World War, 1939-1945

Scope and Contents This collection relates to the 97th Bombardment Group which was based in England, Africa and Italy during World War II and the first operational bomb group in England in 1942. The collection contains documents (mostly photocopies) on missions, statements and statistics, three diaries, and newspaper articles. Their daily operations reports, narrative reports, and casualty reports detail their accomplishments and their losses. Included are a collection of videos, audio tapes, and microfilm. Included are copies of three personal diaries by Alex Blair, Jr., LeRoy Teschendorf, and Herman F. Lykins. Also included is an extensive photograph collection of flight crews, air fields, and...

Scope and Contents The collection of the 460th Heavy Bombardment Group Society contains a unit history of this B-24 U.S. Army Air Corps Group, 55th Wing, 760th, 761st, 762nd, 763rd Squadrons and Group Headquarters, which served in the Italian Campaign. This collection primarily focuses on the memory of the war and those who served in the 460th. Included is a listing of the airmen who were held as prisoners of war, including their squadrons, positions on the plane (e.g. pilot, gunner), the date, mission, and what country or stalag in which they were held. Also included is a booklet, "Remembering the 460th Bomb Group (H)," which contains photographs, personnel lists, and maps, and was prepared as a...

Content Description

This collection refers to Zelma D. Abarbanel, who served as a Technician Fourth Grade with the WAC Second Detachment during World War II. Abarbanel worked as a stenographer and assistant for the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the Office of Weapons. The collection includes a transcript of an oral history interview, one letter, the military records of both Abarbanel and her husband, Milton Goldman Abarbanel, and several photographs depicting Abarbanel’s life as a WAC.

Content Description

This collection relates to Donald and Portia Ackerman. Donald Ackerman served as a pilot on B-24 bombers with the 44th Bomb Squadron, 506th Bombardment Group, in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and served during the Korean War.This collection contains an oral history transcript, artifacts, audio tapes, documents, letters, maps, pamphlets, and photographs relating to Donald and Portia Ackerman.

Content Description

This collection relates to Charles Aiken who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the European Theater of Operation during World War Two. This collection contains a newspaper clipping and an oral history transcript.

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This collection consists of an oral history interview transcript of Aldo Busot, who lived in Cuba during World War II.

Scope and Contents The Monte Allen U.S.S. Kwajalein (CVE-98) collection contains comprehensive records pertaining to officially recorded, declassified daily life aboard the Casablanca Class Escort Carrier U.S.S. Kwajalein, an aircraft carrier, as well as various visual and auditory artifact materials relating to the work and lives of its crewmen. The collection specifically regards the life of U.S. Navy sailor Monte Allen, information he was able to preserve, and the first-hand observations he deemed important. Allen authored the collection himself. The collection contains detailed photocopies of and notes on ship records, including war diaries, daily logs, muster rolls, and reports of changes...

Content Description

This collection includes miscellaneous materials collected from numerous sources by Michael Amdahl, a Refuse Transfer Center worker who collected and donated found materials over the course of many years. Included in this collection are a variety of graphic materials, letters, documents, magazines, and a book on the 13th Air Force. Also included are photographs depicting war-torn cities, soldier life, sea and air vessels, and scenery from around Europe.

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This collection relates to Private First Class Clarence H. Anderson who served with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, in the European theater during World War II. The collection contains letters from Anderson to his fiance Eleanor Schumaker. The letters encompass ten months from March 1944-January 1945 in which he writes from England, France, Belgium, and Germany. Clarence was wounded in Germany and sent to a hospital in England to recover. Julius Sleszak was stationed in California in the Transportation Section at Camp Beale. He sent seven letters to his wife during November 1945.

Scope and Contents This collection pertains to Oliver “Bud” Anderson who served as a Ship Fitter Second Class aboard the USS Clifton (IX-184) during World War II. The collection contains letters Anderson sent to his mother, father, and brother Nolan while stationed in various locations in the United States, Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan. Anderson's letters discuss mail, his high school sweetheart, Indigenous peoples, weather, entertainment, a furlough, rationing, and training. His government documents, several menus, and reflections from 2000 on his war experiences are also included. The collection also includes letters Anderson’s brother-in-law, Boyd...

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This collection contains a manuscript memoir of Anthony Catalino's WWII service in the U.S. Army Field Artillery and staff work at Army hospitals and supply depots in North Africa and Italy.

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This collection relates to Fred and Lucille Anton. Fred Anton served with the United States Marine Corps during World War II and China after World War II. This collection contains letters sent between Lucille and Fred Anton, also containing a few photographs.

Scope and Contents This collection consists of the business records from the Apalachicola Tent and Awning Company once located in Apalachicola, Florida. The company manufactured pyramidal tents under contract from the United States Army from early 1941 to at least October 1942. The records are unclear as to when the company ceased operations. J.H. Hodges, Sr. owned the building that housed the company from 1935 until 1951. The records reflect a wide range of day to day operations including ordering raw materials, sending and receiving invoices, tracking orders, requests for information, correspondence with the Federal Government including bids, rating certificates and other needs of the...

