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Collection

Charles Stuart Kennedy papers, circa 1900-1966 (majority within 1937-1961)

13 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Detroit, Michigan physician and member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1946-1961. Reports, correspondence, and agendas of meetings of the Board of Regents, the Workers Education Service, the American College of Surgeons and World War II; and photographs.

Charles Stuart Kennedy papers consist of reports, correspondence, and agendas of meetings of the Board of Regents, the Workers Education Service, the American College of Surgeons and World War II; and photographs. The collection is comprised of three series: Board of Regents, Personal Materials, and Taiwan Material.

Collection

Reed Wallace Teed photographs, circa 1890, 1942-1946

1 linear foot (20 folders and 1 v.) — 1 oversize volume

Physician of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Teed family portrait album, ca. 1890; color slides of U.S. military base, airplanes, people, and activities in the Mariana Islands during World War II, especially on the Island of Tinian; and scrapbook documenting Teed's military service.

The Reed collection consists mainly of colored slides taken during his service in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The slides are of different sites, though many of them are of Tinian, especially military facilities, battle damage, recreational interludes, and groups of individual. There is also a scrapbook from the period of his wartime service.

Collection

Arthur Brown family papers, circa 1873-1945

1 linear foot

Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. Correspondence, other papers and photographs of Arthur Brown, Ann Arbor attorney and mayor, and officer and director of the Washtenaw Abstract Company; also papers of his wife, Cora Pulcipher Brown, largely concerning work with Americanism Committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution during World War II.

The Brown family collection is unfortunately a fragment of materials with very few of the papers created by either Arthur or Cora Brown surviving. What remains relate almost exclusively to the legal career of Arthur Brown, in particular to his service to various persons as a collector of bad debts, and to Cora Brown's work with the Americanism Committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution during World War II.

Collection

Russell C. Shaul photograph album, ca. 1927-1950

approximately 136 images in 1 album

The Russell C. Shaul photograph album contains images and ephemera related to the life and career of photographer Russell Clifford Shaul, who owned a studio in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Russell C. Shaul photograph album contains images and ephemera related to the life and career of photographer Russell Clifford Shaul, who owned a studio in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s.

The album (36.5 x 28 cm) has string-bound brown covers with the words "Scrap Book" and a depiction of a boy and girl wearing wooden clogs embossed on the front; the covers and pages are in poor condition. The structure of the album is roughly chronological, with material from the 1920s appearing towards the beginning and material from the 1940s appearing towards the end. However, candid snapshots and studio portraits made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early 1930s are scattered throughout and mixed in with photos from other periods. At least one page includes dated photos from the early 1930s and late 1940s that appear side by side. Certain names and people reappear often, but exactly how they relate to one another is not entirely clear. Many photographs document people drinking as well as posing in a humorous manner.

Photographer Russell Clifford Shaul appears to have been the compiler of this album. Shaul’s name appears on numerous images as the credited photographer, including portraits taken in Milwaukee in the early 1930s and a Chicago cityscape view from the mid-1940s. Several photos are also inscribed with messages to “Russell,” while snapshots arranged on a page captioned “The Shauls” show him and his third wife Sarah visiting various U. S. tourist destinations between 1944 and 1949. At some point during the 1930s it appears that Shaul relocated from Milwaukee to Chicago and set up a new photography business. Several pages in the album suggest that Shaul and his colleagues practiced door-to-door operations.

Two pages document a man’s World War II service. He is pictured driving a Jeep and wearing a uniform bearing an “Official U.S. War Photographer” patch, training on a shooting range, interacting with people on the streets “In India,” and taking photographs with both still and motion picture cameras. This man appears throughout the album (identified elsewhere as “Carl”), including in the earliest Milwaukee shots in 1927. He may have been Shaul’s friend and/or business partner.

Items placed toward the end of the album include some scrapbook materials including letterheads advertising a company called Chicago Thrill Tours and Chicago-based radio host called “The Nitehawk,” as well as business cards identifying a fellow photographer in Chicago named Charles Lonk and a trailer park in Eau Gallie, Florida.

