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Collection

Elaine Fisher correspondence, 1942-1944

18 items

This collection consists of 18 letters that Elaine Fisher (later Hanson) received from members of the United States Army during World War II. Fisher's correspondents, who included her future husband, Frank Hanson (9 letters), discussed their experiences while training at camps within the United States and while on duty in North Africa, Hawaii, and Europe.

This collection consists of 18 letters that Elaine Fisher (later Hanson) of Muscatine, Iowa, and North Powder, Oregon, received from members of the United States Army during World War II. Her correspondents discussed their experiences while training at camps within the United States and while on duty in North Africa, Hawaii, and Europe.

Technician Fifth Grade Frank Rado Hanson, a member of the 817th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company B, and Elaine Fisher's future husband, wrote 3 letters while in training at Camp Phillips, Kansas, in September and October 1943, and 6 letters while serving in France, Belgium, and Germany between October 1944 and April 1945. He discussed his love for Elaine, mentioned his participation in recent military actions, and commented on the military's drinking culture.

Private Robert Armstrong, whom Fisher had known in Muscatine, wrote 3 letters while undergoing medical training at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, between July and September 1942. As well as writing about his life on base, Armstrong detailed his drinking habits and his experiences with local women. After being promoted to corporal, Armstrong wrote 3 additional letters about his service with the Medical Detachment of the 435th Signal Battalion in Italy and North Africa, describing the scenery and Roman ruins.

Fisher also received 1 letter from Private William Hendrix of the 371st Bomb Squadron, then in training at Ephrata Air Base in Washington (June 13, 1942), and 2 letters from Corporal Kenneth H. Maach of the 210th Field Artillery Battalion, who was stationed at Camp Young, California, and in Hawaii. Both soldiers discussed military life; Maach included descriptions of the Californian wildlife and a Hawaiian luau, and enclosed a photograph of a hula dancer letter in his letter of October 16, 1943.

Collection

Garrison Dover correspondence, 1943-1945

0.5 linear feet

This collection contains World War II-era correspondence between Garrison ("Garry") and Jane Dover of Queens, New York, as well as letters that Garrison Dover received from other family members. Jane told Garrison, an army private, about her social activities, her work, and life on the home front; he wrote about his affection for her and his uncertainty about overseas deployment while stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and at Camp Beale, California.

This collection (96 items) contains World War II-era correspondence between Garrison ("Garry") and Jane Dover of Queens, New York, as well as letters that Garrison Dover received from other family members.

Jane Dover wrote the majority of the letters, describing her life and social activities on the home front and commenting on her work for a temp agency, finances, and, on one occasion, the effect of the Victory Tax on her paycheck (October 29, 1943); she frequently sent money to her husband. Her letters also reflect Garrison's updates about his training at the Aberdeen Proving Ground from October 1943-March 1944.

Between March 17, 1944, and April 10, 1944, Garrison Dover wrote 12 letters to his wife from Camp Beale, California, where he anticipated being sent overseas. He described his travels to Sacramento on weekend passes and various aspects of camp life. On May 23, 1944, his wife reported that a Ouija game had predicted his return home on April 2, 1945, and she sent him a birthday card in late August. Her letter of September 14, 1944, mentions a hurricane threatening Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jane also wrote about the 1944 presidential election, including her growing distaste for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (September 26, 1944) and a literacy test she underwent as a first-time voter (October 12, 1944). Her final letter to Garrison is dated February 7, 1945, during his recovery at Mason General Hospital in Brentwood, Long Island. The collection also contains a card that Jane wrote to her husband in June 1945, while he lived and worked in Utica, New York, and letters that Garrison Dover received from family members.

Collection

Golden Wallis collection, 1943-1946

18 items

This collection consists of 18 items related to Golden J. Wallis of the United States Navy and his wife Roberta, natives of Memphis, Tennessee. Wallis wrote 10 love letters and 1 telegram to his wife while serving onboard the USS Missouri in 1944 and 1945, and they received 4 additional letters and telegrams from friends and family. Other items are an invitation, a church program, and an unidentified wedding photograph.

This collection consists of 12 letters, 3 telegrams, 2 printed items, and 1 photograph related to Golden J. Wallis ("Goldie") and his wife Roberta, natives of Memphis, Tennessee. Golden Wallis wrote 10 love letters and 1 telegram to his wife while serving onboard the USS Missouri in 1944 and 1945, and the Wallises received 4 additional letters and telegrams from friends and family. Other items are an invitation, a church program, and an unidentified wedding photograph.

