https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/home daily 1.0 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1623715191881-EK9UPUIE7MM94VWFWA9S/NorthCarolina.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628883312423-KCOAC4Q9P46D4QQNDUEO/Normandy.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1623715207036-ESY31AIN49J9UXW815L4/NewYork.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627322382190-JN48PUTWRB22R6PKKIVG/Sicily.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1623715241255-LDV2QYY4Q2J5BT072DDJ/Tunisia.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628883543893-BS86ICUQO9PTPF1ZA3IZ/Stillwater.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627322962165-YYMFJGM305YD1ASCB3XC/England.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1623715016931-9SF1CHTNN1Y2GA3D8CYS/California.jpg Home https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/camp-roberts daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628907101712-D30XP0FIS85PAF5B3SV3/LawrenceCampRoberts.jpg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322228238-FEO5IYNA7EFD44G9FW5X/CampRobertsCo76.jpeg California Company C of the 76th Battalion at the Replacement Training Center at Camp Roberts. Lawrence at the far right, fourth row. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/14b3ae28-9bc8-44f3-94e0-32e350236d99/LawrenceGunderson_Reg_BondCard.png California Top: Lawrence’s registration card with the Department of Selective Services. He reported to Fort Snelling in St. Paul in August of 1942 and awaited his orders. Belowt: His bond savings application, processed in early August. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607458836670-RTBZZQKABPQWIGLNWRI6/ArmyPostcard1.jpg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607539413575-8CDLZZ86LCBTNG39TGCR/ArmyPostcard2.jpeg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607542537698-SYCZODVL50AS36SDIJGB/CampRobertsPostcard1.jpeg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322354484-RX0TBVS3VGUJBR3D6VJH/LawrenceCampRoberts2.jpg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1630112524534-SH81J64HUXFSHN59OVB3/LawrenceGunderson_MartinHauble.jpg California - Make it stand out Lawrence and Martin Hauble at Camp Roberts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607546010607-0W0XKXSBR03OOKGT4U42/CampRobertsByLawrence.jpeg California One of the pictures of Camp Roberts taken by Lawrence, looking to the west at the massive parade grounds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607543118079-Z65VKR0RGPVFKEF87KOD/CampRobertsPostcard2.jpeg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1617828783810-8AC5E99HIDOSZEQVH20X/CampRobertsPillow.png California The “Mother Pillow” sent home by Lawrence from Camp Roberts. Sweetheart or Mother Pillows were satin pillow covers available for purchase at all bases, one of the many popular souvenirs soldiers would buy and send home. At the time, silk and satin was heavily rationed to the general public in the war effort, especially since majority of silk products came from Japan. The scarcity and limitations of the fabric made these pillow covers a special gift. The poem reads: Remember Me – When the Golden Sun is sinking. And your heart from care is free. When of others you are thinking. Will you then Remember Me? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628992064456-54UNGJBOTMDITFTJPFQ2/camp-roberts-map.jpg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1607544341624-MSR2YQQUKFM0XPEJ5Y6Z/CampRobertsPostcard3.jpeg California https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322892152-PQB2MZONL1LJZQ0XL6EU/CampRobertsMenu.png California The graduation menu Lawrence sent to his brother John. He marked his commanding officers and his best pals, including Martin Hauble and Ray Klees from Stillwater. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322612454-CYPAWH1R9LX6CPVY8QUQ/LawrenceCampRoberts3.jpg California https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/fort-hamilton daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322009942-MZ9R4H57I2AOY6TR0GJ2/TimesSquare.png New York Times Square in 1943. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322052096-SYOKSY3VKTEECSARFW0N/StrandTheatre.png New York Left: A view of the Strand Theatre in Times Square on February 20, 1943 – the day after Lawrence saw Sammy Kaye perform there. Right: Band leader Sammy Kaye directing his orchestra and Nancy Norman on stage, Sammy Kaye’s lead singer during much the 40’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626322076866-DMOL4JW5PBM3U9CHQNYV/Rollerskating.png New York https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1622770654490-JYRCLVVOU5DCIULW28KG/NewYorkPillow.png New York - Make it stand out The pillow cover sent home from Fort Hamilton. