Saturday-April 27, 1944 Letter to Hope Bespalow

Saturday-April 27, 1944 Letter to Hope Bespalow

health issues

This is a PDF of a letter from the Special Collections section of the University of Memphis Library. Lieutenant Merrill Dan writes a letter to Hope Bespalow, who is a college student at the University of Wisconsin. They were both natives of Memphis, Tennessee. The letter is handwritten and written on April 27, 1944. Merrill writes the letter on a thin white piece of paper and he writes in cursive. In the letter, Merrill speaks of common issues such as a stomach ache and seeing a doctor. He also speaks of going to the dentist to receive a gold implant for a tooth. He claims of the military doctors taking a long time to get it all done. This was also Dan’s first time using what he referred to as ‘dope’. The letter was written while Dan was still within the United States. He was later sent overseas to fight during World War II. Throughout these letters, Hope and Merrill will fall in love and eventually get married within the ending of the letters. He addresses the letter as “Dearest Hope” and writes on the edge that it is Saturday. In this letter, they seem to be just beginning to converse through letters. He speaks of it being ‘swell’ to have received her letter.

Dan, Merrill

Hope and Merrill Dan Papers Box 1, Folder 2 MSS 274

The University of Memphis Libraries

April 27, 1944

Digital Image © 2016, University of Memphis Libraries Preservation and Special Collections Department. All Rights Reserved.

PDF