All My Love and a Million Kussies: Letters from the Home Front 1941-1943

Abstract

During the American involvement during World War II, letters held great importance for soldiers abroad. These letters from loved ones not only boosted morale among the troops but told them of what life was like back on the home front, a life many soldiers could not wait to return to. From a historian’s standpoint, these letters paint a picture of what society in America was like for citizens who were not fighting abroad. The following paper will provide insight into American society during World War II and how the life of a Milwaukee housewife, Elizabeth “Betty” Upham, compares to the rest American society through letters that she wrote to her husband, William “Bill” Upham who was a soldier in Europe. Through her letters, an understanding of society, the economy, and descriptions of everyday life were described to Bill and reminded him what life was like back on the home front.