forces and trained as a radio operator, and was shipped to the Philippines in 1945, where as a sergeant in the Fifth Air Force he prepared for the invasion of Japan.

Extent

1.04 Linear Feet (12.5 linear inches.)

Publications About Described Materials

The correspondence of Albert and Frank Dietrich formed the basis for the book, Army GI, Pacifist CO, edited by Scott H. Bennett (New York: Fordham University Press, 2005).
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Swarthmore College Peace Collection Library

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