Judy Nelson Mills Papers (Rockford)

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-298

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Judy Nelson Mills Papers consists of two series: soldiers’ correspondence and book research. The first series includes letters written to Mills by Vietnam soldiers. The second series consists of research materials gathered by Mills in the late 1990s and early 2000s when thinking of writing a book using the correspondence. This series includes three subseries: Soldiers, Book, and Cassettes. Both series contain photos from soldiers, some from during the war and some from after. The collection also contains audio cassettes containing interviews with soldiers, talks on the radio, and a video cassette of her giving a presentation at a Hononegah High School.

Dates

created: 1965-2001
Other: Date acquired: 04/13/2010

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection. Many of the soldiers have expressed to the donor that this is a difficult subject matter to discuss. Therefore researchers must use extreme caution if or when contacting the soldiers mentioned in this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

In December of 1966, Judy Nelson (later Mills) began writing letters to Rockford-area soldiers listed in the local newspaper. Judy’s father, who was a veteran of WWII, inspired her to do something kind for the soldiers. Every night Judy and her parents sat at the kitchen table to read every letter. The soldiers and Mills corresponded for a year and a half. Mills kept her letters strictly friendly and just wanted the soldiers to know that people back home continued to care for them. Writing the letters wasn’t cheap. Friends and coworkers donated money to her so she could continue her campaign, and the local newspaper asked for future donations while naming her the letter-writing champion of 1967. Mills’ blossoming relationship with her future husband, whom she would later divorce, along with the difficulties of funding and finding time for her letter-writing caused her to stop in 1968. The estimated total count of the letters written by Mills between 1967 and 1968 numbers anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000. Two hundred fifty-seven servicemen wrote back. By the time she stopped writing in 1968, she had over 500 response letters. Mills passed away on March 16, 2011 in her home after a prolonged health battle.

Note written by

Extent

2.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Source of Acquisition

Judy Nelson Mills

Method of Acquisition

Judy Nelson Mills of Rockford, Illinois donated her Vietnam War correspondence to the Northern Illinois Regional History Center on April 13, 2010.

Other Descriptive Information

Many of the soldiers have expressed to the donor that this is a difficult subject matter to discuss. Therefore researchers must use extreme caution if or when contacting the soldiers mentioned in this collection.