In his letters to his wife, Goldie Wallis commented on their separation and expressed his love for her; he also discussed their financial situation, including his attempts to secure her an apartment in New York City. Wallis mentioned traveling to Pacific islands and shared his relief after censorship regulations eased in September 1945. His telegram to Roberta of November 28, 1944, concerns his 3-week leave in San Francisco, California. Roberta Wallis also received 2 birthday telegrams (undated). Golden Wallis's sister, Faye Wallis, wrote 1 letter (undated), as did Billy Burk, an acquaintance who taught school in Clarksdale, Mississippi (April 7, 1943).

The collection also contains a printed invitation requesting Roberta Wallis's attendance at the Missouri's commissioning ceremony on June 11, 1944; a program for a church service held onboard the Missouri on March 25, 1945; and an undated photograph.

Collection

Henry Fiore collection, 1930-1950 (majority within 1941-1946)

30 items

This collection contains correspondence and other items related to Lieutenant Henry Fiore and his wife, Bonnie Irvine Fiore. Henry Fiore received letters, greeting cards, and other correspondence while serving in the United States Army during World War II, including Bonnie's letters about life in New York City while he was away.

This collection contains 25 letters, 2 greeting cards, 1 telegram, 1 poem, and 1 theater program related to Lieutenant Henry Fiore, who served in the United States Army during World War II, and to his wife Bonnie. Bonnie wrote Henry 17 letters between December [10], 1941, and July 7, 1944, about her life in New York, her loneliness during his absence, and her desire to hasten his return. She reported her attempts to convince army officials and Red Cross representatives of her financial dependence on her husband and expressed her fear that accepting government aid would give the impression that Henry was not needed at home. She consistently shared her love for Henry and often kissed her letters, leaving marks with her lipstick; her letter of December 12, 1941, has a drawing of a pair of lips. Bonnie's 3 later letters, written in June and July 1944, pertain to her job and female coworkers. In her letter of February 25, 1942, she enclosed a short poem clipped from a newspaper, and her letter of June 11, 1944, contains 3 photographs. Henry sent Bonnie 1 letter during their courtship (August 12, 1937) and 1 letter and 1 card during his military service. In his letter of December 6, 1946, he justified his decision to reenlist. An undated card refers to a present that he purchased for her.

Henry Fiore received 2 letters from his sisters Helen and Viola, who discussed their social lives and provided family news, and a formal letter from attorney E. B. Reiter, regarding money Henry owed on a recently purchased car (June 23, 1942). Six additional items are 2 holiday greeting cards, a telegram, a letter of recommendation for Bonnie Fiore, a printed program from a "Tropical Revue" at the Martin Beck Theatre, and a partial manuscript poem addressed to L. L. Lewis of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Collection

Jack Keenan World War II Sketches, 1941-1945

165 sketches housed in 3 navy blue clam-shell tray cases with gold inlay on the spines.

The Jack Keenan World War II Sketches are a collection of over 150 pieces of original art, in the mediums of pencil, pen and watercolor, created by John “Jack” Keenan during his service with the Seventh Armored Division, Third Army, under General George C. Patton. The collection contains scenes from the daily lives of soldiers in this division and chronicles Keenan’s experiences from the beginning of his training at Camp Polk in Louisiana, through his service in Europe and finally his trip back to the United States following the Allied victory.

The contents of this collection correspond with John “Jack” Keenan’s service in the Seventh Armored Division, Third Army, during World War II, from 1941 to 1945. Included are sketches of military personnel, living quarters, landscape vistas, battlefields, weaponry, military transportation, urban scenes, ruins, civilians, prisoners of war, and other topics. Specific locations depicted in these sketches include the states of Louisiana, California, Arizona, Georgia and the countries of England, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Scotland.

Collection

Janie Grant letters, 1945

19 items

This collection consists of 19 letters that Janie Grant wrote to her husband, Major J. A. C. Grant of the Gordon Highlanders, while living in Perth, Scotland, in August 1945. She discussed her efforts to meet him at London and Edinburgh following his upcoming discharge, anticipated their future life together, and complained of conflicts with family members.

This collection consists of 19 letters Janie Grant wrote to her husband, Major J. A. C. Grant of the Gordon Highlanders, while living in Perth, Scotland. She wrote letters almost daily between August 13 and August 31, usually 3 or 4 pages long, and discussed aspects of the couple's anticipated reunion and postwar domestic life.

