Virn McElwain, a graduate of Minot Teachers college, had not shared much with his family about his service with the U.S. Army’s 25th Field Hospital after World War II. Fortuitously, his wartime journals were safely tucked away in a box for decades, until they were discovered by his widow Lela and daughter Janice Schneider after his death in 1996.

These eight pocket journals were found along with photographs and other items, offering the family their first glimpse at his wartime experiences, as they illuminated his two-year journey from Los Angeles to the frontlines in Burma.

Lela and Janice took it upon themselves to read and transcribe the journals into a single package, delivering the final product at a family reunion in 2021. McElwain’s nephew, Brady Vick of Fargo, received his copy at this reunion, and decided to contact the State Historical Society to have the original journals archived and preserved.

“I knew he served in Burma. I remember him saying how much he liked the Chinese people, but not much else.” said Vick.

Submitted Photo The wartime journals of 1st Lt. Virn McElwain will be archived by the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Archivist Emily Kubischta took possession of the journals on Tuesday, and will rehouse them in acid-free containers in an air-controlled environment in order to prevent degradation. This will ensure their availability to researchers, and anyone in the public interested in learning more about a North Dakotan’s role and experiences during the conflict.

His daily entries provide an intimate look at daily life in the Pacific Theater, as his unit traveled by boat with nearly 10,000 troops to Tasmania on toward Mumbai, India, and their arduous trek into northern Burma.

While some entries were focused on bad chow and games of pinocle, the lieutenant also included his first-hand encounters with the grim realities of war while his unit was attached to a Chinese Army Division tasked with pushing back against the Empire of Japan.

“I was surprised by how close he was to the front lines. I didn’t realize he was witness to so much trauma.” Vick said.

McElwain was charged with documenting admissions and discharges, and left behind stark descriptions of the wounded and dead who passed through his hospital. His entries also included lighter fare, noting what films they were shown and his interactions with the locals of Tasmania who smuggled fruit aboard his ship while they were in port, and with the shop keepers and restaurants he frequented in India and Burma.

His hospital also treated a number of well-known units like the British Chindit troops and even Gen. Frank Merrill and his famous Marauders, best remembered for their raids behind enemy lines.

McElwain began writing in his journals on Sept. 6, 1943, and concluded on Jan. 28, 1946, with him on a train eating an ice cream cone as he returned home. These documents offer a testament that he could not provide in life, priceless artifacts that will now be preserved for the decades to come.