Content Description

This collection relates to Technical Sergeant James A. Armstrong who served 691st Ordnance Company in the European Theater of Operation. He participated beginning with the Normandy Campaign and each subsequent campaign with the company through to Germany. After the war, he was also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Ammunition Supply Officer and assigned to the 633rd Ordnance Company. The collection contains letters, military documents, and photographs.

Content Description

This collection relates to Lyle D. Armstrong and his service in the U.S. Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The collection contains a veteran’s questionnaire where he shares his experience in service and recalls a memory of being in Manila when the Japanese Envoys came to speak to General MacArthur. He also mentions that he kept in contact with some of the men he met in service. The collection also contains photographs of Armstrong and his three older brothers, who also served in World War II.

Scope and Contents This collection includes letters written to Arnold Busch, a basketball coach for Calvary Methodist Church in Lakewood, Ohio, by the students he previously coached. Whether drafted or enlisted, many of the men kept up a correspondence with Busch throughout the war years. This collection also includes Calvary Church newsletters and pamphlets, pamphlets regarding persons registered for service, ration books and other rationing documents, and letters returned to Busch because their recipients were MIA, deceased, or relocated. Also included are photographs of Calvary Church activities on the Homefront, the basketball team, and the Calvary Church’s V-J Day service as well as a copy of an...

Scope and Contents This collection includes several different types of documents that refer to the attack on the American 106th Division in St. Vith, Germany on December 16, 1944. The attack on the 422nd, 423rd, and 424th Infantry Regiments of the 106th Division resulted in 8,663 casualties, 416 deaths, 1,246 injuries, and 7,001 soldiers M.I.A. (missing in action).  Pvt. Arthur Eason was captured and transferred to P.O.W. (prisoner of war) camps. Eason was transferred to the Stalag IV B camp in Northeastern Germany. He was among several other POW's from British and Russian battalions. These documents include personal letters, diary entries, official government documents of correspondence, maps, European...

Content Description

This collection relates to Maydene Asbury who worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory separating Uranium-235 from Uranium-238 during World War II, which was part of the process for building the atomic bomb. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript.

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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.

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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1st Lieutenant Irvin Baker's unpublished manuscript describes his experiences as a platoon leader with the 4th Marine Division and 10th Amtrac Battalion of the United States Marine Corps. He led his platoon through the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Content Description

This collection relates to Nicholas Baldino who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 5th and 11th Bomb Groups in the Pacific Theatre and his wife Jeanne Baldino. This collection contains an oral history transcript detailing Nicholas Baldino's military service and how Jeanne met Nicholas Baldino.

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This collection follows Joseph T. Bannan as he served aboard the U.S.S. Panamint (AGC13). He was under the command of Admiral Arthur D. Struble. On this ship were photograph developers that obtained the picture of renowned wartime journalist, Ernie Pyle, lying dead on the island of Le Shima. Only two copies were ever made and the original was destroyed shortly after its creation to prevent a decline in American morale. This collection contains a photocopy of one of the original copies owned by Bannan.

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Scrapbook of the Administration of the Official War Ballot in the Office of Secretary of State. A project done by Barbara Morrison, 'intern' in the Office of the Secretary of State. Subject is World War II absentee war ballots. It documents the administration of Public Law 712 (Federal) which provides for absentee voting by service personnel serving away from place of residence.

Content Description

This collection relates to Robert B. Barnick who served in the European Theater of Operations as part of the Italian campaign with the 10th Mountain Division, 604th Field Artillery. This collection includes a manuscript titled "In My Right Mind," newspaper clippings relating to his service, and photographs.

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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 relates to Technician Fifth Grade Robert Otto Bauer who served with the 100th Infantry Division Band and subsequently Company C, 8th Armored Infantry Battalion, 20th Armored Division, in the European Theater during World War II. The collection includes artifacts, German World War II pilot flying helmets, photographs, veteran association newsletters, and ephemera. One unpublished photograph includes actress Ingrid Bergman posing with Bauer during the war. Photographs and memorabilia related to Bauer's wife, Joyce Ann Bauer, are also included in the collections.

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This collection contains artifacts, papers, and photographs that belonged to Clyde Campbell Beaver from his time serving in the U.S. Army in the Corps of Engineers as a draftsman during World War II in the Pacific Theater.  The artifacts include his draftsman tools, jacket, camera, and Bronze Star.  The papers include official Army documents, newspaper clippings about Clyde, a personal letter to his wife, Adele Beaver, and a telegram.  The photographs include photographs of Clyde in the Philippines, photographs with his wife and mother, and photographs he took himself.