The Home Front
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V-Mail

Cover of V-Mail
Address cover of a V-Mail letter from William Green, from "somewhere in France," to his mother in Lincoln, Nebraska.
See the body of the letter, as it passed the censors, here.
Loneliness and homesickness were very real for Nebraska's servicemen and women. Mail was the primary means of communication during the war. The government created "Victory Mail" or "V-Mail."

V-Mail letters were microfilmed versions of full size sheets. The condensed letters were an effort to speed the delivery time and allow for more room in overseas shipping.

All mail from military personnel was censored during the war. Officers could censor their own mail; enlisted men had to have their superior officers read their mail for any "sensitive" material — things that if the letter were intercepted by the enemy would give clues as to location, military strength, and upcoming military engagements.


War Letters

War Letters home have carried the thoughts and feelings of service men and women throughout our history. In this special section of Nebraska Studies, letters from Nebraskans on the front lines can give us an intimate view of history.