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/camp-butner daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628908040665-17H63G753QTDZGPB7B2J/CampButner_Image1.png North Carolina https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628908390882-A6DN1REN3X284FWCDII4/CampButner_Hotel.png North Carolina https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/tunisia daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1622920931774-JDHB1NO1E7SUYOFUY4X3/9thSoldiersDeck_AfricaCoast.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out 9th Infantry soldiers wait on the deck of their transport ship off the coast of Africa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1622920358964-TI23WC4N82VUKZ5C4EYP/9thSoldier_AfricaCoast.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out An unknown 9th Infantry soldier waits on the deck of his transport ship off the coast of Africa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626143397784-4RHVHD1S5GMGPTMT37XZ/IMG_0917.png Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: 1st Armored soldiers relax in front of the train depot after taking the town of Maknassy on March 25th. Right: General Patton observes the terrain in Southern Tunisia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626144209370-4HZFXGF95RYFH83U7XCJ/STunisia_Color.png Tunisia - Make it stand out Color images of American troop movement through southern Tunisia show the dusty, desert landscape in March of 1943. As late as February 1943, the ground was mostly wet from the winter, severely hindering all transports in the thick mud. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626143899250-GC04XSE9H7RTCCZ48YNL/IMG_0882.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626144095191-NKKBOAETARTHPDRDIJAM/IMG_1045.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628909855621-UEBRO0MUDBCDT9ZB1FJD/GoDevilsUniform.png Tunisia - The “Go Devils” The 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division By the end of the war in the Spring of 1945, the 9th Infantry Division would earn impressive nicknames such as: “Old Reliables”, “Notorious Ninth”, and “Hitler’s Nemesis”. The 9th was identifiable by its tricolor Octofoil insignia, worn on their uniform’s left shoulder. The design is a heraldic mark form the 15th Century to denote the ninth son of a family surrounded by eight foils – representing his eight brothers. The Army version divided the Octofoil into a red quatre-foil for the artillery and a blue quoter-foil for the infantry. The 9th was divided into three infantry regiments: the 39th, the 47th, and the 60th. The 60th was nicknamed the “Go Devils” sometime in 1942 during tactical drills and mock maneuvers when someone praised their performance and yelled, “Way to go, you devils!” Many soldiers of the 60th would eventually paint a red devil head with the letters G and O on either side. The 60th soldiers would also wear the regimental coat of arms as a pin on their dress uniform. The coat displayed the unit’s motto underneath: To The Utmost Extent Of Our Power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626319920158-0K0H9NEDMFP8Z7VJS0C7/Screen-Shot-2021-07-04-at-1.58.24-PM.jpg Tunisia - General Eddy Commander of the 9th Infantry Division Major General Manton Eddy wasn’t a typical general during the war. He was much older than the other generals, he wasn’t a West Point graduate, and had been wounded in combat in the First World War. He was a Chicagoan, starting his military training as a teenager attending the Shattuck Military School in Fairbault, Minnesota. By 1918, the young captain commanded a machine gun company on the western front until the end of the war in 1918. As commander of the 9th Infantry, Eddy led his division from the second they landed on the beaches of North Africa in November of 1942 until shortly before the German Army surrender in the spring of 1945 when a promotion followed by severe hypertension forced him to give up command. Eddy retired as a lieutenant general and died in 1962. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Pictured (L to R) – Major General Eddy, Lieutenant General George S. Patton, and Major-General Horace MacBride of the 80th Infantry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626319899773-P2LFR84S3RBPE5RH21QC/Screen-Shot-2021-07-04-at-2.14.40-PM.jpg Tunisia - Colonel de Rohan Commander of the 60th Infantry Regiment Colonel Frederick J. de Rohan commanded the Go Devils from the beach of North Africa until early July of 1944, minus a brief break from command due to health problems. He was awarded the Silver Star for the Battle of Port Lyautey in which he coordinated the assault on the Kasba fortress in Mehdia, Morocco. Pictured – Colonel de Rohan debriefs President Roosevelt on the success of Operation Torch and the Battle of Port Lyautey during his visit to North Africa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626319546937-6DAFXZLUBGQMLIIJXFKH/BlackMike.jpg Tunisia - Major Kauffman Commander of 2nd Battalion – 60th Infantry Regiment Major Michael B. Kauffman was born in England as Myer Kauffman. Orphaned at a young age and relocated to America with a host family, he changed his name when enrolled at the University of Wyoming. There he excelled in the ROTC program and by 1940 he was a member of the 60th Infantry at Fort Bragg, NC. As the 2nd Battalion commander two years later, his soldiers revered him as a leader that lead from the front, always chewing a large cigar in combat. They called him “Black Mike” for the heavy black mustache he grew in Africa. His war lasted until his arm was severely wounded in mid July of 1944 in France. He stayed in the Army as a reserves commander until 1973, reaching the rank of Major General. He passed away in 1994 and was buried at Fort Douglass having earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with Valor, and two Purple Hearts. Under his command, three of his men would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Pictured – General Eddy awards Major Kauffman the Silver Star in Cefalu, Sicily in September of 1943. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626319838253-OFQRZ4TMLM9RCI7W9LMP/MattUrban.jpg Tunisia - Captain Urban Commander of F Company 2nd Battalion – 60th Infantry Regiment Captain Matt Urban is a legend. His actions in the 60th Infantry left him recognized later in life as one of the most decorated soldiers of the war, earning nearly as many medals as the famed Audie Murphy: The Medal of Honor, 2 Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars, and 7 Purple Hearts to Murphy’s 3. He was born to Polish immigrants in Buffalo, NY and graduated from Cornell University in 1941 as a member of the ROTC with accomplishments as a track athlete and boxer. Incredibly, Matt Urban survived the war, taking command of the 2nd Battalion after Mike Kauffman’s replacement, Major Max Wolf, was killed in early August near Vire, France. Urban was only 24 years old at the time and had just survived a shrapnel wound that almost pierced his heart days earlier. Shrapnel would wound him again nearly a week later. His numerous Purple Hearts earned him the nickname “The Ghost”. In Belgium in early September of 1944, he was shot through the neck and was given last rites on the battlefield. He recovered and returned to the 2nd Battalion in December with a rank promotion to Major. Once again, his soldiers all believed he had died. He couldn’t speak due to his throat injury, but stayed with the battalion until they returned to England. Pictured – Matt Urban at Fort Bragg before going oversees. At the time he was 2nd Lieutenant and a platoon leader in D Company - 60th Infantry Regiment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626319865305-BWV302REKNX4AXPA82NR/MattUrban_2.jpg Tunisia After the war, he continued with the Army as a writer, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and retired in February of 1946. He spent his later life as a coach in Michigan for many sports, but especially boxing. As part of the Olympic Committee in 1960, he accompanied a young fighter named Cassius Clay to the U.S Olympic team finals in San Francisco. Matt Urban died from a collapsed lung due to his war wounds in 1995 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Pictured – Matt Urban receiving the Medal of Honor from President Carter on July 19th, 1980. His recommendation for the medal by Max Wolf had been lost in the chaos of battle reporting, taking nearly four decades to be awarded. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626144340593-0GNC9C95E77IVMQX4TIZ/MuleTrain.png Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: The mule train on the supply route taking up supplies to the 60th Infantry on April 26, 1943. Right: The body of a deceased American is brought down on the back of a mule from the hills of Northern Tunisia on April 25, 1943. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626143237031-N1VFKQ2AEY0R05V0GQJA/SedjenaneValleyMap1.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: The map of the Allied front around the end of April with the position of the 60th Infantry in blue and their eventual route to liberate the city of Bizerte. Right: A map from the San Francisco Examiner on April 23, 1943 showing the progress of the Allies as they squeezed the Germans, marching closer to Tunis and Bizerte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626142975106-CDGFAUJ3NHI6ZQS96TK9/SedjenaneValleyMap2.