Edward J. Sidote Collection
Amelia Cross, Hannah Shapiro, Parker Keegan, Alli Pietrowski, David Kroonen, Mitchell
Lipman
IFS 2010
Dr. Kurt Piehler
Spring 2016
World War II began in September of 19391, and was a global conflict that impacted
American lives before it even reached the homefront. Official American involvement began on
December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed the U.S Naval Base Pearl Harbor, located on the
Pacific Island of Hawaii2. In his war address to Congress on the morning of December 8, 1941,
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called upon the leadership in Washington to immediately
declare war on the Japanese Empire, in order to protect the nation from impending danger3. It has
been an active pursuit of Florida State University’s Institute on World War II & the Human
Experience to preserve artifacts, collections, and correspondences between American soldiers
and their families, which are donated from all across the country. Under Director and
Coordinator Dr. Kurt Piehler, the preservation effort of the Institute has helped illustrate how the
war shaped the lives of not only Americans, but post-war generations throughout the world.
Within this immense collection of personal correspondence and artifacts, the Edward Sidote
Collection expands upon the nationwide involvement of men and women in World War II
stateside, as well as in combat zones. Edward John Sidote served most of his enlistment in the
United States before serving in the Pacific Theater during the close of the war.
This collection, donated by Edward Sidote in April of 2000, reveals the social and
economic impacts of the war on everyday American citizens from the perspective of an
American soldier. His general collection is composed of items such as personal letters between
family and friends, as well as fellow G.I.’s and coworkers. This collection of letters was stored
chronologically by Edward Sidote in various shoeboxes around his house until the day they were
1
United States. 1993. World War II: a listing of resources & information. [Crystal City, VA] (1213 Jefferson Davis
Highway, Crystal Gateway 4, Suite 702, Crystal City 22202): [50th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration
Committee].
2
United States. 1992. Pearl Harbor: 50th anniversary commemorative chronicle. Washington, D.C.: Dept. of
Defense, 50th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration Committee.
3
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation,” Speech, Washington D.C., December 9th,
1941. Accessed April 17, 2016. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm
donated to the Institute. Military documents, such as official orders, exams, and awards which
Sidote received during his service in the Army were also included in the collection. In order to
fully summarize his personal experience, Sidote donated playbills, maps, and newspapers which
were relevant to his experience in the military while stateside. Artifacts that can be found in
Sidote’s collection include Japanese money, books, umbrellas, flags, fans, a scarf, and Buddhist
altar coverings. From his collection, letters have been the primary focus as they provide the most
in-depth understanding of Sidote’s enlistment in the Army, as well as the impact it had on him
and his loved one’s lives. Through examining his experiences during World War II comes a
broader understanding of other American GI’s with similar experiences.
Edward John Sidote was born on September 13, 1917, in Norwich, New York, to
Catheryn Testa and James Sidote4. Norwich at the time was a small town, two square miles in
area, in Chenango County. The Sidote family ran a small “camp” with a lake and a large farm as
their source of income. There was no account of Edward’s father anywhere throughout the
letters, so it is assumed he was absent from the Sidote family until Edward visited him in 1985.
Edward has two siblings, Jennie and John, and he often sent remarks of good wishes. During the
war, Lena Sidote remarked on how the already small town felt empty when a majority of the
young men, including her son and his best friend, left for war.
At the age of twenty-five, Edward Sidote enlisted into the service, specifically the Army,
as an Administrative Non-Commissioned Officer, or NCO, on February 5, 1942, in Albany, New
York. Sidote’s decision to enlist in the military distinguished him amongst the majority of
American GI’s who were drafted. “On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and
4
Obituary of Edward J. Sidote, Wilson Funeral Home, Web. April 9 2015, Accessed April 17 2016,
http://www.wilsonfh.com/book-of-memories/2107529/Sidote-Edward/obituary.php
45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history.”5 Before
World War II began, the military numbered 180,000 soldiers, but throughout the war military
involvement grew to over 8 million.6 This exponential growth exemplifies the extreme influence
the Draft had on the World War II generation and their families. Edward’s voluntary sacrifice to
join the military reflected upon his strong character and patriotism.
