White Masculinity in 1930s America

 

As a teenager, I had felt a strong sense of obligation to join the armed forces and follow a sort of family tradition. Several people in my family served in the military in some capacity, most notably my grandfather who served in the US Army. Seventy-two years before I embarked on my journey into the US Army, my grandfather, Thaddeus “Ted” Michael Colchiski, started his. Six years before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Colchiski joined the Army and simultaneously sought to become a candidate of the US Military Academy at West Point. His journey to attend the Academy, the early part of his military career, and his love life can help provide some insight into the social environment of young white men in the late 1930s and early 1940s. His family has maintained an archive of Colchiski’s personal and military documents and photos that I will use to provide such an analysis.  

            Colchiski graduated from New Castle High School in June 1934, at which time he began writing his Congressional representative to sponsor his candidacy to the US Military Academy at West Point.  Representative Charles R. Eckert from the 28th District of Pennsylvania wrote to Colchiski on January 11, 1935, at which point Eckert provided a pamphlet “giving instructions and regulations governing the admission of candidates to the Academy.”[1]The pamphlet states, “Prospective cadets should be good students, physically fit, and mentally sound.”[2] Fitness was an important part of Colchiski’s entire life, even as an older man. According to Colchiski’s children, he was on the high school wrestling team and almost made it to the 1936 Olympics. Colchiski, by all accounts, was also a good student. One newspaper clipping from the family archive confirms that Colchiski graduated high school with high honors.[3]Additionally, in a letter to University of Florida graduate school, Colchiski writes that he “graduated sixth in a class of 272 from high school [and]…received gold medal for highest average in math and sciences.”[4] Mental soundness is a difficult thing for historians to examine about historical figures without a plethora of evidence. No such documents exist that I can point to that provides empirical evidence that Colchiski was “mentally sound.” The Academy pamphlet does not define what “mentally sound” entails which leads me to believe that is more of a subjective requirement which necessitated interviews of cadets from some government agent. What I can speak to, is that in 1938 Colchiski received a letter from Colonel John B. Richards of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution outlining why he was selected for the prestigious Knox Medal.[5] In the letter, Richards writes that Colchiski was selected because of his character and conduct.[6] This is a clear indication that Colchiski was mentally sound enough to attend the Academy. Furthermore, Representative Eckert must have found Colchiski to have all three of these qualities because in December 1935, Eckert wrote to Colchiski stating he was to take “an examination given by the Civil Service Commission to aid [Eckert] in the selection of the best candidates for appointment.”[7] Colchiski passed the examination and moved on in the selection process in 1936 where he went to the Academy campus and began the admission process.

            Studying Colchiski’s path to admission to the US Military Academy (USMA) can help us to understand some of 1930s American society. The USMA, as with other parts of American society, was dominated by the white hegemonic culture. In the 1930s USMA yearbooks, not a single person of color can be seen.[8] This is not because African American men could not attend the Academy, but rather because they were not chosen by a government agent, such as Representative Eckert. In 1877, Henry Flipper was the first African American man to graduate from the Academy, which proves that in the 1930s African American men could attend and graduate from the Academy, but they were disregarded by the white government agents in favor of other white men. To be clear, there is no evidence to suggest that in the 28th district of Pennsylvania, Colchiski was chosen over Black men to be a candidate for the Academy. I am also in no way suggesting that Colchiski felt that he was entitled to attend the Academy based on the color of his skin. I am simply inserting Colchiski into the broader American system of oppression of people of color. Colchiski even being considered to attend the Academy shows that his race considerably affected his lot in life. Furthermore, it was not until the bicentennial, in 1976, that women were authorized to be admitted to USMA. This means that Colchiski, —along with all other candidates to attend and graduates of the Academy—was of a certain societal status that gave him a considerable advantage. This is not to say that the men that were given the chance to attend the Academy did not work hard or could not fail out of the Academy, but it is to say that these white men were given an opportunity that all others were not, the ability to attend one of the most prestigious schools in the country. 

