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World War II letters from Atlantic Union College student soldiers
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The world war II was the most unexpected and impressive war of all times involving more than 100 countries around the world. The United States was the first country from the Americas to joined to the war in december 1941 after a massive atacck to Pearl Harbor from the Japanesse military forces. It was in this time, where thousands of young people from all over the nation were recruted and enlisted to fight in one of the most bloody war of all times. As soon as the president Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war to the Axis powers many College students were forced to dismiss from their studies and leave to battle "for the love of the nation." This time of war was one of the most difficult times for the Atlantic Union College, not only because of the desertion of its many students, but because many of them died in the battles, were prisioners, and/or missings in the line of duty. One of the most precious collection that the Atlantic Union College, G.Eric Jones Library holds in its archives are the letters from student soldiers who serving into the U.S. Army forces during the world war II, never lost contact with the college, rather, their spirits and prayers were always connected to the institution who loved them more than just regular sudents but like real sons of God. The Atlantic Union College, G. Eric Jones library wants to proudly present part of the collection of letters of those brave students who in the line of duty not only honored their uniforms of battle but their christian values in times where their faith was truly tested. G. Eric Jones By 1936 after the former president of the Atlantic Union College acepted an invitation to join the faculty of Union College, G. Eric Jones succeeded him as a president. He was a polished gentleman who worked before as an educator in the India and at Washington Missionary College. When G. Eric Jones arrived to South Lancaster he was impressed by the reputation of the college gained throughout the years. He himself was determined to improve the image of the college. Jones convictions about leadership and equality of rights gained great respect among his fellow students. Many of them recognized him as a truly christian leader of the nineteenth century. His love for the students literally exceed frontiers who during the World War II never lost contact with them. From 1938 throughout 1948, the time where G. Eric Jones was president of the Atlantic Union College, he always kept his convictions on the truly service to which he was called. Many plans to expand the college programs were harshly tested by during his administration. His plans included to acquire a more spacious campus and contruct new buldings for new programs offered in the upcoming years. On September 21, 1938, just few months where new buildings were constructed, a hurrican with winds up to 115 miles an hour lashed into the town South Lancaster, Massachusetts. Some building were damage but no life was perished. The next years when new programs were implemented and the college increased its number of students, a second trial for the Jones administration ocurred. The outbreak of the second World War slowed the implementation of the programs and the number of the students who drafted from the college increased. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the school knew that everybody had to be prepared for the longest war in the planet and its consequences. On September 17, the college formed a medical corps for the students. The training that it provided was considerable benefit to members who later served in the armed forces. In 1941, when American joined to the war, more than 100 students enrolled to the American army; by that time, the former president of the Atlantic Union College, G. Eric Jones, had already provided a plan of teching acceleration, so students can graduate before they went to the war. His lovely personality and dedication for his students made him to gain respect not only from the college but from the whole Lancaster community. Jones, usually during college meetings(chapel services), read the letters that students soldiers sent to him and to the rest of the AUC community. Hundreds of letters were personally sent to the soldiers wherever they were from the president G. Eric Jones as well. Later, as an appreciation of his loyalty to his christian values and his support to the students in time of war, the library of the Atlantic Union College adopted his name. Soldiers Gallery See Also
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