In addition to the album there is also an envelope containing several loose photographs and ephemeral items including portraits of various people and groups; pictures of people drinking at bars; photographs of the man elsewhere identified as Carl drinking at a Milwaukee bar in 1927 as well as posing in a bathtub while another man bathes him; an image of a photo supply storefront with a cutout of an unidentified man pasted over the front door (possibly shop owner I. Dobkin); photography-related clippings; aerial images of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, taken in 1938; and a portrait by Acme Newspictures of a man in the radio studio of “The Nitehawk - WBBM” captioned “J. W. Clark.” Also present is an enveloped typed letter signed by “The Nitehawk” written to Shaul in 1948 asking him to be on the lookout for early copies of Reader’s Digest.

Collection

Department of Journalism (University of Michigan) research papers, 1967-1978

2 linear feet

Research papers, 1967-1979, of students in journalism at the University of Michigan; contain essays relating to the history of Michigan newspapers and journalists, and the development of radio and television broadcasting; include papers concerning newspapers in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and the journalistic efforts of Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L. K. Smith.

The Department of Journalism research papers collection measures 2 linear feet and consists solely of student research papers written between 1967 and 1979. The papers contain essays written regarding the history of various newspapers -- many in Michigan cities such as Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids; journalists and the journalistic efforts of individuals such as Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L.K. Smith; and the development of radio and television broadcasting.

The surviving administrative records of the Department of Journalism were retained by its successor unit, the Department of Communication, and can be found in that department's records.

Collection

Robert W. Fletcher papers, 1950-2004

0.4 linear feet — 3 digital video files

Online

Papers include correspondence, diary, clippings, and photographs relating to his experience as a prisoner; correspondence relating to his Purple Heart award and the Prisoner of War medal. Also included a memoir by Sidney Esensten about his experience as an American P.O.W. during the Korean War.

Visual materials include photos relating to his experience as a prisoner; videotape entitled "P.O.W.--Americans in Enemy Hands" (1986), which includes interview with Fletcher; videotape of 1990 presentation by Fletcher and three Tuskegee Airmen, African American World War II aviators, describing their military experiences, and an undated videotape "Priority: P.O.W."

Collection

Ralph B. Baldwin papers, 1949-2001

8 linear feet

Grand Rapids, Michigan manufacturing company executive, astronomer. Technical correspondence, 1949-1992, relating to astronomical studies, particularly concerning the moon; correspondence, 1980-1981, used in preparation of his book, "The deadly fuze: a secret weapon of World War II;" speeches on astronomical subjects and pertaining to his interest in product liability reform; and unpublished autobiography.

The Baldwin collection consists of general correspondence and technical correspondence relating to astronomical topics and to the publication of his book The Deadly Fuze. There are also speeches, biographical and autobiographical material, and various materials relating to the proximity fuze. The collection largely consists of photocopies of original materials.

Collection

Owen J. Cleary Papers, 1944-1959

10 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Owen J. Cleary was an attorney, president of Cleary College in Ypsilanti (1940-1960), Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and chairman of the Republican State Central Committee (1949-1953). The collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks and clippings, organizational files, and Republican Party files.

The collection documents the later period of Cleary's life, mainly from 1945 to 1959. The series include Correspondence; Scrapbooks and clippings; Organizational interests; and Political files.

The great bulk of the collection consists of correspondence dated from 1945 to 1959 and documenting his work as Republican State chairman (1949-1953), his tenure as Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and his various other civic, political, and business involvements. There is included with this finding aid a selective index to Cleary's correspondents.

Collection

Edgar Denton letters, 1944-1945

4 items

This collection is made up of letters that Private First Class Edgar Denton of La Grande, Oregon, wrote to his friends Frank and Murdle Smith while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Denton discussed his enthusiasm for rifle and machine gun training and concern for his wife and children.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Private First Class Edgar Denton wrote to his friends Frank and Murdle Smith of Summerville, Oregon, while serving with the United States Army during World War II. He wrote his first two letters from Camp Hood, Texas, and Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, while training for combat and awaiting deployment to Europe. He discussed his enthusiasm for rifle and machine gun training, commented on his correspondence with his wife Peggy, and requested news of mutual acquaintances in Oregon. Writing from Europe in late 1944 and early 1945, Denton expressed his belief that the war would soon end and referred to his hospitalization in England after suffering wounds in the hip and back.

Collection

Graflex Sees the War, 1944

19 photographs

Graflex Sees the War contains a series of 19 mounted gelatin silver prints taken by Allied military photographers in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II.

