Edward M. Coffman Papers and Photographs
1917-1994
WVM Mss 54
2.0 linear ft. (2 archives boxes, 1 oversize folder, and 6 slide boxes) of papers and 1 folder of photographs.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum
(Map)
Papers and photographs of Edward M. Coffman, who served in the Army during the Korean War and has since become a nationally renowned scholar of American military history. This collection deals exclusively with the civilian portion of his life. Included are letters written to Coffman by Benjamin Morgan, a once and future student who was serving in Vietnam at the time the correspondence took place. Morgan's letters convey the thoughts and concerns of a college-educated American fighting a controversial war in a completely foreign country; his feelings of culture shock are expressed in several letters. He touches upon drug use and sexually transmitted diseases among U.S. soldiers and projects a growing disillusionment with the war. The memorabilia that Morgan sent to Coffman can also be found in the collection, including numerous “Nguyen Charlie” comic strips. There are also seven photographs that he sent to Coffman, including one of himself. The majority of the collection centers on Coffman's career as a military historian. The hard work and research that he put into getting General Lucian Truscott's writings about the American cavalry published are reflected in this collection. Marked-up proofs of several military histories, a student paper about the Wisconsin Civil War soldiers buried in the Union Rest section of Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison, as well as fliers and programs for Coffman's speaking engagements all reflect his prominence in the field. The collection also contains war-related items that Coffman collected through the years, such as the World War I era presentation “Our Boys in France” (manuscript and slides), intended to create public support for the war effort, and glass slides of World War I maps.
English
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