Scope and Contents
Letters, diaries, military records, newspaper clippings and ephemera comprise the
World War II Soldiers’ Collections, [ca. 1900-1986], documenting the experiences and
views of approximately fifty American soldiers who served during the Second World
War. The collections include writings by eighteen members of the United States Army
Infantry, fourteen members of the United States Army Air Corps, three in clerical
divisions, two in the United States Army Signal Corps and others who served with
military bands, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Women’s Army Corps. Seventeen of
the soldiers served within the United States, ten served in the European Theater,
eight in the Mediterranean Theater and others in various parts of the world. Major
themes include loneliness and longing, frustration with military bureaucracy, desire
for promotion, the rigors of service, food, and events of daily life. Each soldier’s
papers form a separate series within the general collection.
Arrangement
The papers are arranged alphabetically into 35 series:
- I. LEONARD A. CAMPBELL PAPERS, 1943-1944 (2 in.)
- II. SERGEANT E. RAY CARSON PAPERS, 1941-1943 (9 in.)
- III. MAJOR WILLIAM B. COLGAN PAPERS, 1942-1945 (4 in.)
- IV. LIEUTENNANT FRANK CUTTER PAPERS, 1942-1944 (4 in.)
- V. PRIVATE PETER G. FAZIO JUNIOR PAPERS, 1942-1945 (16 in.)
- VI. FIRST LIEUTENANT HERBERT FINE PAPERS, 1944-1945 (16 in.)
- VII. CORPORAL PAUL GITTEMY PAPERS, 1943 (3 in.)
- VIII. PRIVATE ANTHONY GONNELLA PAPERS, 1942-1943 (2 in.)
- IX. PRIVATE CLARENCE GRACE PAPERS, 1932-1945 (17 in.)
- X. SERGEANT HARLEY N. GROSSMAN AND PRIVATE WILLIAM KOUGH PAPERS, 1941-1945
(5 in.)
- XI. PRIVATE LESLIE HAAS PAPERS, 1943-1955 (18 in.)
- XII. SERGEANT FRANCIS J. HEALY PAPERS, 1943-1944 (9 in.)
- XIII. LIEUTENNANT JOHN JACOBSON PAPERS, 1942-1944 (7 in.)
- XIV. REVEREND JOHN ELIAS JONES PAPERS, 1942-1945 (1/2 in.)
- XV. SERGENT WARREN KINNEY PAPERS, 1943-1950 (10 in.)
- XVI. SERGEANT ALBERT LAMB PAPERS, 1946 (1/2 in.)
- XVII. AGNES LEGAT PAPERS, 1940-1943 (13 in.)
- XVIII. SEAMAN (SECOND CLASS) CHARLES PICKERING PAPERS, 1943-1944 (1
in.)
- XIX. PRIVATE DAVID RAGGIO PAPERS, 1943-1945 (5 in.)
- XX. HERBERT R. RICH PAPERS, 1943-1945 (1/2 in.)
- XXI. SERGENT ENOCH M. ROBBINS PAPERS, 1942-1944 (6 in.)
- XXII. SERGENT JACK ROBBINS PAPERS, 1943-1945 (1/2 in.)
- XXIII. SERGENT WILLIAM ROBINSON PAPERS, 1944 (3 in.)
- XXIV. MAJOR F.E. SCHROECK PAPERS, 1943-1944 (1 in.)
- XXV. ERNEST SWARTZ PAPERS, 1942-1943 (1 in.)
- XXVI. STAFF SERGEANT HOWARD G. TALLMAN PAPERS, 1936-1945 (15 in.)
- XXVII. PRIVATE SEYMOUR TAUBIN PAPERS, 1942-1943 (4 in.)
- XXVIII. PRIVATE HELEN L. TAYLOR PAPERS, 1945-1946 (1 in.)
- XXIX. FIRST LIEUTENANT JACOB R. WORST PAPERS, 1941-1945 (2 in.)
- XXX. PRIVATE CLIVE L. WRIGHT PAPERS, 1944-1946 (8 in.)
- XXXI. ESKRIDGE (CHARLES JEFFERSON, JR.) COLLECTION (2 in.)
- XXXII. [UNKNOWN] BOMBER CREW OFFICER DIARY, 1941-1943 (1/2 in.)
- XXXIII. [UNKNOWN] MEDICAL OFFICER DIARY, 1943 (1/2 in.)
- XXXIV. [UNKNOWN] NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER DIARY, 1944-1945 (1/2
in.)
- XXXV. Miscellaneous items