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627357913917-ZRWQC72TDG5XCQLI2UU2/LawrencePresidentialUnitCitation.png Tunisia - Lawrence’s Distinguished Unit Citation Pin for 24 April 1943 Now known as the Presidential Unit Citation, the DUC was created on May 30, 1942. The degree of valor is the same as the individual award of either the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, or Navy Cross. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626367910246-YD334GEBBQGRVFHZP8IK/9thBizerte_2.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: Italian prisoners captured by the 9th Infantry on May 1st. Right: 9th Infantry troops move through the heavily bombed city of Bizerte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628909469251-F3LH3J36CO7KF23MGFUW/22840.jpg Tunisia https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626369626497-03WWXQENWYXNMDPZZ25I/9thBizerte_3.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: The ruins of Bizerte. Right: Newspapers across the country announce the total victory in Africa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626367047782-6MVF4MUNCKDR2PRADUUY/9thBizerte.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Men of the 60th Infantry Regiment march along the last of the hills in Tunisia before descending into Bizerte on May 7, 1943. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626702190737-BLMCL7G9ZGQNFA96Y0XJ/Pyle.jpg Tunisia - Of all the war correspondents, Ernie Pyle elevated to celebrity status with his reporting. He was considered by many soldiers as the only reporter that understood them. His quiet manner and knack for small talk over cigarettes allowed him greater access than the agressive reporters grabbing quotes for deadlines. He lived as close to the front lines whenever possible and endeared himself especially to his favorite soldier: the infantryman. For Ernie, the infantryman deserved the most sympathy and praise. He wrote extensively about them, with brutal honesty about the grim duty they were assigned – an honestly that both the public and the enlisted appreciated. Ernie spent much of the Tunisian Campaign embedded with the 1st Infantry, just to the right flank of the 9th. Later in Normandy, he would be embedded with the 9th for many days and nights. In April 1945, Pyle was killed in action by a Japanese machine gun on Okinawa while embedded with the 77th Infantry Division. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626764546811-H72UAADYJ1Z1A9YHO7V8/AlgeriaMap.jpg Tunisia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626379962742-HXRYTXQOXN79DYFEID2C/AinElTurck_2.png Tunisia - Make it stand out Top Left: The coastline of Ain el Turck. Top Right: The church Salle S’Maurice in Ain el Turck, likely a church Lawrence and Martin visited. Bottom: Enlisted men play a game of baseball. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626377828446-Y33RTT30K6GL1TGKGKTH/AinElTurck_Hospital.png Tunisia - Make it stand out Left: The 12th General Hospital in Ain el Turck on July 27th, where Lawrence visited his friend three days prior to this shot. Right: 12th General chief nurse Katherine Baltz (left) poses for a picture with a colleague. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/sicily daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910156283-LMXGYGIZT0ZUXMUDMEP3/9thDivisonSicilyMap_1.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627011882048-UA9YYUUJRIAYPWBA9U72/9thDivisonSicilyMap_2.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626834392491-Q7RWCMLFCZHTC88P7YD2/Troina_Capa.png Sicily - Make it stand out LIFE Magazine photographer Robert Capa was embedded with the 1st Infantry Division during the battle of Troina. The four images above show the men of the 1st moving in and occupying the town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626910115420-54NB236X2KXS5GW63TM8/Goumier001.png Sicily - Throughout the mountain fighting by the 9th Infantry in Africa and Sicily, the Corps Franc d’Afrique was attached to them. In that outfit of compiled mercenaries were the Tabour of Goums. They were a Berber tribe of mountaineers, fierce warriors clad in robes and sandals whose expertise at mountain fighting was a great weapon for the Allied advancement. They could hike over 50 miles without stopping and were experts at moving without making a sound. Their phantom stalking technique terrified the German and Italian troops. The American soldiers had much difficulty getting use to these soldiers. They spoke no English or French, instead they ran their finger or a branch lightly over a soldier’s helmet to communicate