Saturday, April 17, 2004

The Kentucky Library is collecting correspondence and other items used by Kentucky soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This week the library received several items for the collection, including letters, photographs and a uniform, said Sara McCaslin, assistant director of archives for the library. Weve really off to a good start, and weve had several calls over the past couple of days, she said. One letter was written to Mr. and Mrs. Roland Willock of Bowling Green by U.S. Army Maj. Mike Pelaquin on Iraqi Royal Guard stationery found inside Saddam Husseins presidential palace, where Pelaquin and his fellow troops lived after the invasion of Baghdad. Its been, well, an experience, Pelaquin wrote. But I cannot say its one Id like to do again. Letters like this one will be important to scholars studying the war in later years, and the library is working hard to build the collection, McCaslin said. One thing thats different this time is that a lot of the correspondence was done via e-mail, which is a big change, she said. But in some ways, it makes it easier for families and others who received e-mail from soldiers to share it with us because they can just forward the e-mails to the library. The library will accept photocopies of correspondence and other written materials at any time, said Pat Hodges, supervisor of manuscripts and archives. Some donors will wish to keep their correspondence, diaries, journals and so on until after the confrontation is over, Hodges said. Thats fine. Whether now or in the future, donors are invited to bring items to the library. The library already has collections of war letters and other materials going back more than 100 years, including an extensive collection and materials from the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, McCaslin said. Were trying to let people know that these letters and so on are a part of history and theyll be important in the future when people look back, she said. The response weve had thus far has been really good, and were hoping more people will donate things as we go on. If you or someone you know has items to donate, contact Hodges at 745-6434 or e-mail pat.hodges@wku.edu. Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700