I have established that Colchiski was given this great opportunity because of his gender and race, but why, with all of the other opportunities he was given, did he want to join the Army and attend the Academy? The answer, I believe, is because of his perception of masculinity. Shortly before Colchiski began his correspondence with Representative Eckert, Colchiski’s father, Mieczyslaw, came down with some sort of illness and was dead by January 1935, at 53 years old.[9] Mieczyslaw’s death must have had a significant impact on Colchiski. However, his children have maintained that the relationship between Colchiski and his father was strained for reasons that are unknown. Mieczyslaw was a low-wage laborer from the point he entered the United States from Eastern Europe in the first few years of the twentieth century to his death. This could have been a point of contention between the two because Colchiski saw that his father was unable to provide for his mother and three older sisters, a trait that Colchiski could have interpreted as weakness. It is possible that Colchiski saw the military as an exit from his father’s life of constant financial struggle, and thus the military helped to provide a strong sense of masculinity. Additionally, Colchiski could have seen the Army as a way to take care of his mother who was in her late 40s by the time of his father’s death. Mieczyslaw’s death is a likely contributor to Colchiski’s vision of masculinity and what joining the Army meant to him. 

Colchiski’s family dynamic was also a contributing factor to his vision of masculinity. It is unknown if Mieczyslaw had some sort of direct impact on Colchiski’s decision to apply for candidacy or to join the Army. What is clear, though, is that he had a good relationship with his mother who he kept in contact with throughout the war.[10]Colchiski had three older sisters and was the only son in a working-class Polish family in rural Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. He was also a first-generation American and the only child that could carry on the Colchiski name, which must have had some influence on his vision of what it meant to be a man. Born in January 1916 as Fadeusz Colcheske, his name was later changed to the “Colchiski” spelling after his parents became naturalized U.S. citizens in the mid-1920s.[11] Colchiski was about nine years old when his parents were naturalized, which means that he would have had a clear memory of the happiness the family must have felt, but more importantly he would have remembered his name changing. After Mieczyslaw’s death, it is possible that Colchiski felt that it was his duty to fulfill the role as the man of the family. Consider that in the American culture of the 1930s, “self-making [was] traditionally…regarded as the hegemonic ideal of American masculinity.”[12] One of President Roosevelt’s main reasons for instituting the New Deal was to put men back to work and revitalize the masculine image of American men.[13] Colchiski’s connection to the 1930s American culture of masculine hegemony could explain why he was so drawn to military service. 

Colchiski’s military record up to the United States entering World War II helps us to further understand the social context of white men that were preparing to enter into one of the most seminal events in human history. Colchiski entered into the service in July 1935 as a Private, and by 1936 his aspiration to attend the Academy had faded after he was denied entry due to a dental defect.[14] As mentioned above, in 1938 Colchiski was awarded the Knox Medal. This award was given for outstanding performance at the Coast Artillery School Detachment at Fort Monroe, VA. The Knox Medal was a “much coveted [award] and the competition for it marked by keen application to duty”.[15] This achievement is well documented in multiple sources including in two publications The Coast Artillery Journal in January and Recruiting News United States Army in June 1939.[16] Colchiski being featured in The Coast Artillery Journal is especially interesting because there is no other person of low military rank featured in the journal. In fact, Colchiski was “one of the youngest Artillerymen ever receiving the individual award.”[17] The Knox Medal and his attendance at an Army clerical school in 1936 greatly impacted his career progression. By 1941, Colchiski “received [his] reserve commission” to Second Lieutenant and was quickly activated to active-duty status.[18] Colchiski attributes his commission to Army officer “as a direct result of [Captain Lyman Lemnitzer’s] efforts on [his] behalf.”[19] This sort of promotion was relatively rare before the United States was fully involved in World War II. This type of promotion, however, should not be confused with a different kind of Army promotion system known as “temporary promotions.” These types of promotions were “for the duration of the present emergency” and that “all promotions of officers of the Army will be temporary promotions” as is detailed in Army Regulation 605-12 (August 1944).[20] Meaning, Colchiski’s pre-war promotion to commissioned officer was relatively unique and was furnished by Lemnitzer.[21] It cannot, however, be left unstated that more than likely much of his success in the early part of his career was, in a large part, due to race and gender.