their presence nearby. They carried rifles of all sorts and a Koumia, a 10-inch blade they used to slit the throats of the enemy, usually by slipping past the front lines in total darkness and reaching the enemy’s camps. A legend grew amongst the Americans that the Goums were paid by the amount of enemy ears they sliced off. Many soldiers wrote about seeing the Goums with strings of ears around their necks and trading them as souvenirs to the Americans. In fact, the brutal picture the Americans made of the Goums was fairly accurate. They routinely looted the bodies they killed, taking gold teeth especially. They were also allowed to bring their wives along in battle to prevent their tendencies to rape and pillage in each town along their path. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1626958593712-GYBF6016IUPFB4DIP6T1/RaceToMessina.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1629063066333-RSZ83K7HB0XULBAABVFH/CefaluInteriorModernDay.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627321081507-1HWXKA91OKD3V8V5ZFTD/9thInfantry_Cefalu_Cathedral.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Above: Interior shot in the Cefalu Cathedral from 1943. Below: Modern day images of Cefalu, the cathedral’s facade, and the interior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627320258654-YKR94NZ8TSR0OIPDNF76/9thInfantry_Cefalu_Patton.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out The entire 9th Infantry gather at their camp outside of Cefalu to hear General Patton’s address to them. The 60th’s 2nd Battalion Commander Major “Black Mike” Kauffman can be seen up front on the left with his iconic mustache and cigar hanging from his mouth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910372696-OB338X4760KEJIJW8DPU/Cefalu_wwii_1943.png Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627320667987-XFW2Q0O3BQS91N4HTZOV/9thInfantry_Cefalu_VictoryParade.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out The 9th Infantry victory parade after their arrival to Cefalu. The men are on the front steps leading to the Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910401336-4I1X9SMZLEM77M3JCIZC/Lawrence_Gunderson_9thInfantry_Palermo_1943.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627014556369-U84OSMMG0ZXELN65X2GW/PalermoHankerchief_LawrenceGunderson.png Sicily - Make it stand out A handkerchief bought by Lawrence in Palermo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627011576755-Y312T81975HF8BSHKQ3R/PortaNuova_Medal_LawrenceGunderson.jpg Sicily - Make it stand out Left: The Porta Nuova in modern day, Lawrence would have been standing to the right in the picture where the street lamp is. Right: The Good Conduct Medal he was awarded. Location of the uniform pin is unknown. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/normandy daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628550225506-6SRAFUFK765XHN6PWNG8/Bazooka_9thInfantry.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out A 9th Infantry bazooka team waits for a clean shot on a German tank. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627706451593-4FAX7ILNY5Z8GYECT376/HedgerowFightingGermans.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628373185686-4TWMB3QYY6U6OL9J7VW7/FinalDriveOnCherbourg.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628549094054-2T4VQBA3219L8IR95TH6/IMG_0952.png Normandy - Make it stand out Above left: A Ninth Air Force bomber over the Hague Peninsula after dropping over the coastal battery at Auderville in the distance. Above right: Railway guns near Laye on the peninsula that fired constantly at the 9th Infantry until they took the position on June 30. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628380743973-TUUOV9H4RJ3TTP4AP8PQ/DouveRiver_TerrainMap.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Looking west from Renouf towards Néhou showing the fields Lawrence fought through in the center of the map. The endless maze of hedgerows made for lethal small arms battles between infantry units, with little high ground to observe the enemy. Many times, you heard the enemy before you ever saw him. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628202031582-X1KF7CEZ8SCT1ZEFQZYY/JohnEButts_ECompany.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910712850-KOADG4NLZF8Q4D999FHN/IMG_0950.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628151197249-FWVI6AH6ARF48OTA19AD/cutting-the-peninsula.