Janie wrote 4 letters while traveling between Perth and Edinburgh by train, one from Edinburgh (August), one while on vacation at Lochearnhead (August 19), and the remainder from Perth. Though she most frequently focused on domestic and family affairs, on August 15 she commented on the end of the war, expressing her uncertainty about the future. Many letters concern Janie's attempts to meet her husband in either London or Edinburgh following his anticipated discharge in late September, including her difficulty securing hotel reservations. Other letters regard plans for their future, such as their attempts to find a temporary home, her desire to secure a servant for a cottage they planned to rent (August 23), and her future role as a housewife. She also mentioned the possibility of traveling to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and reported her frustrations and conflicts with family members.

Janie frequently wrote about her social life, shopping trips, dental and other health issues, female friends, and her efforts to dispose of letters from former lovers and male friends. By late August, she was anticipating a visit with her husband in Edinburgh around September 21.

Collection

Norma Greiner and William R. Kent collection, 1942-1945

0.5 linear feet

This collection is made up of the World War II-era correspondence of Norma Greiner, her husband William R. Kent, and the Greiner family. The papers include letters that Norma Greiner wrote to her family while serving as a United States Navy nurse in San Francisco, California, in 1943; letters that William R. Kent wrote to his wife Norma while serving onboard the USS Cape Esperance in the South Pacific from August 1944-November 1944; letters that the Greiner family received from various servicemen during the war; and letters that Norma Greiner Kent received from her mother- and sister-in-law.

This collection (79 items) contains the World War II-era correspondence of Norma Greiner of La Grande, Oregon; her husband, William R. Kent; and the Greiner family. One receipt pertains to a small payment from Mrs. R. C. Greiner to C. E. Branner (July 9, 1942).

Norma Greiner wrote 38 letters to her parents while working as a United States Navy nurse at Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, in 1943. She described her experiences treating wounded servicemen and sometimes provided details about specific patients. In one letter, she discussed a set of photographs shown to her by an officer returning from Guadalcanal (February 13, 1943, mailed with letter dated February 11, 1943), and in another, she described her wedding (August 3, 1943). Some letters refer to Greiner's dating life and several from late July and early August concern her marriage to William R. Kent. Her final letter, dated February 19, 1945, pertains to life in San Diego, California. Three of her letters have enclosures: a newspaper clipping about nurses (March 15, 1943), 4 snapshots of natives in an unidentified location (May 27, 1943), and bicycle licenses for Norma Grider [sic] and Wanda Tucker (June 4, 1942). One item is an illustrated printed form letter 2'8" long, including grains of sand glued to one page, that Norma sent to her brother Lawrence (March 27, 1943).

William R. Kent sent 26 letters to his wife Norma Greiner Kent while serving on the USS Cape Esperance in the South Pacific from August 1944-November 1944; these letters form part of a much larger series (not present). Kent discussed navy life, anticipated the birth of their first child, and counted down the days remaining in his enlistment. While stationed on an unidentified island, he described his health difficulties, including a sprained ankle and a diminished appetite, and responded to Norma's news of her hospital work and pregnancy. He mentioned his initiation as a "shell back" after crossing the Equator and encloses a humorous mock subpoena for a related ceremony (August 14-15, 1944). On October 19, 1944, Kent reflected on the death of a friend named Hallowell, enclosing his obituary. Other enclosures include letters and V-mail from the Kent family (September 20, 1944; September 29, 1944; and October 15, 1944); 3 snapshot photographs of an unidentified man with a dog and horse (September 14, 1944); a notice that his subscription to Parents' Magazine would soon expire (September 14, 1944); a cartoon (October 16, 1944); and a list of recommended Bible verses (November 19, 1944). Norma also received letters from her sister-in-law, "Jay" Kent, and from her mother-in-law, Helen Kent.

In addition to Norma's letters, the Greiner family received correspondence from William R. Kent (1 item, March 22, 1945) and other servicemen. Private Dale Greiner, a relative, wrote about his experiences while training with the United States Air Forces in Miami Beach, Florida, and Gulfport, Mississippi; David G. Weathers wrote twice of his love for Norma (April 4, 1943, and July 11, 1943); Norman E. Olson mentioned his participation in naval campaigns near the Philippines on the USS Heywood (February 27, 1945); and Private Chester J. Hoab discussed tank training at Fort Knox, Kentucky (ca. March 25, 1943). Private Bryce E. Miller wrote his letter of March 4, 1943, on stationery bearing printed images of military aircraft.