In July 1948, President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which forced the armed services to desegregate and “that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”[22] This was an incredible achievement for the equality of Black service members throughout the entire military. Prior to the order and The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, units within the Army were segregated by color and sex.[23]  Colchiski’s unit, the 213th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft), was strictly white and strictly male. This brings to light two important insights into Colchiski’s military career and his social standing. First, being in an all-white and male unit indicates that his performance as an enlisted soldier was significant compared to his enlisted peers. While Colchiski was well-connected with Lemnitzer, Lemnitzer was not the one that would have authorized Colchiski to become a commissioned officer, that would have been someone of a much higher rank in the chain of command. Thus, Colchiski must have greatly impressed his superior officers with his knowledge, performance, and military bearing, among other things. Second, Colchiski’s role as a white man in an oppressive white hegemonic society allowed him to be in such a place and time in the first place. Without the tone of his skin and his gender, Colchiski would likely have never met Lemnitzer, or any of the other Army officers that gave him his promotion. Furthermore, if Colchiski had been a Black man and had met Lemnitzer, regulations of the Army would have prevented Colchiski from entering into such a position. If Colchiski had been a woman of any color he would not have been allowed to work in any capacity in the artillery units. Beyond his gender and his race and the impacts it had on his opportunities in the military and his life, the love for his wife Amelia was a great impact on him and his future. 

On the surface, Colchiski was a dedicated, motivated, and strong-willed soldier, but his personal feelings about military service were much deeper and negative than it might appear by only examining his military achievements. If we move away from Colchiski’s military career and into his love life, we can see a different side of him. He met his wife sometime in the 1930s. There is no confirmation as to how or when they met. But we can imagine that, since Amelia was from a Slavic family, they met through familial ties. Amelia was three years younger than Colchiski, and family lore says that Amelia never attended high school, thus the most likely scenario is the parents of the two knew each other. It is clear after reading only three letters from Colchiski to Amelia that they were madly in love, even while he was traveling the country training for war. In a letter dated March 3, 1941, he wrote to Amelia, “Those two pictures you sent me a couple of weeks ago are the nicest you ever took and I’m sure proud of you. They are always on my shelf where I can see them every time I go in or out.” He continues, “You sure are writing plenty of letters and please keep it up, dear, because many, many times I get so tired and sick of everything, and I need something to cheer me up and your letters usually come on time.”[24] The first quote shows just how thankful Colchiski was to have her in his life. Yet, the tone shifts in the second quote—it is the very next sentence in the letter —to a more somber tone in which he indicates that his work is tough and that her being away is difficult for him to bare. Later on, in the same letter, this somber tone is emphasized when he says, “I don’t see why you wish me luck since it is this job that is keeping us apart.” This is a significant quote because it reveals a different side of Colchiski, the side that is upset that his job is keeping him from the woman he loves. Even after all of the accolades Colchiski received up to this point, nothing in his military career could make up for the yearning to be with Amelia. 

