Brothers Adelbert "Del" Foss (1918-2002) and Richard Foss (born circa 1921) were both musicians, and served together in the U.S. Army during World War II as members of the 4th Armored Division Band. Del played the saxophone, clarinet, and piano; Richard played the baritone horn and trombone. Prior to and following his military service, Del was a teacher in Maine and Connecticut, eventually becoming a school principal.
This collection consists of correspondence of the Foss family of Cumberland Mills, ME. Brothers Richard Foss and Adelbert "Del" Foss, Jr. (1918-2002) served together in the Army during World War II, and the bulk of the collection is their wartime letters to their parents, Adelbert Foss, Sr. and Carrie Foss.
The brothers wrote from a variety of locations where they were stationed with the 4th Armored Division, including Pine Camp (NY), Fort Niagara (NY), Nashville (TN), on desert maneuvers near Indio (CA), Camp Bowie (TX), and overseas (Europe). Their letters describe their experiences of Army life, including housing conditions, food, the communities surrounding the bases, films and live performances, and other entertainment, including a visit to the Hollywood Canteen. They frequently give detailed accounts of the band's performances.
The collection is divided into three series:
Series 1. Adelbert "Del" Foss, Jr. correspondence, 1942-1945. This series is arranged first by correspondent (letters to his parents, and letters to his brother, Richard), and then chronologically.
Series 2. Richard Foss letters to his parents, 1942-1945. This series is arranged chronologically.
Series 3. Other Foss family correspondence, 1941-1949. This series is arranged chronologically. Correspondents include: William Bailey (Superintendent of Public Schools, Baldwin, ME), William Andrews, Carrie Foss, Del Foss, Sr., Lloyd D. Benoit, Tom Russell, Ruth and Raymond, George E. Rogers, and Aunt Annie.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
[Item Description] Foss Family Papers, 1941-1949
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Charles Gardner Shaw donated this collection, along with other materials, to the Washington State University Libraries in 1992 (MS.1992.09, MS.1991.13).
Cheryl Gunselman processed this collection in 2015.
This collection is part of a large group of materials received together. The remaining materials were processed separately:
Charles Gardner Shaw Correspondence Collection (Cage 817) Clara L. Hartung Papers (Cage 818)
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.