Military Discharge--United States

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...

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.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Harold W. Benzenberg who served as a Photographer's Mate Third Class, and as a submarine spotter on the U.S. coast in New York and Maryland during World War II. This collection contains Benzenberg's certificate of fitness, honorable discharge papers, dog tags, certificate of satisfactory service, navy training course certificate, selective service system request, notice of separation service, and three photographs.

Scope and Contents

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.

Scope and Contents

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.

Content Description

This collection relates to John D. Griffin, a World War II memorabilia collector who assembled this collection. This collection contains letters and documents related to a German soldier who was killed in action on the Russian front in 1943, German death notice cards, Japanese propaganda, Honorable Discharge forms and certificates, Pretzel, Gillepsie and Stouffer letters discussing their time in China, the initiation of the Pretzel Stouffer Law Firm, and photographs at the China House in Chongqing, China.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Johnson Wood's experiences during World War II as a machine gunner in the 100th Infantry Division, 398th Regiment, Company K. His papers include a lengthy and detailed oral history transcript, poems, and a short manuscript. These materials focus on his actions and thoughts during the war, as well as World War II in public memory and his personal relationships with friends and family.

Content Description

This collection contains a series of documents pertaining to Colonel Raymond Lester and his wife Eunice E. Barrett. The collection contains Raymond Lester's Retirement Order from Lockbourne Air Force Base and a Report of Discharge from his service in the Air Force. There is also as a letter of gratitude from the Office of the Commander when he retired from the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Corp as a pilot in World War II. Also included in the collection is a Certificate of Service and Report of Separation document for Eunice Barrett, from her time in the Army.

Abstract Charlotte Mansfield enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (W.A.A.C.) in 1942 to pursue work in photograph processing for the military. She was part of the first all-women graduating class from Lowry Field Photo School in Colorado, where she was trained to be a photo technician that developed primarily aerial shots in photography labs. Mansfield was stationed at various locations throughout the United States before being transferred to lab work overseas in England and Germany. By this time, W.A.A.C. had transitioned to Women’s Army Corps (W.A.C.). Throughout her military service, Mansfield took numerous personal photographs that featured her friends and surroundings. They provide...

Content Description

First Sergeant Charles H. Martin Served with the 3848th Quartermaster Truck Company in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater for 16 months as a clerk. The collection includes Martin's three honorable discharge certificates, Enlisted Reserve Corps Qualification and Availability Questionnaire, and Separation Qualification Record. Also within this collection is Martin's personal copy of photograph album "A Yank's Memories of Calcutta" by Clyde Waddell. This album includes captioned photographs of important buildings, streets, and religious culture of the citizens of Calcutta, India.

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.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to First Lieutenant Richard N. Peters who served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps in the European Theater of Operations in Italy with a troop carrier squadron. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript and three flight training yearbooks.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Lieutenant Clarence H. Ratliff who served in the United States Navy during World War II and his wife Elizabeth P. Ratliff who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for almost 7 years. This collection contains military documents, photograph negatives, and miscellaneous documents related to their service.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Sherman T. Rose, a flight instructor for the Tuskegee Airman and a private in the Air Force enlisted reserve. This collection contains an oral history transcript that details Rose's job as a flight instructor and his experience with segregation in the military.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Warren R. MacInnes (part of the 834th) in Italy. The box contains letters and photographs sent to him from his wife while he was stationed on the Italian front in Europe. In addition, there are periodicals and pamphlets related to the reintroduction of soldiers from the Italian front back into civilian life Stateside.  This collection also contains documents related to Private Gerald Greenbaum who served with 1560th Service Unit, Medical Section-Station Complement, Camp Atterbury, Indiana.