Mr. Sidote’s journey began at Pine Camp in upstate New York. Pine Camp, originally
used for military maneuvers, went under extreme expansions when the United States entered into
the war7. After Sidote’s training at Pine Camp he was sent to Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indiana
for a three-month X-Ray training course at Billing’s General Hospital. This training prepared
Sidote for field work overseas. While at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Edward was appointed as
Platoon Sergeant for longer than intended due to his upstanding leadership abilities as well as his
success in school. After his medical training in Indiana, Edward was transferred to Fort Dix in
New Jersey, followed by another transfer to Fort Lewis in Washington State. Fort Washington
was his last station stateside before he received his orders stationing him overseas in the
Philippine Islands, located in the Pacific Theater. In Sidote’s letters to his mother Lena he
consistently remarked on the great living experiences he had at each camp during training.
During his early years in the Army, Sidote often went to movies, shows, and hung out with
friends during furloughs home back in New York. One of his preliminary topics of discussion
with his mom was the large quantities of quality food that he consumed. He often stated that he
gained weight since entering the service. Rarely did Edward complain when writing home,
5
The Draft and WWII, The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, Accessed April 2016
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/take-a-closer-look/draft-registrationdocuments.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
6
Bennett, Scott H. 2013. Conscience, comrades, and the cold war: The korean war draft resistance cases of socialist
pacifists david McReynolds and vern davidson. Peace & Change 38 (1): 83-120.
7
New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs: Military History, Forts, “Pine Camp,” New York State
Military Museum and Veterans Research Center , Accessed April 2016
https://dmna.ny.gov/forts/fortsM_P/pineCamp.htm
unless it was about the rainy weather of upstate New York or upstate Washington as well as the
speed of the mail once overseas. His lack of complaints and efforts to not exploit the whole truth
to his mother were an act of self-censorship in order to ease his mother’s mind. His mother did
the same when writing to him about hometown conditions, including the health of his
grandmother and the economic stability of their family with Edward’s absence.
One of the most vital written pieces of evidence of World War II that Edward kept was
the Manuscript he wrote during training in Camden, New Jersey. This six paged nonfiction tale
entitled “The Bivouac of the Camden Afis or How Not to Spend a Weekend (Profitably)” was
written on May 1, 1944. Most weekends, when permitted, Edward went home on furlough or
ventured into big cities such as Philadelphia with his Army buddies, but in the manuscript he
recalled a difficult weekend of training in the field. Edward wrote with a sense of humor and
sarcastic tone as if he were writing in a diary. This was the first documented opportunity for him
to truly exhibit his feelings about his daily environment. This manuscript is vital to the collection
and to understanding World War II because it gives insight into the training Edward completed
or things he wouldn’t necessarily tell his mother when writing home. Documents such as
Edward’s manuscript were an effective way for American G.I.’s to surpass censorship
regulations as they were not mailed home, and therefore not seen until after the conclusion of the
war.
Edward entered the military as a Non-Commissioned Officer with the Administrative
Department. Consequently, Sidote was promoted to Chief Clerk because of his ability to type,
then to Chief Medical Officer. Within his specialty, Edward processed doctors for enlistment in
Medical Corps. After three years of training and remaining stateside, Edward received orders to
be sent overseas to the Pacific Theater in late April/early May of 1945.8 The dates of his
departure and arrival in the Pacific are unclear because of censorship regulations in the Army.
