Photographic postcard of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey in uniform
date: label: Date
content: 1918
name: label: Printed by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey, Sr., American, 1897 - 1968
label: Written by
content: Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey, Sr., American, 1897 - 1968
label: Subject of
content: 369th Infantry Regiment, American, 1913 - 1945
notes: label: Caption
content: Due to racial tension within the US Army, the 369th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the French Army for the duration of US involvement in World War I. Formed from the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters," the 369th was the first African American regiment to reach the battlefields of World War I and the first Allied troops to reach the banks of the Rhine. Upon completion of the 369th’s service in the war, the regiment had spent 191 days in combat, the longest of any American regiment. In appreciation for their actions in the Maison-en-Champagne campaign, the 369th was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government for acts of bravery in conflicts against the enemy. In addition to this honor, 171 individual members of the 369th Regiment were awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor. The 369th Regiment finished their service in Europe and returned to the US in February 1919.
label: Description
content: A black-and-white photographic postcard of Corporal Lawrence McVey in uniform posing with a cane. McVey stands in the center of a studio with a backdrop of an open window overlooking a forest. He is leaning his proper right arm on a square column stand and holding his gloves and cane in his proper left hand. The photograph has multiple tears throughout and a large area of loss at the top center. On the reverse side dark stains can be seen on the top right edge and bottom horizontal edge. On the reverse is a handwritten message. Typed text on the horizontal side of the post card reads, [CARTE POSTALE / Correspondance / Adresse]. The handwritten note begins below [Correspondence] and continues on the right side of the vertical line. McVey is writing to his sister and sending her his address so she could write back to him. The text reads:
label: Description
content: Dear sister just a few / lines to let you know / I am well and happy. / [text missing] I only hope you / [text missing] [illegible] are / [text missing] I received a letter / [text missing] sister and she / also sent me the Babies / photos and sister they / are so very cute gee I / would like to see them / now just to kiss their / [sweet?] little face I am / moving now and as / [soon?] as they get where / they are going I will / write you a letter / I am as ever your / loving soldier Brother / pvt LL McVey / Co D. 369th R.I. US. / SP. 103 American E.F. / France / P.S. give my love and / best wishes to all I / sent mama and [Willie?] / a photo also
place: label: Place made
content: France, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: World War I
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gina R. McVey, Granddaughter
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.108.14
objectType: label: Type
content: portraits
label: Type
content: photographic postcards
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with graphite on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 3 9/16 × 5 1/2 in. (9 × 14 cm)