Graflex Sees the War contains a series of 19 mounted gelatin silver prints taken by Allied military photographers in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. This collection consists of 19 gelatin silver prints from the fourth edition of the series in their original shipping container (43 x 53.5 cm). The mailing label on the reinforced cardboard container is addressed to the manager of the Rio Theater in Hammond, Indiana. The majority of the photographs depict scenes from the Pacific theater, yet there are images from France as well. All photographs appear to have been taken in 1944. Credit for most photographs is limited to the service branch that provided them, but three items credit individual photographers by name: Cpl. Angus Robertson, Sgt. Ferman H. Dixon, and Sgt. R. B. Opper. Every credit line also includes the phrase "Graflex-made."

Titles, photo credits, and descriptions of images in order of appearance are as follows: "Two Down, Beachhead to Go, Saipan" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- soldiers under fire advancing along a beach; "Shells Away--Guam" (U.S. Navy) -- battleship firing toward shore; "Plane to Pack Train--Burma" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers walking with mule train, transport planes on runway in background; "U.S.-equipped Free French Troops" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers firing from rocky ridge; "Mam'selle 'Welcomes' Nazi Prisoner" (U.S. Navy) -- woman kicking man in city street as crowd looks on; "Hide and Seek with Death, Saipan" (U.S. Marine Corps by Cpl. Angus Robertson) -- soldiers crouching behind tank; "Biak Bound" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- deck of transport ship with convoy in background; "Victory Symbols--Past and Present" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- French village square showing World War I monument and advancing American tank; "105mm Howitzers In Action, Guam" (U.S. Marine Corps) -- soldiers and artillery in tropical landscape; "Channel Transfer of Invasion Wounded" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- wounded soldiers (likely injured during the invasion of Saipan) on stretchers on boat deck; "Flame, Camera, Action--Guam" (U.S. Marine Corps) -- soldiers patrolling in battle-scarred jungle; "Alligators Attacking Peleliu" (U.S. Navy) -- fleet of amphibious landing craft; "House to House Fighting--St. Malo" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- American soldiers under fire in French village street; "Earmarked for Guam" (U.S. Navy) - ship deck lined with large artillery shells; "Beachhead Altar, Saipan (U.S. Marine Corps by Sgt. Ferman H. Dixon) -- priest in front of makeshift altar on hood of wrecked tank; "Pause for Prayer" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers with rifles sitting in cathedral; civilians praying at altar; "War is H---" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- four sailors showing haircuts that spell out "H-E-L-L"; "Thar She Blows, Saipan" (U.S. Marine Corps by Sgt. R. B. Opper) -- artillery shell exploding close behind two soldiers on battlefield.

Collection

V-Mail Process collection, 1944

16 items

The V-Mail Process collection is made up of 8 photographs and accompanying typed explanations, created in April 1944, which demonstrate the process of creating V-mail for the United States Marine Corps 2nd Division. The photographs are individually numbered and the typed explanations occasionally include commentary on the careers of pictured marines.

The V-Mail Process collection is made up of 8 photographs and accompanying typed explanations, created in April 1944, which demonstrate the process of creating V-mail for the United States Marine Corps 2nd Division.

Eight 8"x10" black-and-white photographs illustrate steps in the V-mail creation process, from initial composition to delivery. Eight 1-page, typed documents explain each step and occasionally identify the members of the Marine Corps 2nd Division depicted in the images, variously noting names, ranks, hometowns, and service histories. The explanatory text also provides numerical figures associated with the Marine Corps mail service, including an estimate of total pieces handled daily (image 2D-37), the number of letters on each roll of film and number photographed per hour (image 2D-39), the rate at which an operator prints and cuts images (image 2D-40), and the number of V-mail letters that could fit in one mailbag (image 2D-43). Sergeant J. L. Burns took the first photograph, and Sergeant Andy Knight took the remaining 7; each image is also attributed to Warrant Officer J.F. Leopold, Photo Officer, 2nd Marine Division.

Collection

Stefan S. Fajans papers, 1943-2012

4.5 linear feet

Stefan S. Fajans was a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School from 1949-1988 and active Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine until 2014. The collection includes personal correspondence during his time in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in World War II, as well as materials related to his professional activities and interests, including patient records, correspondence, lectures, manuscripts and other topical files related to his research on diabetes, especially Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY).

The Stefan S. Fajans papers are comprised of personal correspondence with his family while in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II as well as a wide range of materials documenting his professional life. The latter are a rich source for his research on Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and its associated genetic markers. The Stefan S. Fajans papers are divided into two series: Personal Correspondence and Professional Files.