It appears that marriage was an important topic between the two of them. Although Amelia and Colchiski eventually married on January 9, 1942, it was not without first overcoming some tribulation. Prior to their marriage, Colchiski and Amelia were forced to postpone their wedding due to his military career. In a letter dated February 6, 1941, Colchiski wrote, “The only thing I didn’t want to say in the [last] letter is that I changed my mind about getting married. I mean right away.”[25] Colchiski continues on that something happened in the Army, and he must remain unmarried for a while longer. Colchiski is clearly referring to his promotion to commissioned officer, which coincides with a 1941 military yearbook which shows that Colchiski was a Second Lieutenant and Adjutant.[26] Colchiski experienced a conflict of two intertwined masculine identities: the identity of a man being the leader of the house in which marriage was expected and his military career in which service to the nation was unquestionably a masculine trait. This conflict would have been furthered when Colchiski responded to a dinner dance invitation from Colonel John E. Stoddard of the 214th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) in May 1941. Colchiski accepted the invitation to attend, however, he advised Stoddard that he was “not married and [could not] bring a wife.”[27] The personal invitation from such a high-ranking officer certainly served Colchiski’s masculine identity found in his military service, however, his inability to claim a wife undermined the masculine identity he had found while providing for his family in his younger years. Military dinner dances, or balls, were, and still are, rife with military tradition and socializing, which would have driven these conflicting identities and led to a whirlwind of emotions. This identity confliction would have only been compounded by the emotional hurt Colchiski would have felt without having Amelia there. It is unclear, though, what he was feeling because we have no records of his emotional state during this time, but we can imagine it must have been a trying time for him. 

In any event, sometime in late 1941, after Colchiski completed his training at Camp (now Fort) Stewart, Georgia, he transferred to the 214th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) and was stationed at Fort Totten, New York City. Colchiski’s children are uncertain if Amelia moved to New York City to live with him, but the two married in early 1942 at Fort Totten Chapel. There is one important entry on their marriage certificate that stands out as further evidence of Colchiski’s military dedication, as well as the gender roles of the time. Above the “BRIDE” line, Colchiski wrote “Miss Amelia Hope Slavic.” However, he gives a special distinction to his military rank on the line titled “GROOM.” He could have written “Mr. Thaddeus M. Colchiski,” but he instead chose to write out his military rank, “Lieutenant”.[28] This further exemplifies the two conflicting loves Colchiski felt throughout 1941.  On the one hand, he loved Amelia and wanted her “wrist [to be] as close as the watch is to [his] wrist.”[29] On the other hand, he wanted to have a successful military career that meant a lot to him. 

Thaddeus Michael Colchiski’s life just before World War II helps to give us insight into the life of a young white man during the 1930s and early 1940s. Colchiski’s life up to this point was filled with sorrow from the death of his father to great joy that derived from the marriage to a woman he deeply loved. While it is unknown how much his father influenced his decision to pursue the military as a career, Mieczyslaw must have had an indirect impact on Colchiski’s life because of his occupation and social standing in society. It is absolutely clear and certain that Colchiski’s race and gender played a significant role in what he was allowed to pursue. Considering that the Academy was exclusively for white men in the 1930s and that the Army was segregated by race and gender, Colchiski stood a much greater chance at finding the success he had. It would be unacceptable, though, to assume that he did not have to work hard and prove himself to his superiors to receive the commission. In fact, this further proves Colchiski’s insistence to achieve his perception of peak masculinity drove him to work harder and outperform his white, male peers. Colchiski does downplay his success a bit in a letter to Amelia when he states, “I forgot to send the order making me Adjutant…Well here it is and you can be proud of it because I am. It is somewhat of an honor. I happened to be on the spot when they needed such a man and here I am.”[30] Such a man indeed. Colchiski’s identity conflict was resolved in 1947 when Colchiski exited service, and he decided to embrace his masculine identity as a leader of his household. In a series of family photos, one can see the absolute dedication to Amelia he had up until his death in 2001. In one letter, and fitting for an ending to this essay, he signs off by writing “forever and faithfully yours, Ted.”[31]

Bibliography

Armengol, Josep M. “Gendering the Great Depression: Rethinking the Male Body in 1930s American Culture and Literature.” Journal of Gender Studies 23, no. 1 (January 2, 2013): 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2012.750237.

Colchiski Family Archive (Physical Record), Puyallup, WA, “Affidavit for License to Marry,” 1942.

