Correspondence, 1943-1945

Abstract

Correspondence from Mandell's service in France and Germany from 1943 to 1945. Includes letters to Mandell's cousins Shirley and Tybe and two letters from Mary Underhill, an Englishwoman whose family 'adopted' Mandell during his stay there, including one composed on V-E Day. Topics include the well-being of family and friends in Detroit, Mandell's resposibilities and daily life, as well as candid discussions of the status of the war, politics in the U.S. and Europe, and the deaths of close friends. Mandell also discusses the experience of witnessing the concentration camps at Buchenwald, Belsen, and Sandbostel, his work with displaced persons, and his recovery from serious non-combat injuries.