This collection is made up of letters that brothers Edward K. Burdette, Jr. ("Ken"), and Huddleston York Burdette ("York") wrote to their parents during their service in the United States military during World War II. Ken served in the army and York served in the coast guard. Each wrote primarily about their everyday experiences and upcoming assignments.
Ken Burdette wrote the first 5 letters ([June 2, 1942]-August 2, 1943), often commenting on his various instructional assignments and personal news. In his first letter, he asked his father for an opinion on his girlfriend Mary, whom he later married. After his wedding, he occasionally referred to domestic affairs, such as the couple's search for housing near Washington, D.C., and the high cost of living there (September 11, 1942). He also mentioned Mary's sightseeing in New York City (August 2, 1943). In one later letter, which encloses a memorandum with a religious joke, he discussed an upcoming cross-country train trip from San Francisco to Augusta, Georgia (January 25, 1945).
York Burdette wrote 7 letters to his parents from [September 13, 1945]-[October 29, 1945], primarily about life in the coast guard, his friends, and finances. He trained at the United States Coast Guard Training Station in St. Augustine, Florida, and served near New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida. While in Louisiana, he often took leave in New Orleans, though he found it difficult to enjoy the city on a limited budget ([November 13, 1943]). In his final letter, he wrote of the various ships in port for the Navy Day celebrations.
Edward K. Burdette, Jr. ("Ken"), was born on April 25, 1919, and lived with his parents and brother, Huddleston York ("York") (b. September 4, 1925), in Charleston, South Carolina. During World War II, he was a military intelligence instructor for the United States Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Washington, Maryland. He and his wife Mary (1920-1999) married in late 1942 or early 1943. York Burdette studied at Clemson University before joining the United States Coast Guard in 1943. He was stationed near New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida, during the war. Edward K. Burdette, Jr. died on February 28, 1989, and Huddleston York died in November 1977.