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Above: Map of the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula showing the 2nd Battalion’s drive to Hill 145 and their attack on the German’s attempt to breakout from Bricquebec. Below left: Map of the open hills surrounding Cherbourg. The blue circle highlights the 2nd Battalion’s area of battle and the stubborn high ground northwest of Flottemanville-Hague. Below right: Members of the French Underground meet with a captain and lieutenant of the 9th Infantry outside of Cherbourg. The information the Underground provided to troops in France was instrumental to their success, sometimes shortening a battle by days and saving an untold amount of American lives. The Underground operated in small cells of 5 men, non of which knew the identity of anyone in the other cells. When liberated, they came out wearing armbands to identify their allegiance, sometimes surprised to see their own neighbors were also in the Underground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628383932969-GDCY6M5A9I3B76ET3BO1/Cherbourg_June27_1944.png Normandy - Make it stand out Above (L to R): A company invading Cherbourg advance through a field of dead Germans and cows on the 27th. Troops encounter General von Schlieben and Admiral Walter Hennecke as they surrender. 9th Infantry General Manton Eddy communicating with his officers outside of Cherbourg. Eddy traveling in a jeep with von Schlieben after his surrender. Troops lead lines of surrendering Germans from the city. A captain stands near the body of a German defender in the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910493340-5B9PNTJDALF3AROR9539/D-Dayplus4.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628153497717-SWN0Y11AV2JIE25SFCGB/HedgerowFighting.png Normandy - Make it stand out Above: American riflemen moving through the hedgerows in Normandy. Below Left: A German machine gun nest buried in the hedgerows. Below Right: German troops rush to battle in Montebourg, just north of Ste. Mère Église. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628152455177-ERHEEEOSU4GDCKZJ6H1B/AntiTankCrew_16June.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628550539031-4H5JN2LD73K3XBDJLOQ4/UtahBeach_9thInfantry.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627790149455-BK5APG8CYQRVH9HSNJNY/BridgeToday.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Above: The third bridge, present day, looking west towards Néhou. Note the original stone walls still remain on the river banks, but modern fences show where the bridge was blown. In the distance you can see the bell tower of the church in Néhou where the Germans sighted their fire on E and F Company stranded along the road and in the fields ahead. Below: 9th Infantry soldiers anticipating the enemy in the fields around St. Sauveur Le Vicomte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628380713291-D5075661UVH8TNNU7N69/DoveRiverBattle.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out A 1944 recon photo of the bridges between Nehou and Ste. Colombe prior to the June 6 invasion. The rivers were larger at the time of the June 16th battle, due to the German’s strategic flooding of all Normandy rivers as a defensive tactic. The building in the center was a creamery, which helped provide cover to the scattered men of E and F company. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910525737-C4C8ZCSJCD60RA5UAVJ2/9thInfantry_UtahBeach.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Above: The 9th Infantry making their way up Utah Beach past the anti-tank walls. Below left: More troops unload from the landing crafts onto Utah Beach. Below Right: Men of the 9th Infantry Division march off the beach towards the front lines near Ste. Marie-du-Mont. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628110582398-4MC95E5QOQMQXTZCTJ3Y/9thInfantry_StSauveurVicomte.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1629063806207-LAL28817UN05ZLJLNRQK/CrossingtheDouveRiver.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out The first days of battle for the 60th in Normandy are highlighted in light blue. The ‘3 Bridges’ is where the Douve River crosses the main road towards Barneville, making that position imperative to getting tanks and trucks across. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628643318895-MEU7YW98G206TKGSXD3P/July241944.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Map showing the front lines in late July, just prior to the Operation Cobra ‘Breakout’. The location of Lawrence’s F Company is shown by the black ‘F’. The blue rectangle behind the German line shows the area of the planned bombing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628910625473-4MUHOMI08X5OQ1U4Y56I/IMG_0960.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628629006127-BB0651S9KN9IHUI18SNQ/LawrenceGunderson_BronzeStar.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628733526222-PACH74MJ3J28LM25FAF6/Cobra1.