James R. Pemberton papers

Collection — Container: Single Folder Collections - 2001 Box 19 (01.0464-01.0486), Folder: 01.0476 - Folder 1

Identifier: 01.0476

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The James R. Pemberton oral history interview transcript includes his time as a sergeant in the 103rd Infantry Division, 410th Regiment, Company K, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squadron. He served as an engineer in France, Germany, and Austria from 1943-1945 and participated at D-Day and Battle of the Bulge. He documents his experiences during the war in regards to his military training, losing friends, taking German prisoners, how he earned his Bronze Star Medal, specific events in which he participated, and his pre/post-war activities.

Dates

Created: 1942-2000
Other: Majority of material found within 1942-1945
Other: Date acquired: 09/27/2001

Creator

Pemberton, James R. , 1924-2002 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical or Historical Information

James R. Pemberton was born in Clinton, Illinois on August 8, 1924, and went to live with his grandmother when his father died in 1930 in Normal, Illinois. In 1936 he went back to live with his mother. Pemberton graduated high school in 1942 and began taking classes at Illinois Wesleyan University in medicine. Soon after he joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps and then went on active duty in November 1942.

Pemberton was inducted at Camp Custer in Michigan and began his basic training at Camp Barkeley in Texas. Soon after he was sent to Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater, Oklahoma to study engineering. Once he finished his studies, he was sent overseas as a part of the 103rd Infantry Division, 410th Regiment, Company K, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squadron, to Marseilles, France. His duties included supervising the French before he began preparing for D-Day. His unit was sent to Saint-Die during Operation Overlord after the invasion began. At the Battle of the Bulge his unit was sent in to relieve other units. He visited Dachau after its liberation and later went into Austria.

He returned to Illinois in February 1945 as a sergeant and got engaged. His fiancee broke up the engagement two months later, and he went back to school on the GI Bill. Before he graduated he met a woman who married soon after meeting. Out of college, he worked for his in-laws' furniture store and eventually had his own store for seven years. For the next 26 years, he worked for the Mutual of Omaha as an insurance agent. On January 25, 2002, James R. Pemberton passed away at the age of 77.

Extent

1 folders

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Source of Acquisition

Reichelt Program for Oral History

Subjects

Bloomington (Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Bronze Star Medal (U.S.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Camp Barkeley (Tex.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
Camp Howze (Tex.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
Dachau (Concentration camp) Subject Source: Lcnaf
Fort Custer (Mich.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Illinois Subject Source: Lcnaf
Illinois Wesleyan University Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Military Discharge--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
Oklahoma State University
Operation Nordwind, 1944-1945 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Operation Overlord Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Phi Gamma Delta
Saint-Dié (France) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Salzburg (Austria) Subject Source: Lcnaf
United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 103rd
World War, 1939-1945--Austria Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--France Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Germany Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, German Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings