Diary of Captain Edward C. Piech,

The diary of Edward C. Piech spans most of his career in the United States Army Air Force from 1942 - 1944. It contains basic entries of Piech's daily activities (i.e. meals he ate, movies seen, people met, magazines/book read, games played), military duties (i.e. flights/missions, travel depots), and personal insights (i.e. opinions, feelings, or family events). There are a few entries of Piech's awards, but not all of them are noted (i.e. dates he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross or 3 of 4 Oak Leaf Clusters). Towards the end of 1944, Piech's entries dwindled to "no time to write" statements, which is nonetheless useful when constructing Piech's experiences during the war. His experiences were noted within the context of the chronology of World War II in order to best reflect Piech's position as a participant, and to provide a broad sense of Piech's actions during the war. It is also a means of marking the most significant points in the war in relation to the military's (in this case the U.S.A.A.F.) operations.

Such source provides valuable information about the experiences of a bombardier in World War II, and the extent of a tour of duty. Although each individual's experiences are different, Piech's diary acts as a stepping stone to how those who served lived through the war's darker sides. In addition, it is unique to note that Piech, despite being in the middle of war, managed to notice the stars at night, the number of letters he received/wrote, buddies whom he met or lost, what he thought of movies he had seen or books he read. Although Piech was part of the largest war the world had ever experienced, he nevertheless made the best of the situation, which earned him several awards and promotions, and even brought him into love.

This information is not only valuable to historians of the war, but to anyone intrigued with the social, psychological, political, cultural, economic, and military aspects of war life. Additional information to complement Piech's diary can be found in the Oral History Archives of World War II. Additional collections about World War II can also be found throughout the Rutgers University Libraries, in the Center for Historical Studies on College Avenue Campus, and Special Collections and University Archives in Alexander Library.