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Letters were the principal means of communication between friends and families at home and soldiers overseas. Conditions at the front often limited a soldier's writing opportunities, and military censors reviewed outgoing content, but soldiers wrote millions of letters and cards during the war and received even more from correspondents at home. Because family and friends often kept the letters they received from overseas, contemporary researchers can access a vast and diverse archive dealing with conditions at the front, daily life, and personal concerns. It was much harder for soldiers to keep the letters they received from home because of the conditions of service and the inconvenience of carrying large quantities of paper. Letters were eagerly received by soldiers and civilians alike, and mail call at the front was often a very social experience, with troops sharing news, jokes, or small comforts. Bad news came too - failed marriages or infidelities, the death or illness of loves ones, or local catastrophes - but this vital connection to the supposed normalcy and stability of home was among the most important pillars of soldier morale and personal well-being.
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