Collection

John W. Aldridge papers, 1943-2007 (majority within 1950-2000)

14.4 linear feet

University of Michigan professor of English (1964-1991), director of the Hopwood Program (1975-1988), USIA Special Ambassador to Germany (1972-1973), and esteemed literary critic. Papers (1943-2004) include extensive personal and professional correspondence, published and unpublished manuscripts and writings, notes and lecture materials for courses taught, USIA program materials and correspondence, topical files, photographs, and audio-visual recordings.

The John W. Aldridge Papers document the professional and personal life of one of the twentieth century's most distinguished literary critics, and a longtime University of Michigan professor of English. The records in this collection measure 14.4 linear feet, and date from 1943 to 2006, with the majority of the records from the period 1950 to 2000. They are primarily comprised of correspondence, lectures and addresses, teaching materials, writings and publications, research notes, clippings, program and topical files, and are arranged into nine series: Biographical Materials, Correspondence, Hopwood Awards Program, Lectures and Addresses, Scrapbooks, Teaching, USIA/Special Ambassador, Writings, and Audio-Visual Materials.

Collection

Donald R. Caird correspondence, 1943-1985 (majority within 1943-1945)

1 linear foot

This collection is comprised largely of the World War II letters of United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Donald R. Caird (of Southeast Michigan) to Margaret I. MacDonell (of Phoenix, Arizona). Lieut. Caird's correspondence spans his Army Air Forces flight and instrument training at bases in Texas, Arizona, and California, 1943-1944; and his services as a pilot instructor at Merced, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1944 to 1945. His letters include information about work and everyday life on base, but primarily focus on his courtship with Margaret MacDonell, their marriage on December 7, 1943, the birth of their first son, and other aspects of their relationship, household, and newly forming family.

This collection is comprised largely of the World War II letters of United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Donald R. Caird (of Southeast Michigan) to Margaret MacDonell (of Phoenix, Arizona). Lieut. Caird's correspondence spans his Army Air Forces flight and instrument training at bases in Texas, Arizona, and California, 1943-1944; and his services as a pilot instructor at Merced, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1944 to 1945.

Correspondence Series: In his letters, Donald Caird commented on his training, on the flying students, his own instructional methods, his administrators ("the brass"), weather conditions that had an effect on flying, his quarters, clothing and laundry, frustration with changing instructional requirements, vehicles and transportation, the GI Bill (March 22, [1945]), playing golf, bowling, and watching basketball and football games.

The most prevalent content in the Caird's correspondence pertains to his courtship with Margaret I. MacDonell, their marriage, the birth of their first son, and other aspects of their relationship, household, and newly forming family. He wrote about attending mass and confessional; planning before their December 1943 wedding; anticipating the birth of "shack rat"/"Roscoe" (i.e. Donald Caird) in November 1944; discussing Margaret's pregnancy, health, and medical treatments; working with real estate agents to find a house for Margaret and Roscoe near his Air Forces bases; wondering and reflecting on Roscoe's growth; trying to help manage finances; and planning for furloughs. He frequently discussed the next times he would be able to connect with Margaret. A small number of other correspondents contributed to the collection, including, for example, a couple of letters from Donald R. Caird's mother Ella Caird, enclosed in his letters of January 1944, and a letter from Dr. D. H. Moulton of Chico, California, on Margaret Caird's physical condition and pregnancy (June 13, [1944]).

A selection of Lieut. Caird's letters bear illustrated, printed letterheads, including those of the Hotel Tioga, Merced, California, "The Gateway to Yosemite"; "GARDNER FIELD", California (June 13, [1944]); and "New HOTEL OAKS", Chico, California (summer 1944).

Documents Series: The six partially printed documents contain records of Donald R. Caird's training at Thunderbird Field II, near Phoenix, Arizona, with aircraft types (all Stearman Aircraft Company PT-17s), flight times, and instructor names, December 8, 1942-January 19, 1943.

