The Bee-Mail Letters were a Godsend, the era’s social media, and a lifeline for men in harm’s way, far from home.
…her mailbag is filled daily with letters from these ‘PC’uns’ thanking her, telling her frankly of human feelings, in the stress of giant warfare, recounting incidents of battle and camp life, incidents humorous and pathetic. And she reads them all and digests them and weaves them together into her ‘Bee-Mail Letter,’ which is a running story of what PC men think and feel and where they are and what they are doing. To them, she is a true friend and to them, she will always be ‘Mrs. Bee.’
– The Greenville News, 1945 edition.
The Bee-Mail Letters were a collection of thoughts and stories from students and alumni serving in all branches of the armed forces. For four years, these PC’uns corresponded with Mrs. Lillian Brown, known simply as “Mrs. Bee” to many PC students serving overseas in WWII.
From 1928-1945, Mrs. Lillian Gross Brown served PC as registrar. In 1945, she became the College’s first lady when her husband, Dr. Marshall W. Brown, was named the 13th president of Presbyterian College.
During WWII, Mrs. Bee served as the editor and guiding spirit of the Bee-Mail Letters. By the end of WWII, she had sent a letter to every PC serviceman who was fighting in the war. Mrs. Bee’s mailing list reached more than a thousand names by the end of the war .
The College recognized the contributions of Mrs. Bee by making her an honorary alumna. The College also presented her with the Alumni Gold P Award, one of the highest awards that can be bestowed upon alumni.
Mrs. “Bee”, before I close I must give you a funny story… about a Lt. friend of mine. He tented just opposite me. At first, when the ‘alert’ would go off he would get out his ‘bunk’ rather slowly. Finally, he didn’t bother to get up but went back to sleep. A good many times nothing happened after the alert was given – the planes went elsewhere or were driven off. However, one night after the alert had sounded and this Lt. had gone back to sleep, planes were overhead buzzing around. He dashed up, tearing his mosquito bar, grabbed his clothes, helmet and shoes and ran to the fox hole. When he got there all he had was his helmet in his hands. And he was in the nude, without a stitch on. All of us have laughed over that lots of times. It is funnier when you know the boy.
– Chaplain Freeman B. Parker, Jan. 20, 1945
I’m engaged in writing history while it happens – or shortly thereafter – for the War Department…I have traveled much in the past six weeks (in one month, December – I slept in sixteen different cities, villages, or what have you). I have seen a wedding in the square before a cathedral in a bombed-out town. Life goes on in spite of the war. People here build deep cellars. Birth, marriage, death may be accelerated somewhat, they may be confused – but they do continue.
– Lt. Lenthiel H. Downs, “Somewhere in France,” Jan. 12, 1945
Our group including fighters, torpedo bombers & dive bombers were making a simulated attack on one of our carriers. We were coming in at 12,000 ft. and my group was the first to attack. I pushed over in a rather steep dive and started down very fast. At about 3000 ft., when I started to pull out, the controls would not respond – I couldn’t move the stick. The water seemed to be coming up very fast and it looked like I was going straight in spite of everything. I, therefore, raced my feet and using both my hands pulled back as hard as possible on the stick. Needless to say I blacked out completely and when I came to I was on my back about 500 ft. off the water.
– Lt. Lykes Boykin to President William P. Jacobs, Jan. 25, 1945
This is rather late to be writing to you but just receivedBee-Mail #42 and couldn’t let another week go by without expressing my thanks and sincere appreciation for the wonderful job you have done. You have endeared yourself to all the boys and when we visit P.C. will feel like we are saying hello not to Mrs. Bee, the wife of the President, but to you as the big sister who has done everything she could to make all her brothers as happy as possible while away from home.
– Maj. Cornelius B. “Pete” Holcombe, India-Burma Theater, Jan. 7, 1946
There is an amazing thing I can tell you. That is, how these Phillippinos live through a “hell on earth” bombardment along the beaches, and then greet us on the beaches when we step out of our landing craft. I noticed very many with white flags. There was a tremendous American flag flying from a palm tree when we landed.
