Sigh!
Regards,
“There are thousands of old American newspapers and magazines (including military base newsletters, church bulletins, school newspapers, etc.) that are moldering away in libraries and archives or in people’s attics.”
A case in point was a trunk that a widow had that had belonged her husband, who had been on the staff of General George Patton.
Long after her husband died a Patton biographer came to see her looking for information. She had her granddaughter take the man into the attic to “poke through the trunk” to see if he found anything interesting.
On top were the usual things; medals, awards, letters, etc.
Underneath were some soldiers souvenirs like Lugar pistols, nice German binoculars, Nazi flags and so on.
Under THAT was the treasure!
Some notes in a diary book the officer had written during the war.
And THEN...
A complete copy of the Orders of Movement for Third Army. From the day Patton took command until the day he was relieved. The biographer was over the moon! Those Orders would fill in quite a number of holes.
Another note...
When Sgt Bill Guarnere of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division
died in 2014 his family cleaned out his house in preparation of selling it.
When the new owners took possession they noticed a ratty old trunk in the attic.
In it were Sgt Guarnere’s letters from home during the war, souviners from the war, his separation and disability papers and letters he exchanged with men still fighting in Europe.
Fortunately the new owners got in contact with the family and turned the trunk and contents over to them.
How many times has something like that ratty old trunk been thrown away with valuable memorabilia inside.
More times than I like to think about.
There are thousands of old American newspapers and magazines
—
‘Old’ here means anything in print before 1980.