Born in Dover, New Hampshire, Henry Leland Clarke (1907-1992) was inducted into the army during World War II after completing his Ph.D. in musicology at Harvard University. His observations in letters to his wife and parents provide an interesting insight into what military life was like for a thoughtful draftee. Henry frequently mentioned the ill treatment of Blacks in the service and the openness with which White officers made racist remarks about them, as in this letter to his wife, Julia, in 1944.
Clarke, Henry Leland. WWII letter regarding African Americans. December 8, 1944. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l06-059/. Accessed on December 7, 2025.
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