PVT. Henry A. Eckhardt

This collection consists mostly of letters written by Private Henry A. Eckhardt to his girlfriend Marie Jochumsen while he was stationed in France. There are also a few letters written by Marie to Henry, and some to Marie or Henry from others. Henry A. Eckhardt (1890-1962) was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1917, and served with the 162nd Infantry in France as a machine gunner, later he was transferred to the 18th Infantry. Once discharged, Eckhardt and Marie married and lived the rest of their lives in San Francisco, where he worked as a fireman.

The majority of letters were written from France between January 6, 1918 and April 21, 1920. A few of the early letters are dated from 1915 and 1916.