When we explore the objects that connect us to the past, history is presented to us in new and surprising ways. This is a story of an American flag and a collection of letters, and the way in which they introduced me to my great-grandfather.
My great-grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Henry M. Clisson, was the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion and in charge of the war prisoners at Nuremberg beginning in 1946. During his deployment, he sent for his wife, Virginia, and his three daughters who traveled on the U.S.S. President Tyler to live with him in Germany. Virginia wrote over 100 letters to her sister, Loretta Gratzer, between August 1946 and May 1947, and spoke with honesty about the political, social, and psychological reality of the American liberation efforts. By carefully examining these primary documents and looking into the provenance of a mysterious American flag, I intend to honor the objects that have kept my family's history alive for over seven decades.
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Works Cited
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