World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy

Scope and Contents Private First Class Jack Appel's oral history transcript details his life before and during World War II where he served with the 17th Signal Operations Battalion in the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations. His oral history elaborates on his early life, contracting Spinal Meningitis, completing basic training, trying to apply to Officer Candidate School, becoming a driver/messenger, arriving in Europe, landing at Normandy, traveling through France Belgium, and Germany, witnessing Battle of the Bulge, visiting the concentration camp Buchenwald, interacting with civilians, gambling on leave, the discharge point system, returning home, and his experiences with...

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This collection centers around one Florida State Guard soldier, and an American soldier stationed at the Technical School and Basic Training Center for the Air Force in Gulfport Field, Mississippi. The collection includes a child's drawing, two letters written to the soldier's mother outlining Air Force training and daily life, a newspaper clipping written about the Florida State Guard drills, a letter about D-Day, and photographs of a B-26 Marauder, an American flight crew, an American and Russian soldier, and Yontan Airfield in Okinawa, and their corresponding modern negatives.

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The William R. Auld papers include over 800 photographs taken by Major William R. Auld who served with the 31st Photo Reconnaissance Squadron of the Ninth Army Air Force following General George S. Patton throughout the United States, England, France, and Germany.  The William R. Auld papers also include various sketches done by one of his comrades, a promotion notice, and two poems.

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This collection pertains to Technician Fifth Grade Zeddie P. Barron, Jr., who was stationed in Virginia, Kentucky, Ireland, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany between 1943 and 1945. As a clerk in the 552nd Railhead Company, Barron was attached to the First Engineer Special Brigade. The collection contains personal letters sent from Barron to his wife throughout his period of service, military documents including a ration book, Barron's military record and entrance physical, as well as newspaper clippings, envelopes, and an unpublished poem by Eugene S. Masters reacting to the use of the atomic bomb.

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This collection contains the oral history transcript of Lieutenant Colonel Eugene A. Dance pertaining to his World War II service as a First Lieutenant serving in Europe. Oral history transcript states that Eugene Dance (served 1941-46) discusses his experiences in the 38th Infantry Division and the 101st Airborne in World War II.

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The Frank Facente transcript describes medic Frank Facente's service in the 4th Medical Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, as a part of the United States Army during World War II. Facente participated in the landing at Normandy, attacking the Siegfried Line, Battle of Huertgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge, and visiting the concentration camp at Dachau.

Scope and Contents Henry Louis Hill served as a captain with the U.S. Army's 97th Infantry, Field Artillery, S-3 Battalion during World War II. This collection contains a veteran's questionnaire from Louis Hill; a one-page faded cartoon of native women on Guadalcanal; and a brief (less than one page) recount of how Hill came upon a Japanese lantern, which is also part of the collection. The collection also contains a black and white photograph of the president of Florida State College for Women (FSCW), Dr. Edward Conradi, buying supposedly the first defense bond issued in Tallahassee, FL, from Miss Mart Pierson (later married to Henry Louis Hill). According to the inscription on the photograph, the date...

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This oral history interview transcript of Sergeant James H. Hinson, Jr. details his experiences during World War II with the 132nd Ordnance Maintenance Company, 11th Tank Battalion in the United States Army, in the European Theater of Operations. His oral history focuses on his childhood, basic training, D-Day, capturing German soldiers, being awarded the Bronze Star, home front support, visiting Buchenwald Concentration Camp, playing baseball overseas, returning to college, and his outlook on the military.

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These papers relate to Clarence J. Inniss, an African American corporal who served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the European Theater. The collection consists of an oral history interview transcript, a map, discharge papers, and photographs.

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The Jackie Voelkl manuscript contains one folder with a 44-page typed transcript of an oral history interview.  Jackie Voelkl served as a First Sergeant in the Women's Army Corps from 1942 to 1946. She worked as personal secretary to General Robert A. McClure, head of the Army Psychological Warfare Division at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Paris.

Scope and Contents James William Lockett served in the U.S. Army 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division, 1st Army, in the European (ETO), North African, and Mediterranean Theaters. Colonel Lockett was a 1928 West Point graduate. The collection includes a ten-page manuscript entitled "The March," which is about Lockett's serving with the Army in the European Theater and being a POW. Lockett was made to march by German guards with approaching Russians in January 1945. He discusses his encounters with the guards and the people along "the March." In March 1945, US artillery takes the Serbian compound where they were and freed them. Also, he describes the subsequent days to get out of danger, and he is...

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This collection relates to James W. George who served as a Chief Master Sergeant in the 9th U.S Army Air Force. Wilmot R. George was James George's brother and also served in the European Theater. He served as a Tech Sergeant and received a Silver Star. This collection contains a one-page handwritten summary of James George's military service and ten-page memoir of his brother Wilmont's service during the Second World War.

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This collection relates to William H. Jenner (5th Ranger Battalion, U.S. Army). He served from 1942-1945.  Jenner was a Technician Fourth Grade (TEC 4) and wire chief in charge of communications. The collection contains two photographs of William H. Jenner, a copy of an Extract of his Award of Bronze Star Medal, a copy of his Separation Qualification Record, badges, a copy of his Honorable Discharge and a copy of his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation.  There are also two copies of his Veteran Questionnaire. A full transcript of an oral history conducted on November 13-14, 1999 is part of this collection as well.

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This collection primarily consists of the letters of John B. Savard, an American soldier who fought in World War II and saw action at the Normandy landings, the Battle for Brest, and the D-Day Landings. Most of the material consists of letters to and from his parents, though letters from other soldiers are included. In addition to letters, this collection contains Savard's sketches, a poem he wrote detailing his reaction to the Battle of the Bulge, a manuscript of his autobiography detailing his life from birth to his time as a US Postal Worker and several photographs taken during the Second World War.

