{"product_id":"wwii-typescript-poem-found-in-sara-teasdale-volume-roland-irvine-gammon-army-air-forces-c-1943","title":"WWII TYPESCRIPT POEM FOUND IN SARA TEASDALE VOLUME — ROLAND IRVINE GAMMON, ARMY AIR FORCES, c. 1943","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA deeply personal and historically resonant literary artifact: a two-page World War II typescript poem titled A Soldier’s Faith, signed by S\/Sgt. Roland Irvine Gammon of the 379th Base HQ \u0026amp; Air Base Squadron, Army Air Forces, discovered preserved within a 1926 Macmillan edition of Dark of the Moon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe poem unfolds across two leaves, the second marked “A Soldier’s Faith (2),” suggesting a continuation or expanded draft. Written during wartime, its voice is both intimate and searching—blending themes of love, faith, and survival with a sincerity that reflects the emotional reality of a young soldier confronting uncertainty and hope.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGammon (Colby College, Class of 1937) would go on to become a writer, editor, and publisher, making this an early and revealing example of his literary voice. Archival references indicate a poem of this title appeared in Colby publications in 1943, raising the possibility that this typescript represents a working draft or variant version.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe association with Sara Teasdale is particularly compelling. A Pulitzer Prize–winning poet known for her lyrical sensitivity, Teasdale’s work clearly held meaning for Gammon, who chose her book as the place to preserve his own writing—creating a quiet and powerful dialogue between two poetic voices separated by generation but united in tone and feeling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe volume itself retains contemporary handwritten inscriptions dated 1926, anchoring it firmly in its original era, while the later insertion of the poem transforms it into a layered historical object spanning two defining periods of American life—the cultural refinement of the 1920s and the lived experience of World War II.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn later life, Gammon moved within influential literary and political circles, working in publishing and public relations, including associations connected to members of the Kennedy family\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Folkism Antiques LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45040093560941,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/1957\/4381\/files\/WhatsAppImage2026-04-09at9.54.28AM.jpg?v=1775742940","url":"https:\/\/folkismantiques.com\/products\/wwii-typescript-poem-found-in-sara-teasdale-volume-roland-irvine-gammon-army-air-forces-c-1943","provider":"Folkism Antiques LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}