Censorship, both by Army regulations and self, a prevalent characteristic of the war. Several of
the letters in Sidote’s collection had words, phrases, and even whole paragraphs, cut or
watermarked from the rest of the pages. While overseas, Edward was first assigned to the 9th
Medical Depot. As a member of this department, Edward had charge of midnight to 8:00 am
shifts in Medical Supplies attached to the 6th Army in Manila. Eventually, though, his time
overseas was short, Edward became Master Sergeant in charge of the 9th Medical Depot.9
When in the Philippines, Edward wrote to his mother sharing the poor living conditions
of the native Filipinos. According to Sidote they lived in huts, with meager diets, and tattered
clothes. The description of the way the natives live shed some light on the way Sidote lived in
the few months he spent in the Philippines. Edward called the Japanese an “inhuman race” and
was happy for their defeat 10. He told his mother that he “hope[d] this [was] the war to end all
wars11. ” Edward revealed to his mother that he was happy to be fighting for a necessary cause
because of the strong connection he had developed to the native people in the Philippines.
Religion was key to the strength of Sidote’s tie to the natives as he revealed that he found while
attending Mass he saw people of all backgrounds sharing the same connection to their religious
8
Edward J. Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, “Somewhere in the Philippines.” Box 1, Folder 5,
Institute on World War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
9
Veteran Questionnaire, Edward J. Sidote Collection, Box 1, Institute on World War II and The Human Experience,
Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
10
Edward J. Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, August 30, 1945, Box 1, Folder 6, Institute on
World War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
11
Edward J. Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, August 30, 1945, Box 1, Folder 6, Institute on
World War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
beliefs, giving him great comfort in a foreign place12. This really resonated with Edward and
helped him develop a feeling of appreciation for those outside of ethnocentric America..
Edward was overseas for a little less than a year, and though it seems to be a short period
of time compared to other soldiers’ experiences, Edward was there much longer than needed. In
the Army, G.I’s were sent back home to the United States based on a point system13. Depending
on the M.O.S14 of the G.I., some soldiers earned points faster, therefore returning to the United
States faster. For Edward, this meant that he would be overseas longer than those having served
on the front lines. By December of 1945, the amount of points needed for discharge stood at 55
points15. In his correspondence with his mother Edward, though, never complains as he respects
his fellow soldiers and their contribution16. He recognizes that they have seen much worse than
he and endured much worse than he. At one point, Edward even recounted to his mother the fact
that the only time he ever fired a rifle was in training. Not once did he actively kill the enemy,
but he was stationed in a combat zone subsequently earning a Battle Star. This aspect contributed
to not only to his outlook on the war but the topics of discussion Sidote had in his letters.
Friends and family meant everything to Edward. As quoted from his Veteran
Questionnaire, the letters from his friends and family were “very, very important. They were
[his] connection to relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers, [and] army buddies.17” From his
collection, it is noted that Edward wrote hundreds and hundreds of letters, sometimes even eight
12
Edward J. Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, July 30, 1945, Box 1, Folder 6, Institute on World
War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
13
The point system regulated when soldiers were allowed to return home after being overseas. One had to get a
certain amount of points to return home, and another number of points to decommission from the military. World
War II Rationing, United States History, Accessed April 19 2016, http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1674.html
14
M.O.S. stands for Military Occupational Specialty.
15
Lena Sidote to Edward J. Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection,December 10, 1945, Box 1, Folder 13, Institute on
World War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
16
Edward J. Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, August 17, 1945, Box 1, Folder 5, Institute on
World War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
17
Edward Sidote, Veteran Questionnaire, Edward J. Sidote Collection, Box , Institute on World War II and The
Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016.
a day to various family and friends. The most evident relationship is that between Edward and
his mother, Lena (Catheryn). Their correspondence is the most prolific in size and content. On
the other hand, though we have few correspondence between Edward and his best friend John
Natoli (Lincoln). Their relationship is portrayed so beautifully in just a few letters and gives true
insight into how important correspondence with friends was to Edward, especially with his best
friend Lincoln. Unfortunately, John Natoli was killed in action on the tail end of the war18. Upon
John Natoli’s death, Edward wrote to Natoli’s fiancee, Doris Mobbs, and Natoli’s younger
brother, Joe, to share his deepest sympathies, condolences, as well as his own demons with the
passing of a dear friend. He shares that “It will never seem the same not to have [John Natoli] with
[him] all the time.19. Additional to his relationship with friends and family, Edward had a great
intrapersonal relationship, and it was these self- reflections that helped get him through the war.
