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The following story appears courtesy of and with thanks to Walter and Bill McElvain.

Walter McElvain was drafted and inducted into the U.S. Army at Bloomington, Indiana in 1943. In 1944 he was sent overseas. Private McElvain had a degree in journalism from Indiana University, where he had been a member of Sigma Delta Chi honorary fraternity, Delta Chi social fraternity and captain of the IU mens tennis team. In civilian life he was a newspaperman in Bloomington. A soldier with the Army's 44th Infantry Division, Signal Company, he wrote letters home describing his experiences in the Allied invasion of France and Germany. Walter disliked the army and his letters complain about rain, mud, cold, loneliness, and homesickness. He also complained about the lack of freedom as a soldier in World War Two --- freedom of expression, freedom of movement. He told about the army censors who had to review his letters before they could be mailed home. Because of censorship, most of his letters contained little information, discussing weather and personal matters. Nevertheless, I found some interesting letters, and after a few months the army began to lift censorship as it was apparent the Allies were winning the war.
Bill McElvain

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