Presenter(s)
Alexis Miller, Riley Nelson, Kyle Pike, Alec Shopek, and Olivia Kaether
Abstract
Our presentation showcases the letters and experiences of Doctor Marvin Palecek, a Second World War Veteran and former Chair of the Winona State University History Department. As a soldier of the 45th Infantry Division, Dr Palecek participated in several major campaigns of the Second World War. Through his letters, Dr Palecek reveals a harrowing, gritty, emotional and empowering story of military service at the height of the largest conflict in human history. Our access to Dr Palecek’s letters was made possible by coordinating with his son, Glen. This presentation was assembled by a team of student historians who have been working with Glen extensively for several weeks to document the surviving letters, photographs and other primary resources from Dr Palecek’s war experience. Working with Glen afforded the students of this project the opportunity to record, analyze and further preserve the memories, experiences and legacy of Dr Palecek through digital scans of the primary resources like letters, newspapers and photographs. Following the complete scan of all available documents, the participants of this student project were able to help contribute to Glen’s mission of publishing his father’s experiences by providing a centralized, organized digitization of Dr Palecek’s primary documents. Primary documents are crucial resources for historiographical analysis and surviving letters from soldiers like Dr Palecek are an integral component of research for historians. These resources allow historians to cultivate a deeper understanding of major historical events like the Second World War from the lens of ordinary people not often recorded in history. Dr. Palecek recorded his experiences in an extensive series of letters and photographs between himself and his wife, Betty, that survived into preservation through his son. Glen is a Winona area resident who served for several decades as a fire fighter, and made the decision to record his father’s story. Glen also wrote an exhaustive series of editorials for the Winona Post for several years about his father’s wartime exploits. Along with these editorials, a host of personal effects remain in the Palecek family that help tell the meaningful story of a soldier from the Second World War. These effects include photographs and mementoes he brought home, Nazi flags and arm bands, war medals, badges, rank patches and pieces of his military uniform. But the most important of these artifacts are the letters Dr Palecek wrote home to his wife. A vital window into the personal and everyday life of a married soldier, these letters capture the thoughts, experiences and emotions of a frontline soldier, using witty and often poetic language, as well as the occasional, very emotional reflection on the horrors of battle and the hellish landscape of the Second World War.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
History
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
mlindaman@winona.edu
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 3:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2b=2pm-3pm
Poster Number
58
An Analysis of Letters from Second World War Veteran Dr Marvin Palecek
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Our presentation showcases the letters and experiences of Doctor Marvin Palecek, a Second World War Veteran and former Chair of the Winona State University History Department. As a soldier of the 45th Infantry Division, Dr Palecek participated in several major campaigns of the Second World War. Through his letters, Dr Palecek reveals a harrowing, gritty, emotional and empowering story of military service at the height of the largest conflict in human history. Our access to Dr Palecek’s letters was made possible by coordinating with his son, Glen. This presentation was assembled by a team of student historians who have been working with Glen extensively for several weeks to document the surviving letters, photographs and other primary resources from Dr Palecek’s war experience. Working with Glen afforded the students of this project the opportunity to record, analyze and further preserve the memories, experiences and legacy of Dr Palecek through digital scans of the primary resources like letters, newspapers and photographs. Following the complete scan of all available documents, the participants of this student project were able to help contribute to Glen’s mission of publishing his father’s experiences by providing a centralized, organized digitization of Dr Palecek’s primary documents. Primary documents are crucial resources for historiographical analysis and surviving letters from soldiers like Dr Palecek are an integral component of research for historians. These resources allow historians to cultivate a deeper understanding of major historical events like the Second World War from the lens of ordinary people not often recorded in history. Dr. Palecek recorded his experiences in an extensive series of letters and photographs between himself and his wife, Betty, that survived into preservation through his son. Glen is a Winona area resident who served for several decades as a fire fighter, and made the decision to record his father’s story. Glen also wrote an exhaustive series of editorials for the Winona Post for several years about his father’s wartime exploits. Along with these editorials, a host of personal effects remain in the Palecek family that help tell the meaningful story of a soldier from the Second World War. These effects include photographs and mementoes he brought home, Nazi flags and arm bands, war medals, badges, rank patches and pieces of his military uniform. But the most important of these artifacts are the letters Dr Palecek wrote home to his wife. A vital window into the personal and everyday life of a married soldier, these letters capture the thoughts, experiences and emotions of a frontline soldier, using witty and often poetic language, as well as the occasional, very emotional reflection on the horrors of battle and the hellish landscape of the Second World War.