In his own words, Edward Sidote gives a pure and honest summation of the impact of
World War II on his life, the lives of his comrades, and the lives of Americans and foreigners
alike when corresponding with his mother during his time in the Pacific. In reflection, Sidote
states that, “No matter what sacrifices you are required to make in the States, you can be thankful
that the war has been fought on foreign soil20.”This alone greatly recalls the difference in
Sidote’s mostly static stateside experience versus that of soldiers serving full time in a combat
zone. Edward Sidote spent the majority of his military service inside the United States, both on
the East Coast for training as well as the West Coast. The state of Edward’s hometown of
Norwich, New York during the war clearly reflects the short term effects World War II had on
18
Edward Sidote to “Joe” Natoli, Edward J. Sidote Collection, Box 1, Folder 17, Institute on World War II and The
Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016.
19
Edward Sidote to “Joe” Natoli,” 20 June 1943, Edward J. Sidote Collection, Box 1, Folder 17, Institute on World
War II and The Human Experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016.
20
Edward Sidote to Lena Sidote, Edward J. Sidote Collection, June 2 1945, Box 1, Folder 5, Institute on World War
II and The Human experience, Florida State University, Accessed April 2016
small towns all over America. The young men that Ed grew up with were either drafted or
enlisted in the many branches within the United States Military leaving the town empty and
struggling to survive. On multiple occasions, Edward took the time to compare his experiences
with those of his best friends overseas before he is sent to the Philippines. Once Sidote is sent to
the Pacific Theater, he is able to fully comprehend the life of a soldier in a combat zone. It is
during this time that Sidote realizes how lucky he has been to serve in a place of safety and
security. Even when overseas, both in the Philippines and Japan, Ed wrote to his mother that men
were being honorably discharged, but he needed to stay and finish the job. It is very apparent the
respect that Sidote has for all of the men that had a much more horrifying experience than
himself.
In 1946, Edward was honorably discharged with the rank of Master Sergeant in the
Army21. He received many decorations for his efforts in the war including: American Service
Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service, European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, Good Conduct
Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon22. Upon his release,
Edward became a devout Boy Scout leader. Though he also worked as an accountant, an
entrepreneur, a business owner, and an employee of the Office of the Aging, his true passion was
working with nature and helping others to appreciate its worth. He was the “3rd person to walk
the Finger Lakes Trail from end to end” and led hikers and organizations through the Fingers
Lakes until his body would no longer let him23.
21
A Master Sergeant is “a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) who serves as a brigade's NCO in Charge, equal
in pay grade to a First Sergeant but with less leadership responsibilities than one. A Master Sergeant is often
specialized in certain field or subject matter.” What is a Master Sergeant?, Military Ranks, Accessed April 14 2016,
https://www.military-ranks.org/army/master-sergeant
22
Obituary of Edward J. Sidote, Wilson Funeral Home, Web. April 9 2015, Accessed April 17 2016,
http://www.wilsonfh.com/book-of-memories/2107529/Sidote-Edward/obituary.php
23
Obituary of Edward J. Sidote, Wilson Funeral Home, Web. April 9 2015, Accessed April 17 2016,
http://www.wilsonfh.com/book-of-memories/2107529/Sidote-Edward/obituary.php
Edward Sidote died Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 97 years old from old age and acute
illness24. Though he faced his unfortunate death, the experiences he faced in War, and in life in
general, are forever preserved here in Florida State University’s Institute of World War II and
The Human Experience. It is by the contribution of men and women like Edward Sidote that
Florida State is able to keep history alive and continue to educate the future generations.
24
Obituary of Edward J. Sidote, Wilson Funeral Home, Web. April 9 2015, Accessed April 17 2016,
http://www.wilsonfh.com/book-of-memories/2107529/Sidote-Edward/obituary.php