———. "Certificate of Birth for Thaddeus," 1916.

———. Colchiski, Thaddeus. Letter to University of Florida Graduate School. “Application for Admission to Graduate School.” Letter, March 16, 1964.

———. Eckert, Charles R. Letter to Thaddeus Colchiski. “Civil Service Preliminary Examination.” Letter, December 17, 1935.

———. Letter to Adjutant General. “Requisition of Financial Compensation for Education.” Letter, July 23, 1963.

———. Letter to John E. Stoddard. “Invitation Acceptance.” Letter, May 12, 1941.

———. Letter to Ted Colchiski. “Examination for Appointment to the Military Academy.” Letter, January 11, 1935.

———. “The United States Military Academy,” 1935.

———. Newspaper clipping of "New Castle High School honors students," 1935. 

———. Sunderland, A.H. Letter to John B. Richards. “Knox Medal Award Letter.” Letter, December 5, 1938.

Colchiski Family Archive (Digital Record), Mieczyslaw and Mary, Puyallup, WA, "Certificate of Naturalization for Mary," 1925. 

———. "Certificate of Naturalization for Mieczyslaw," 1924. 

———. "Death certificate of Mieczyslaw Kaulczycki," 1935.  

Colchiski Family Archive (Digital Record), Thaddeus Military Records, Puyallup, WA, "Application for WWII Compensation," 1950.  

Colchiski Family Archive (Digital Record), Thaddeus Personal Records, Letters, Puyallup, WA, "First Letter to Amelia from Ted," February 6, 1941.  

———. "Letter to Ted from Mary," 1945. 

———. "Second Letter to Amelia from Ted," March 3, 1941.  

———."Third Letter to Amelia from Ted," March 22, 1941. 

Crane, Conrad, Jessica Sheets, Michael Lynch, and Shane Reilly. “Temporary Promotions of U.S. Army Officers: A Brief Overview.” Carlisle, PA: US Army Heritage and Education, https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/documents/Temporary_Promotions_of_U.S._Army_Officers.pdf.

Historical and Pictorial Review: Antiaircraft Training Center. Camp Stewart, GA, 1941, fold3.com.

Moffitt, Lester W. “Knox Trophy Awarded Outstanding Batteries of Artillery Arms.” United States Army Recruiting News XXI, no. 6 (June 1939): 10, 18.

“Our Documents - Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948).” www.ourdocuments.gov, n.d. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc_large_image.php?flash=false&doc=84.

Smith, Edwin M., ed. The 1935 Howitzer. Buffalo, NY: Baker, Jones, Hausauer, Inc, 1935. http://www.e-yearbook.com/sp/eybb.

“The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act.” U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, 2019. https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/congress-and-world-wars-part-2/womens-armed-services-integration-act.

Toftoy, Captain H.N. “The Knox Trophy.” The Coast Artillery Journal LXXXII, no. 1 (January 1939): 74

Notes

[1] Charles R. Eckert to Ted Colchiski, “Examination for Appointment to the Military Academy,” Letter, January 11, 1935.

[2] “The United States Military Academy Pamphlet,” Colchiski Family Archive (Puyallup, WA, 1935).

[3] “Newspaper clipping of New Castle High School honors students,” Colchiski Family Archives (Puyallup, WA, 1935).

[4] Thaddeus Colchiski to University of Florida Graduate School, “Application for Admission to Graduate School,” Letter, March 16, 1964.

[5] A.H. Sunderland to John B. Richards, “Knox Medal Award Letter,” Letter, December 5, 1938.

[6] A.H. Sunderland to John B. Richards, 1938.

[7] Charles R. Eckert to Thaddeus Colchiski, “Civil Service Preliminary Examination,” Letter, December 17, 1935.

[8] Edwin M. Smith, ed., The 1935 Howitzer (Buffalo, NY: Baker, Jones, Hausauer, Inc, 1935), http://www.e-yearbook.com/sp/eybb, this site is located behind a pay wall.  

