Conditions Governing Use

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

Berdean Hall Letters, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Gary Barranger, class of '73 Law '76.

Content Description

This collection consists of about 50 letters addressed to Berdean Hall, of Newman, California, mostly from her brother, John Hall. Berdean Hall served in World War II as a member of the United States Women's Army Corps, known as WAC. After joining the WAC, Berdean was transferred to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Her brother also served in the United States Army during World War II in the Army Air Corps. Berdean's letters include correspondence from friends serving in the military during World War II. These letters document the conditions of Army hospitals in the United States during World War II, and highlight mixed reactions to women's involvment in the United States military during World War II. The first letter in the collection is hand-dated as 1940; given the accompanying's envelope's postmark date of 1941, this is assumed to be an error.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Gary Alonzo Barranger
• United States. Army. Women's Army Corps
• United States. Naval Reserve. Women's Reserve
• World War, 1939-1945
• World War, 1939-1945--Women