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Infantrymen scramble to dig out soldiers trapped in their foxholes after the bombing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/3a4712a8-bf70-4b86-a11c-acada8db40f4/GeneralMap1.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/4f88f73e-f1db-48f8-868e-bc1fb8dab5c3/SpecificMap1.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628825106499-NK1MXNDRXA12KIDK66FA/LawrenceGunderson_DSC.png Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/f3803e8a-e19c-43c1-a037-b923b811a61e/LawrenceWGundersonAction.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1630112194472-LG4QCQB8AU0B71Z9T8YZ/CobraMovement.png Normandy - Make it stand out 9th Division infantrymen push forward through the hedgerows in late July. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/a3296547-eef1-4931-b476-1187db8817ec/PresentDay.jpg Normandy - Make it stand out A present day image of the woods and orchards. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/england daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627326446384-PL25S9M9D6WIN0N8440U/IMG_0926.png England - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627361445045-O0CABH65IBBJZF9Q0VIS/60thInfantry_Churchill.png England - Make it stand out On March 24th, the Ninth was visited in Winchester by Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower, General Bradley, and General Collins. The second image shows Churchill and Eisenhower reviewing Lawrence’s F Company. Captain Matt Urban is standing at attention on the far left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627358608953-XYL3LIPO99F666ABSJZ8/IMG_0773.jpg England - Make it stand out Above: Likely one of the pictures Lawrence had taken in England. The location of the picture he describes in the April 8th letter showing his medals is unknown. The dark blue pin he writes about is the Distinguished Unit Citation awarded to the 2nd Battalion for their defense of Djebel Dardyss in Tunisia. Below Right: General Bradley presenting the D.U.C to the 60th Infantry 2nd Battalion at their Winchester Barracks. Below Right: Lawrence’s ETO medal he describes in the April 8th letter. It’s the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. There is one star device on it, though there should be four stars on it representing Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, and Northern France. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627358674181-TRR68ITAFLV6J745DA6U/WinchesterEngland_60thInf_DUC.png England - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627361806860-1OZ2YFJY8UIN9UUNPXMV/IMG_0928.jpg England - Make it stand out 9th Infantry soldiers take cover during a training exercise. By April of 1944, training was intensifying for all units in England. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1630115005145-KZ7L1PF06IXIZ8BEKNY3/WalthamWatch_1943.png England - Make it stand out The Waltham watch gifted to him by Aunt Lizzy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1627361832462-7EZ5VH7WHQ8HEJI3DG6G/IMG_0929.jpg England - Make it stand out General Eddy addresses one of his 9th Infantry companies days before the D-Day invasion. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/minnesota daily 0.75 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628962974039-DRA0D93ME3JHK91P9XHN/LawrenceGunderson_GenUlio.png Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628963354855-R0PDRIXF4PEG0M2ENWM4/LawrenceGunderson_GenWitsell.png Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628978972250-OYI07XMO52TGEG6EWET7/LawrenceGunderson_GenRoderick.png Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1629060727742-34RFPBQO1UH7EJ2EJEQC/Documents.png Minnesota - Make it stand out Above: A newspaper clipping found with the letters showing the St. Mère Église Cementary with a person’s notation that Lawrence was buried there. He was eventually moved back to Stillwater. Below that are the two service flags that hung from the window of the Gunderson farm. Each family hung these up in their windows during the war to show how many sons were in the military. The three blue stars represented the three Gunderson brothers. Lawrence’s star has the gold patch sewn on to indicate his death. The gold star red flag also represented a son had died. Below: The collection of Lawrence’s medals and uniform pins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628979320729-IDCWV28F1DTITPFMRSQO/LawrenceGunderson_Insurance.png Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fcd316e190b057dd3785240/1628981277980-AT8F2Z01LHGIZ22I1IA3/LawrenceWGunderson_WWII_Medals.jpg Minnesota - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.lettersfromlawrence.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-01-05