[9] “Death certificate of Mieczyslaw Kaulczycki,” Colchiski Family Archive, Mieczyslaw and Mary (Puyallup, WA, 1935).

[10] “Letter to Ted from Mary,” Colchiski Family Archive, Thaddeus Personal Records, Letters (Puyallup, WA, 1945)

[11] “Certificate of Birth for Thaddeus,” Colchiski Family Archive (Puyallup, WA, 1916); Certificate of Naturalization for Mieczyslaw, Colchiski Family Archive, Mieczyslaw and Mary (Puyallup, WA, 1924); Certificate of Naturalization for Mary, Colchiski Family Archive, Mieczyslaw and Mary (Puyallup, WA, 1925). 

[12] Josep M. Armengol, “Gendering the Great Depression: Rethinking the Male Body in 1930s American Culture and Literature,” Journal of Gender Studies 23, no. 1 (January 2, 2013): 59–68, https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2012.750237.

[13] Josep M. Armengol, “Gendering the Great Depression.” 

[14]Application for WWII Compensation, Colchiski Family Archive, Thaddeus Military Records (Puyallup, WA, 1950); Captain H.N. Toftoy, “The Knox Trophy,” The Coast Artillery Journal LXXXII, no. 1 (January 1939): 74.

[15] Captain H.N. Toftoy, “The Knox Trophy,” 74.

[16] Captain H.N. Toftoy, “The Knox Trophy,” The Coast Artillery Journal LXXXII, no. 1 (January 1939): 74; Lester W. Moffitt, “Knox Trophy Awarded Outstanding Batteries of Artillery Arms,” United States Army Recruiting News XXI, no. 6 (June 1939): 10, 18. 

[17] Lester W. Moffitt, “Knox Trophy Awarded Outstanding Batteries of Artillery Arms,” United States Army Recruiting News XXI, no. 6 (June 1939): 18. 

[18] Thaddeus Colchiski to Adjutant General, “Requisition of Financial Compensation for Education,” Colchiski Family Archive, Letter (Puyallup, WA July 23, 1963).

[19] Thaddeus Colchiski to Adjutant General, “Requisition of Financial Compensation for Education.”

[20] Conrad Crane et al., “Temporary Promotions of U.S. Army Officers: A Brief Overview” (Carlisle, PA: US Army Heritage and Education), accessed January 23, 2022, https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/documents/Temporary_Promotions_of_U.S._Army_Officers.pdf.

[21] Lyman Lemnitzer is an important person in World War II history because he rose through the ranks, was a part of several key engagements on the European front, and was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.  

[22] “Our Documents - Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948),” www.ourdocuments.gov, n.d., https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc_large_image.php?flash=false&doc=84.

[23] “The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act,” U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, 2019, https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/congress-and-world-wars-part-2/womens-armed-services-integration-act.

[24] “Second Letter to Amelia from Ted,” Colchiski Family Archive, Thaddeus Personal Records, Letters (Puyallup, WA, March 3,1941). 

[25] “First Letter to Amelia from Ted,” Colchiski Family Archive, Thaddeus Personal Records, Letters (Puyallup, WA, February 6, 1941).

[26] Historical and Pictorial Review: Antiaircraft Training Center (Camp Stewart, GA, 1941), 48–49, fold3.com.

[27] Thaddeus Colchiski to John E. Stoddard, “Invitation Acceptance,” Letter, May 12, 1941.

[28] “Affidavit for License to Marry,” Colchiski Family Archive (Puyallup, WA, January 9, 1942) 

[29] “Third Letter to Amelia from Ted,” Colchiski Family Archive, Thaddeus Personal Records, Letters (Puyallup, WA, March 22, 1941). 

[30] “Third Letter to Amelia from Ted,” March 22, 1941.

[31] “Third Letter to Amelia from Ted,” March 22, 1941.