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This collection pertains to Private First Class George Kass who served with Company E of the 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Division. The collection consists of letters written to and from Kass to his family, particularly his sister Rose Goldblum. Kass’ letters provide detailed accounts of Army life, and Rose’s letters provide a civilian perspective on life and the war. The letters begin after Kass’ enlistment in 1942 and end when he is wounded in action on September 5, 1944.

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This collection relates to Ben Kirksey who served as an ammunition loader with the 584th Ammunition Company in Europe from 6 July 1944 until the end of WWII. This collection includes an oral history transcript of Kirksey.

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This collection consists of an oral history interview transcript of Leroy Reece who served as a Private First Class in the United States Army during World War II in the all-black unit, Company B, 317th Engineer Battalion which served in the European Theater.

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The Loren E. Jackson manuscript "Epilogue to a War Story" documents Lieutenant Colonel Loren E. Jackson's experience as a prisoner of war when he was shot down during D-Day from his B-17 that he piloted with the 385th Bomb Group during World War II. His manuscript details his encounter with the German Gerhard Graf von Schwerin who he met in the 1960s after not seeing him since he was interrogated by him. Jackson recounts the conversation he had with General and touches on multiple subjects, such as German memory of war, behaviors of the Germans, morale, and the surrendering of Germany.

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This collection contains the oral history interview transcript of Mark Donald Tompkins. Tompkins served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a medic assigned to the 471st Quartermaster Trucking Regiment under General Omar Bradley.

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This collection relates to Robert S. McClelland who served as U.S. Navy liaison with the 7th U.S. Army during World War II. The materials in the Robert S. McClelland collection consist of eleven original photographs covering the liberation of a German concentration camp, a crematorium, photographs of the German town of Gmünd, and a photocopy of Robert S. McClelland's U.S. Naval record. The items in the collection include badges, buttons, an armband, a silver spoon, and haberdashery all relating to different Nazi party groups such as the Deutscher Volkssturm Wehrmacht, the National Socialist People’s Welfare, the Women's Reicharbeitdienst and the Nazi party in general.

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This collection relates to Diana Naylor Morgan who served as a junior USO hostess in New Jersey during World War II. The collection includes an oral interview with Morgan, news articles, photographs, and letters sent to her from American and British soldiers deployed overseas during World War II.

In the letters, servicemen describe their day to day activities while deployed overseas, their locations, views on the Japanese, and opinions about the Atomic Bomb. A letter dated June 2, 1944, written by an American sailor Ernest Feasy was not censored; Feasy describes how he is waiting for D-Day to arrive.

Content Description

This collection relates to Everett Melvin O'Brien who served as a 1st Lieutenant with the 603rd Quartermaster Graves Registration Company in the European Theater during World War II. The collection contains photographs from O'Brien's service in Graves Registration in the U.S., France, Belgium, and Germany which include killed in action U.S. soldiers and graves. Photographs of the concentration camp at Dachau are also included.

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Mario Joseph Patruno's collection includes a manuscript/oral history that covers his service in the 101st Airborne through his wounding in Operation Market Garden. The collection also includes three photographs, two of Patruno and one photograph taken inside Patruno's C-47 Transport on the night of 5 June 1944.

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Richard Webb was a storekeeper first class in the US Navy in the European Theater. He was a mail clerk and storekeeper and received three Bronze Stars This collection includes a 10-page typed memoir about a trip to England aboard the LST-293, an account of D-Day, and an account of actions taken at Mount St. Michel. Also included are his reflections on death and dying and the role of "ducks" in WWII as well as 28 photographs of the LST, its crew, the dead and wounded GIs on D-Day, German POWs, and other naval craft.

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This collection relates to Francis E. Ridgway who served as a Gunners Mate, Second Class, on the United States Naval Destroyer Ship U.S.S Ellyson. This collection contains 36 letters from Francis Ridgway to Ruth De Rosier and two letters from "Father Bill" to Ruth De Rosier. There is also a personal handwritten journal from Francis which documents his time aboard the Ellyson, and an Official Order for awards earned by Ridgway.

Content Description

This collection relates to Dr. Donald R. Roberts who served as a World War II surgeon with the 47th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in North Africa and Europe. This collection contains his memoir titled The Other War: A World War II Journal where he details his time at Fort Bragg, in North Africa, Sicily, England, Normandy, Belgium, Germany, and Dachau.

Scope and Contents Roland Cadoret served as a B-17 pilot in the 351st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, in the European Theater.  His collection contains a manuscript, "The Battle of Grounded Eagles," in which he details his entire POW experience from mission briefing to liberation, an excerpt from his diary, and his photocopied version of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's letter to Invasion Forces. The Polebrook Post 351st Bomb Group Association 8th Airforce Vol. XXVII-No. 2, and the English version of the Moorsburger Beitung, a newspaper, which had special stories all about the POWs which were kept at...

Scope and Contents The collection of Carlton K. Smith, who served with the 185th Field Artillery during World War II, contains an oral history transcript of an interview provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History.  This collection also contains a World War II history magazine, correspondence with French General Pierre Denis, summaries of unit actions, personal letters to family, newspaper clippings, unit newsletters, a binder with photocopies of newspaper articles, and one copy of Liberty's Victorious Conflict: A Photographic History of the World War I. In the oral history interview, Smith discusses the combat situations in which he was involved including the...

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This privately printed memoir relates to Private First Class Carlton H. Stauffer who served with Company G, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division during World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.