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A Soldier Called Keith (typescript) by Keith Winston
Keith Winston, a native Philadelphian, was born in 1912. When World War II broke out, he was a married to Sarah and the couple had two young sons: Neil and David. As an older married man, Winston was not drafted until 1944. On 25 March 1944, he was inducted into the Army and shipped to Camp Blan...
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| Collection: | A Soldier Called Keith (typescript) By Keith Winston |
| Collection Number: | Am.19105 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Physical Description: |
0.2 Linear feet ; 1 box |
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The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
Keith Winston, a native Philadelphian, was born in 1912. When World War II broke out, he was a married to Sarah and the couple had two young sons: Neil and David. As an older married man, Winston was not drafted until 1944. On 25 March 1944, he was inducted into the Army and shipped to Camp Blanding, Florida for basic training. After basic, he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for reassignment. In August 1944, he was allowed a brief furlough to visit family in Philadelphia before returning to Fort Meade. Once there, Winston was assigned to Battalion Headquarters, 398th Infantry Regiment, a part of the 100th Infantry Division.
The 100th Infantry was a new division activated in 1942 under Commanding General Withers A. Burress; it consisted of three regiments: 397, 398, 399. This Infantry had been training since its inception and was winding up preparations for deployment to Europe when Winston was assigned as a Medic attached to the 398th. In a letter sent home on 23 September 1944, he told Sarah: “It’s ironical they put me in the Medical Detachment, without a single day of training. I spoke to the Lt. about my predicament – my reaction to blood, . . .” In October 1944, Keith Winston and the 100th left for Marseille, France. Once there, the 100th became part of the Seventh Army under Lt. General Alexander M. Patch.
This collection titled “A Soldier Called Keith” is a typescript of the letters Keith Winston wrote to his wife Sarah Winston. They begin on 25 March 1944 and end on 21 November 1945. The letters are in chronological order and read like a novel. Winston has a keen eye for details; in many ways, his story is the story of thousands of soldiers from World War II. He expresses his frustration with illogical military maneuvers, praises the riflemen and notes how grateful he is to be a medic, compliments the chefs who produce decent meals under trying conditions, details furloughs to places like Paris on less than ideal trains, expresses every soldier’s boredom at the end as he counts points and awaits transport home. The letters have been edited by Sarah Winston, and in 1985, were published as a novel titled V-Mail: Letters of a World War II Combat Medic.
Keith Winston served in Europe until the end of the War. On 17 May 1945 after VE Day, he could write more freely. He told Sarah: “Now I’m able to tell you that we’re located close to Stuttgart. . . . Speaking of whether or not my job is considered combat – you can bet your stars it is. Now that danger is over I can . . . tell you I consider myself a very lucky guy in not getting killed. Rarely did a day pass that it couldn’t have happened.” Keith Winston received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered and a Bronze Star. He left France in late November 1945 and was discharged on 10 December 1945. |