World War, 1939-1945--Food supply

Scope and Contents This collection consists of letters and memorabilia sent by U.S. Army soldier Earl L. Bailey to friends and family during World War II, as well as the transcript of an oral interview with the soldier. These documents detail the soldier's basic training at Camp Maxey, TX, participation in the Army Specialized Training Program at Ohio State University, and service in the 405th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division. This service included stops at Camp Swift, TX, Fort Dix, NJ, and participation in the suppression of the Philadelphia Transit Strike of 1944 before departing for Europe. The letters discuss the campaign in Europe, battles in France and Germany, the Siegfrieg Line, and the occupation...

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Technician Fourth Grade Donald N. Duvick's oral history transcript describes his experiences as a company clerk with the 1265th Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B, of the United States Army. His experiences in Germany as a non-combatant illustrate other roles soldiers were assigned during World War II.

Content Description

This collection relates to Albert Fier who served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant technician with E Company of the 94th Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operation during World War II. This collection contains an oral history transcript, where Fier documents his time as a medic during the war.

Content Description

This collection relates to Technical Sergeant Charles Jackson Gantt who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Weather Forecaster with the 12th Weather Squadron during the North African Campaign and Italian Campaign during World War II. The collection contains original letters written by Gantt to family, transcripts of his letters, a manuscript memoir, photographs, and military personnel records.

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This collection relates to Technician 5th Grade Glen G. Davidson, who served in World War II with the 68th Quartermaster Company, a refrigeration unit. The collection contains military documents, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from the war, personal diaries, letters and artifacts. He served in the North African, Italian, and Western European Campaigns.

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This World War II collection relates to Harold Truman Speck, a copilot Flight Officer of nine B-17 bombing raids over Europe. He served with the 545th Bombardment Squadron, 384th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. This collection consists of photocopies of photographs, military personnel records, books, medals, pins, and Speck's personal POW journal provided by the Harold Truman Speck family.

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The Edwin Ivy papers illustrate 2nd Lieutenant Ivy's service in the Army Air Corps in the 485th Heavy Bombardment Group, 831st Squadron, from 1942-1945 in Italy, France, and Austria where he was shot down and became a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III. Ivy's oral history encompasses the majority of his collection and provides detail of his military training, time spent in the Army Air Corps, as a prisoner of war, and being discharged. His papers also include the first chapter of Old Man in a Baseball Cap by Fred Rochlin. The chapter describes the significance of remembering the past and passing down experiences to others.

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The Sylwester B. Knap papers contain an oral history transcript and a political prisoner certificate. Knap's oral history focuses on his childhood during the time World War II began in Europe which includes attempting to find refuge in Czestochowa, his experiences in the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, forced labor, mistreatment, camp selections, contracting Typhus, liberation, becoming wounded, finding his family after the war, his uncles involvement in the resistance movement, and his feelings toward talking about the war.

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This collection relates to William J. McCusker III who served as a C-47 pilot with the 18th Troop Carrier Squadron during World War II.  The collection includes letters, documents, photographs, flight records, certificates, pilot manuals, and pilot training class yearbooks. The collection also contains handwritten notebooks kept by William J. McCusker III during his service as a police officer with the New York Police Department.

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Natalia Grauer Rosenbald's oral history outlines her life growing up in Krakow, Poland and her experiences in the Krakow ghetto, Mauthausen, and Ravensbrück. She speaks about hiding, dog attacks, working in the crematorium sorting clothes, stealing food, the Death March, how the SS tried disguising themselves with the advance of the Allies, liberation, reprisal shootings, finding her family after the war, living in Cyprus, Israel, Australia, and Germany before settling in the United States. She concludes her oral history with her experiences talking at schools about the Holocaust, visiting Auschwitz, and her message to the world about the Holocaust.

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This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Bascom Walden Sparkman who served with Service Company, 753rd Tank Battalion, in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Southern France, and Germany during World War II. The 753rd served as a detached unit assigned as armored support for both the 36th and 45th Infantry Divisions.  The collection includes letters sent from Sparkman to his wife Eleanor and his family.  Letters from his family to Sparkman are also included.  Furthermore, the collection includes documents, unit newspapers, diaries, postcards, personal items carried by Sparkman, and artifacts.