July 20, 1945

This letter is part of the “Anne and Wayne Coloney Collection” at the Florida State Institute on Word War II and the Human Experience. It is from Wayne Coloney, a tank officer stationed in Europe, to his father. The tone of the writing is rather mechanical and the subject matter reflects Wayne’s loss of emotion towards the horrors of war. He mentions that he is bringing back a watch, taken off a “dead kraut.” The term kraut is used often, with an angry and condescending connotation. The only emotion Wayne conveys is anger, complaining that he hasn’t been promoted despite that this letter is to tell his father he is coming home.

Along with the anger in this letter, Wayne also seems to be constructing an emotional distance between him and his loved ones. He had not written them back in months and didn’t want his mother to know of his return. This distancing by those returning from battle is commonly expressed in art, but it is even clearer in this real life example. In this sense, everyday writing provides insight into the emotions of not just an individual but also the collective.

While this piece of everyday writing reflects Wayne’s pain, his story is symbolic of an entire group returning from the war. Even though many faced emotional difficulties, they returned with a sense of determination. Towards the end of the letter, Wayne addresses a question about furthering his education, which he replies that he has stated his plans in previous letters. He is very matter of fact, as if he has it all figured out. Wayne is most likely fairly young and his emotional beginning is align with a younger man. However, the ending of the letter’s firm tone portrays a sense of confidence that has developed overseas. In this piece of everyday writing, we see a young man that has been hurt by the war but also shaped into a better man because of it. None of these concepts are directly mentioned by Wayne but are evident in his everyday communication.