A Few Notes as I Embark on Transcribing These Letters
Updated Dec. 6, 2011
A few notes on my process for this project.
I’m still working on how I’ll organize the letters on this blog. For now, I expect there will be separate categories for letters from 1943, 1944 and 1945, the years he served. I’ll have a commentary category for comment on specific letters in which I hope to expand or shed more light on the subjects he discusses or background.
Unless otherwise indicated, Babe addresses his letters to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mauro (his father) or directly to his mother, Florence Mauro, or directly to his father. The mailing address is 491 Lexington Avenue, Mount Kisco, N.Y. (Note: They didn’t have ZIP codes in 1943!). I don’t plan to retype the mailing address every time, unless, as I said, he addresses a letter to someone else.
I will henceforth, as you’ve already seen, refer to my uncle as “Babe,” which was his nickname.
When I note the date of a letter or a postcard, my first preference will be to use the date written on the letter itself. If there is no date on the letter, I’ll use the date from the postmark.
I will also fix slight spelling or punctuation errors for the sake of making them easier to read, but I’m going to have to just use my best judgment on that. Generally, I intend to include scans of the actual letters or cards as well.
4 thoughts on “A Few Notes as I Embark on Transcribing These Letters”
As a writer of historical fiction, I am thrilled at having found your blog and full of admiration, respect and appreciation for your efforts. What you are doing will be of immeasurable help to writers and researchers. I am sorry for your family’s loss but so appreciate your willingness to share this slice of “Babe’s” life.
Very truly yours,
Kirby Larson
Ms. Larson, I am remiss in not having responded to your comments here. I am fairly certain I responded by email, but that’s not enough. I’m grateful that you took a few minutes to stop by this spot on the Internet and put a comment here. Perhaps you’d share some of your historical fiction with me if some of what I’ve written inspires you to do so.
My mother was a nurse at 64th general hospital. There are at least two books and one .pdf on line about the 64th general hospital. I took at quick look in old letter and did not see your uncle’s name but of courses the hospital had 1500 beds so the chance was slim. I met many of the nurses over the years and they were truly wonderful women.
Hello, BJ! Thank you for your comment! I’m so thrilled that you found your way to my little corner of the Internet and thought to share a comment. I’ll have to look for those books and documents about the 64th. I’m learning so much about all of this βΒ in part because of comments such as yours.
Best wishes!