The center of this collection is a series of letters sent by Lavern Smith to his parents. All of Lavern’s letters date from before his deployment into combat, and discuss daily activities and concerns at the various camps where he was stationed. In addition to Lavern’s letters, there are letters sent to the Smiths by their nephews Albert Ferguson who served in the army in Belgium and France, and Alva Haigood who also served in Belgium. The collection also contains several letters from Lavern’s girlfriend, Peggy (last name unknown), to his family. Aside from the correspondence there is a reproduction of a book entitled “Combat History of the 79th Inf. Div.” This edition of the book was apparently printed in the war zone with captured German printers due to high demand and limited resources.
