This collection is made up of 56 letters that Pharmacist's Mate Norman C. Stewart wrote to his girlfriend and later wife, Dorothy Seltzer of Norristown, Pennsylvania, about his experiences in the United States Navy during World War II. Stewart served at the United States Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island; in Oakland, California; and in the Pacific Theater. One letter by Norman's mother Katie and two school essays by Norman's brother Mervin complete the collection.
Stewart's correspondence concerns his navy service in Rhode Island, California, and the Pacific Theater from April 12, 1942-October 27, 1945. Only 1 letter from 1944 is present. Stewart discussed his work in a hospital laboratory while at Newport, and training maneuvers while at Alameda, California.
From February 1945-October 1945, Stewart commented on his travels in the Pacific, such as visits to Hawaii and Guam. His leisure activities included reading, attending football games, and seeing movies. Stewart's later letters concern the discharge process and his anticipated return to civilian life. Throughout his military service, he wrote of his love for Dorothy.
Mervin Stewart, Norman's brother, wrote 2 school essays in September 1943: "Verbal vs. Chemical Poison," about Axis propaganda, and "Country versus City Life." Stewart's teacher made brief remarks on each essay with a red pencil.
Norman C. Stewart was born on March 3, 1917, the son of Katie D. Stewart. He had two brothers, Sander and Mervin. Stewart enlisted in the United States Navy before April 1942, and worked in a laboratory at the United States Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1943 and 1944, he trained at Alameda, California, and at the hospital corps school in Portsmouth, Virginia. He served in the Pacific Theater in 1945, assisting with air evacuations from and between overseas and domestic bases, and was discharged in October.
Stewart married Dorothy H. Seltzer of Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1943, and the couple had two daughters: Beth and Nancy. He died on April 6, 2008.