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Student writing contest on World War II ends Nov. 20

Student writing contest on World War II ends Nov. 20

(Photo courtesy Legacy Washington) Washington students in grades 8 through 11 have until Nov. 20 to take part in an essay and letter-writing contest about World War II. The competition, sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Washington program, asks students to either write a letter to a veteran (living or deceased) or an essay describing what World War II means to them. “This is a great opportunity for students interested in World War II or who had…

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Writing contest on World War II under way

Writing contest on World War II under way

(Photo courtesy of Legacy Washington) To help mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Washington students in grades 8 through 11 are invited to take part in an essay and letter-writing contest. The competition, sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Washington program, asks students to either write a letter to a veteran (living or deceased) or an essay describing what World War II means to them. “This is a great opportunity for students…

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Secretary Wyman honors our Greatest Generation vets

Secretary Wyman honors our Greatest Generation vets

Marine veteran Clayton Pitre speaks at the launch ceremony for a new exhibit focusing on Washingtonians who served in World War II. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Helle) Marking the 70th anniversary of VJ Day that ended World War II, the Secretary of State has launched a new exhibit that features GIs in some of the most vicious fighting of the conflict, survivors of the Nazi death camps and minorities who encountered racism during the war. A dozen stories take visitors…

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Wyman speaks at event marking end of World War II

Wyman speaks at event marking end of World War II

Secretary Wyman speaks at the “Spirit of ’45” event marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Photos courtesy of Benjamin Helle) Secretary of State Wyman joined a handful of World War II veterans, officials with the state Department of Veterans Affairs and others during a special ceremony Friday morning at the state’s World War II Memorial to mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end. World War II ended on August 14, 1945, when Japan surrendered….

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Latest WWII profile on our own`Rosie the Riveter’

Latest WWII profile on our own`Rosie the Riveter’

The latest World War II profile by our Legacy Washington team focuses on a 92-year-old Olympia resident who is one of the last of about 15,000 women who worked in Boeing’s Seattle factories during the war. Regina Sawina Tollfeldt worked eight hours a day, seven days a week during the peak of the war, wriggling through the wing jigs for the B-17s leaving Plant No. 2 at a rate of a dozen a day. Tollfeldt’s job was to drill the…

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Dr. Seuss booklet from World War II tops Library Jewels poll

Dr. Seuss booklet from World War II tops Library Jewels poll

(Image courtesy of Washington State Library) February’s State Library Jewels poll proved what any kid will tell you – it’s hard to beat Dr. Seuss. A booklet written by the famed author (known back then as Theodore Geisel) for World War II servicemen about the dangers of contracting malaria ran away with the poll, receiving 65 percent of the vote. Finishing second with 30 percent was the collection of Washington Territory volunteer papers. A book of Valentine’s Day-themed poems took…

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Library Jewels poll is open, so vote!

Library Jewels poll is open, so vote!

It might now be March, but we’re thinking about February when it comes to our State Library Jewels blog series. After displaying February’s three Library Jewels last week, we’ve opened the online poll so you and others can choose your fave. The first Library Jewel is a hand-pressed book of romantic and Valentine’s Day-themed poems from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ted Kooser. The second is a collection of Washington Territory volunteer papers from 1854 to 1861. The third and final jewel…

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Archives treasure #2: Pearl Harbor telegrams

Archives treasure #2: Pearl Harbor telegrams

Dec. 7 marked the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor and other American military installations nearby. A day after the attack in Hawaii, the United States declared war on Japan. Starting just hours following the Pearl Harbor attack, Washington Gov. Arthur Langlie received a series of telegrams from the U.S. War Department. These telegrams are the second Archives treasure for December. Archives treasures is a monthly blog feature in which we…

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May Archives treasure #2: Japanese internment records

May Archives treasure #2: Japanese internment records

One of the most controversial occurrences stateside during World War II was the internment of Japanese Americans following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The State Archives has a collection of documents related to internment of Washingtonians of Japanese descent. This collection is the second item featured for May’s Archives treasures online poll. These records come from the Washington State Planning Council’s War and Post-War Planning Files, 1942-1945. The record series includes surveys and plans pertaining…

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