Emails #44: Nobody Does WWII Like The Guy From Jaws and E.T.

Letters to Captain America
Liberty and Hope During WWII

A special exhibit at the Smithsonian running from January 7th through July 4th.
Curated by Anne B. Hawthorne and Julia W. Gilbert.

Does Captain America exist? A single letter dated 1942 from a Pvt. Horace Garber to his family back in Memphis, TN seemed to answer the question definitively yes. While preparing an exhibit for Letters at War: Homefront to Frontline more of these curious references to a star spangled soldier cropped up. We knew right away the letters addressed to or mentioning Captain America were beacons of hope during one of the darkest periods in the history of the world. Does Captain America exist? Comb through nearly 2,000 letters and postcards from 1942 to 1945 on loan for this exhibit and decide for yourself.

Does Captain America exist?

We hope that you enjoy this collection.
Anne B. Hawthorne, Curator
Julia W. Gilbert, Curator

---

From the desk of:
Dennis Stockton, Deputy Director of Project Rebirth Archives
Dictated to Stephanie Holcomb: Friday, 8:14am, October 23rd

Hilda, Please be advised. Two women from the Smithsonian have been making repeated calls for documents. Please refer all future inquiries to me personally. I have hand picked over a thousand letters and documents that can be made available to the public. I look forward to your cooperation. If you have any questions, drop by my office tomorrow.

Dennis

---

Letters have to be from and to someone. They should be about events that changed the way the participants see things. Darkness. Hope. Tyranny. Liberty.

What would Cap think of all this current tea baggery?

Cap is all about Constitutional democracy. The right of the populace to air its grievances in order that they may be redressed is paramount in a democracy. Protest is a unique form of speech which is protected. The Hitler references and the violent rhetoric however would grind against his sense of fair conduct. Ultimately, the ship's course is corrected by election. He works within. He understands that the alternative leads to despotism.

ACK! The thought of Cap's potential gives me chills! I wish we could share those chills with the world. The concept of (the real) Cap is so important especially 'in these dark times.'

A Cap miniseries on HBO with Spielberg attached as producer. Nobody does WWII like the guy from Jaws and ET. Ten nights. Ninety minutes each.

There is something about killing people at close range that is excruciating. It's bound to try a man's soul.
-Steven Spielberg

I interviewed survivors, I went to Poland, saw the cities and spent time with the people and spoke to the Jews who had come back to Poland after the war and talked about why they had come back.
-Steven Spielberg