Early in 1942, at the advent of World War II, San Diego State College students signed up by the hundreds to serve and defend their country. As the war progressed, students were soon scattered all over the globe, disconnected and separated from their college, their friends, their loved ones, and their former lives. In May 1942, Dr. Lauren Post, professor of geography at San Diego State and veteran of World War I, decided to try a "news service experiment" intended to serve the SDSC students dispersed around the world. The first Aztec News Letter urged students to "send in news and ask us questions," and stated that the compilers would "try to oblige in every way that we can in keeping you in touch with State College and your friends." Post published a long list of known addresses of those serving, along with excerpts of letters he had already exchanged with a few favorite students. Soon, hundreds of Aztecs were writing Doc Post for incorporation into the News Letter, which was published monthly until its last issue in March 1946. By that time, it circulated to more than 3,000 service and home front readers. To view the letters, see the WWII San Diego State Servicemen's Correspondence Collection.