SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — "Dear Doc" may be the most important two words in the history of San Diego State University.
That's how thousands of letters begin, all written during World War II by SDSU students, teachers, and staff who went off to war.
Dr. Lauren Post collected them all and turned them into a monthly newsletter to help keep the SDSU community connected during the war.
This year, as part of the USS Midway's 80th birthday celebration, those letters came to life on the deck of the ship.
A team of actors did dramatic readings of some of the letters, giving voice to words written decades ago.
RELATED: New book highlights SDSU students' service during WWII
"Things are much different today. Sailors at sea can communicate with their loved ones electronically and through other means," says Dave Koontz with the USS Midway. "But I think that there's something a little bit more heartfelt, a little more emotional, when you're actually reading that hard copy of the letter.
"It's really going to give an incredible glimpse inside what it was like to serve and fight on the front lines during WWII with an amazing local twist, because all those letters were San Diego students."
"Over 3,500 San Diego State students, faculty, and staff would serve in WWII," says Dr. Seth Mallios, the University's History Curator. "This is an astounding number, when you consider the institution only had 2,000 students in 1941."
"This is the most important collection in our archives," he added.
The collection of 5,000 letters is kept on campus at SDSU. The event marked one of the first times ever that the letters had been presented as a dramatic reading.
To hear some of the letters come alive, watch the story:
