[Letter ca. 1944] [to] Dr. Stoughton
Dublin Core
Title
[Letter ca. 1944] [to] Dr. Stoughton
Subject
?Abb?s I, Shah of Iran, 1571-1629
Khurramshahr (Iran)
Tehran (Iran)
Description
Klare sends more money orders for his debt. Writes of having travelled many places since leaving the U.S. Currently stationed in Iran. Writes of various cities visited and the Persian history and culture he is learning about while there. Expresses sadness over the ruins and poverty that currently exist in Iran.
Creator
Klare, Edwin
Source
Wagner College Archive, Horrmann Library
Contributor
Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Is Part Of
A complete index to the letters in this collection can be found here: http://library.wagner.edu/wagnerarchive/StoughtonPDF/Correspondence index.pdf
Format
application/pdf
Language
eng
Type
text
Identifier
Klare5
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
PERSIAN GULF COMMAND
Sgt Edwin H. Klare
32426782
668 Pt Co TC
APO 795 c/o PM NY
NY U.S.A.
Dear Dr. Stoughton,
Enclosed are three money orders that will indicate that I haven’t forgotten about the letter I wrote to you a short time before I came overseas. I only wish though that I could have been just a little more faithful. One is dated from Dec. 1943 and since they are only valid for a year I suggest that it be cashed immediately.
It is going on 19 months that I have left the United States and since that time I have seen a good part of the world. Such a long time has passed since then so I suppose I can mention that on our way here we
[Page 2]
made port at New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon and India. Since we arrived in Iran I have been stationed at Khorramshahr – a not too pleasant place noted chiefly for hard work, heat and dust. There is little to be learned here too except to see how poor and dirty some humans can be and yet live. On three occasions though I have been very fortunate. A year ago in Sept. I spent several days in Hamadan. Recalling your Persian history you will remember that in the time of Darius when Persia was a great world power (it seems hard to believe that that could ever have been true) Hamadan was a great city and a great trading center between east and west. We climbed into the mountains one day and saw inscriptions that Darius and Cyrus had carved there proclaiming their power and charity. Last May I spent three days in Isfahan. Isfahan was once called
[Page 3]
half the world and even to-day it stands as a beautiful architectural monument to the ruler who helped build it; Shah Abbas. The splendid design of the ancient government buildings and mosques with their many tile patterns in blazing colors is hard to describe. The bazaar itself with miles of covered streets was a revelation. In there it was possible to buy almost any type of ware and in many instances to see those things being made with the crudest tools.
Just recently I went to the Recreation Camp at Teheran. Teheran in many respects is a modern city with a large number of modern buildings but unfortunately they didn’t plan on a few very essential conveniences like running water and sewerage systems. Automobiles are very evident along with camel caravans. A large number of tours are planned and I visited the Gulestan Palace museums containing old Persian pieces and went to the old city
[Page 4]
of Rey that now is nothing more than a pile of ruins. From these trips and little gleanings of information I picked up here and there I was surprised to learn of the great culture that once flourished here. It is sad to look at the people to-day. All over there is poverty. It is unusual to see people clothed in other than rags and walking barefooted.
Please remember me to Dean Kleintop and accept my wishes for a joyous Christmas season.
Sincerely,
Edwin Klare
Sgt Edwin H. Klare
32426782
668 Pt Co TC
APO 795 c/o PM NY
NY U.S.A.
Dear Dr. Stoughton,
Enclosed are three money orders that will indicate that I haven’t forgotten about the letter I wrote to you a short time before I came overseas. I only wish though that I could have been just a little more faithful. One is dated from Dec. 1943 and since they are only valid for a year I suggest that it be cashed immediately.
It is going on 19 months that I have left the United States and since that time I have seen a good part of the world. Such a long time has passed since then so I suppose I can mention that on our way here we
[Page 2]
made port at New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon and India. Since we arrived in Iran I have been stationed at Khorramshahr – a not too pleasant place noted chiefly for hard work, heat and dust. There is little to be learned here too except to see how poor and dirty some humans can be and yet live. On three occasions though I have been very fortunate. A year ago in Sept. I spent several days in Hamadan. Recalling your Persian history you will remember that in the time of Darius when Persia was a great world power (it seems hard to believe that that could ever have been true) Hamadan was a great city and a great trading center between east and west. We climbed into the mountains one day and saw inscriptions that Darius and Cyrus had carved there proclaiming their power and charity. Last May I spent three days in Isfahan. Isfahan was once called
[Page 3]
half the world and even to-day it stands as a beautiful architectural monument to the ruler who helped build it; Shah Abbas. The splendid design of the ancient government buildings and mosques with their many tile patterns in blazing colors is hard to describe. The bazaar itself with miles of covered streets was a revelation. In there it was possible to buy almost any type of ware and in many instances to see those things being made with the crudest tools.
Just recently I went to the Recreation Camp at Teheran. Teheran in many respects is a modern city with a large number of modern buildings but unfortunately they didn’t plan on a few very essential conveniences like running water and sewerage systems. Automobiles are very evident along with camel caravans. A large number of tours are planned and I visited the Gulestan Palace museums containing old Persian pieces and went to the old city
[Page 4]
of Rey that now is nothing more than a pile of ruins. From these trips and little gleanings of information I picked up here and there I was surprised to learn of the great culture that once flourished here. It is sad to look at the people to-day. All over there is poverty. It is unusual to see people clothed in other than rags and walking barefooted.
Please remember me to Dean Kleintop and accept my wishes for a joyous Christmas season.
Sincerely,
Edwin Klare
Original Format
http://library.wagner.edu/wagnerarchive/StoughtonPDF/Klare5.pdf
Date Digital
2014
Citation
Klare, Edwin, “[Letter ca. 1944] [to] Dr. Stoughton,” Wagner College Archives and Special Collections, accessed April 19, 2024, https://wagnercollections.omeka.net/items/show/16323.