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PIERRE, S.D. – An article about World War II letters written by a staff member of the South Dakota State Historical Society Archives was included in the December 2005/January 2006 issue of La Posta: A Journal of American Postal History.
From Sept. 9, 1942 to Nov. 11, 1945, Steve A. Cihak of Tripp mailed 552 letters to his sweetheart, Mary I. Paul. There are 61 letters in the article, comprising Cihak’s eight months of basic training in the United States, from Sept. 9, 1942 to April 25, 1943. The locations include: FortLeavenworth in Kansas, CampRobinson in Arkansas, Fort Ethan Allen near Burlington, Vt.; a camp in Georgetown, Wash.; FortLewis in Washington, and three letters postmarked from New York – Cihak’s final stateside visit before being shipped overseas to North Africa. The correspondence includes handwritten letters, typewritten letters, v-mail and air mail, postcards and Western Union Telegrams.
“These letters, written to a loved one, reveal the story of a soldier,” Reitzel said. “The correspondence is of immense importance in highlighting not the heroic or the patriotic, but the common everyday occurrences of one man’s life during war. A diary, so to speak, of how soldiers acted, thought, and made their way through a situation that for many could have been better or could have been worse.”
Cihak’s niece, Susan Paul of Tyndall, donated the letters last year to the State Archives, located in the South DakotaCulturalHeritageCenter. All 552 letters, including envelopes, were stored in a 15”x 10”x 7” wooden box which Cihak constructed and mailed to Paul during the war.
Cihak’s letters show some of the day-to-day activities of a World War II soldier. Furthermore, there often appears to be no difference between Cihak the civilian and Cihak the soldier.
“He went to town, saw movies, drank beer, went to church, played with some local kids, had dentist appointments and joked around with his campmates and coworkers,” Reitzel said. “Activities we all experience -- the only difference being Steve was miles away from his home and family back in South Dakota.”
Within the letters are accounts of the people, places and events relating to Cihak’s home.
“As the prototypical South Dakotan, Steve often talked about the weather and crops, both where he was stationed and back home,” Reitzel said. “Other topics covered are local marriages, deaths (both military and otherwise) and other activities of Steve’s family.”
The State Archives frequently receives and retains donated materials of our state’s past such as letters, diaries, journals, photos, maps and other various manuscripts from individuals throughout South Dakota and elsewhere. These materials are stored within the archives’ climate-controlled facilities and are used by professional historians, amateur researchers and genealogists. To inquire about making donations, call (605) 773-3804.
For more information on Steve Cihak’s World War II letters, visit the South Dakota State Archives Web site at www.sdhistory.org/arc/archives.htm or to order a copy of the journal visit the La Posta: A Journal of American Postal History Web site at: www.la-posta.com.
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The South DakotaState Historical Society, an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development, is headquartered at the South DakotaCulturalHeritageCenter in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call (605) 773-3458 or visit www.sdhistory.org for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.