ALBA Visit #4

The last folder of George Boehm’s letters to Sylvia was a faster read than the first two, because, although there were a total of 28 letters (spanning January to July 1938), they were generally more brief and to the point.

It turns out that Sylvia’s correspondence continued to grow less frequent, which distressed George. Nonetheless, he continued writing faithfully, and did not really question the lack of letters from her. As far as I can tell, there is no explanation for her minimal correspondence, which leaves me wondering what was going on with Sylvia. Did she actually write as infrequently as it seems? If so, why? Or did her letters somehow not reach George? These questions remain especially salient to me because the Sylvia Boehm Acker Papers contain none of the letters from Sylvia to George. Sylvia’s letters could have answered those questions, or at least provided some insight, and their absence raises more questions. Why is the collection devoid of her letters to George? Were they lost or omitted or what? Perhaps George did not save Sylvia’s letters, perhaps Sylvia deliberately omitted them from the collection, or perhaps they were destroyed or lost because of the war.

It also turns out that George’s tone grew more anxious and pessimistic. He continues detailing the war, discussing everything from battle results, to sleeping in foxholes for safety, to his emotions. His emotional discourse seems predominated by the growing conflict between his longing to come home and see Sylvia, and his determination to do everything he can for the Republic and act in such a way that he will not regret. George seriously considers going home since he has served enough months to do so, but his determination to continue fighting wins out. This is a lamentable crossroads, and it makes me hope that I never find myself in a situation like George’s. If I could talk to him today, I wonder what he would regret, if anything. George did not mention having any regrets in his letters.