Printed Items Series: The printed items include five invitations/announcements/memorials, three newspaper clippings, and one printed pamphlet. The announcements include an invitation to the ordination of Rev. Alfred P. Caird (1915-1980) at Saint Basil's Church, Toronto, Ontario, September 29, 1941, along with a smaller announcement card for Rev. Caird's "First Solemn Mass" at Detroit, Michigan, October 5, 1941. The announcements/memorials include three variant printings memorializing Ella C. Caird following her death on July 5, 1962 (William Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, Michigan). The three undated (World War II era) newspaper clippings regard the marriage of Dorothy Rohrbacher to Ted Levandowski, the birth of Donald Caird on November 21, [1944], and a pictorial announcement about the newly organized Ria Club Alumnae (including Margaret McDonell in a group portrait). The collection's single pamphlet is: Steve Caird, et al.The Greatest Generation: Caird Stories Volume 2 . Artifact Uprising, [21st Century].

Collection

Dorwin Cartwright Papers, 1943-1979

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder

Founder and director of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an organization that later merged with the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan to form the Institute for Social Research. Correspondence, reports, memoranda, articles, lectures, and an unfinished manuscript pertaining to research on war bond sales for the U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 1943-1946; also papers on subsequent research on social behavior and psychology conducted at the University of Michigan.

The Dorwin Cartwright Papers reflect Cartwright's career as researcher of war bond sales for the Bureau of Agricultural Economics during World War II and his later activities as professor and staff member of the Institute of Social Research. The papers contain some correspondence reflecting his transfer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to the University of Michigan, but include primarily reprints of Cartwright's articles and reports while on the staff at the University. The papers also contain some of Cartwright's lectures and an unpublished manuscript in which he summarized his research on war bond sales. Accompanying the war bond materials are several promotional advertising posters from World War II.

Collection

John B. Swainson Papers, 1943-1975 (majority within 1960-1962)

71.5 linear feet (in 73 boxes) — 1 oversize folder — 1 oversize volume — 7.77 GB (online)

Online
Democratic governor of Michigan, 1961-1963; gubernatorial office files, campaign files, papers from his career as state senator and lieutenant governor.

The John B. Swainson collection consists of four subgroups of files: pre-gubernatorial (covering the period of 1943 to 1960), gubernatorial (covering his one-term, two-year tenure as the state's chief executive), post-gubernatorial (covering the years since he left the governor's office, 1963 to 1975), and visual materials.

The great bulk of the collection is the gubernatorial subgroup documenting the last months of Swainson's term as lieutenant governor under Governor G. Mennen Williams, the 1960 campaign for governor, his gubernatorial administration, and his unsuccessful campaign for re-election. The importance of the collection, as with all gubernatorial records, is its documentation of public policy issues of the early 1960s and the relationship of the governor to the legislature, to the heads of the state's various boards and commissions, to the federal government, and to the citizens of Michigan.

Collection

Emily F. and Evangeline Brady collection, 1943-1950 (majority within 1943-1945, 1949-1950)

0.25 linear feet

This collection is primarily made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, Emily F. Brady received letters from members of the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950 she wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil.

This collection is comprised of 121 items, mostly the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, they received letters from soldiers in the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950, Emily wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil. The only item that is not a letter is a photograph of four teenagers at a swimming pool.

The first group of letters consists primarily of incoming letters to Emily and Evangeline Brady. The first few items pertain to Emily Brady's unsuccessful efforts to secure teaching positions in Cuba, Chile, and at the Universidad Femenina de México. The Brady sisters later received letters from servicemen in the United States servicemen during World War II, including their brother George of the USS Birmingham; John Landry of the Army Air Forces' 110th Bombing Squadron; J. G. Francis Wilber ("Walt") of the Birmingham and Camp Elliot, California; and Michael Kimla of the 336th Army Medical Dispensary. Emily also received letters from Berta Montero in Havana, Cuba; Lopez Arias of Buenos Aires, Argentina; and C. E. Gonzalez ("Enrique") of Popayán, Colombia. The soldiers commented on many aspects of their service, such as Kimla's time in Puerto Rico, Landry's visits to London and other English cities, and Wilber's duties at a personnel center at Camp Elliot. Wilber also shared news of a visit to Mexico. One of Montero's letters encloses a Spanish-language printed program for a harp recital.

Emily Brady wrote to Evangeline, George, and others between December 23, 1949, and September 19, 1950, while she lived in Chile and Brazil. She described everyday life in Santiago, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and mentioned her travels to other towns, such as Huiscapi, Chile, and Porto Alegre, Brazil. In the summer of 1950, she often commented on recent World Cup matches. Her letter of May 17, 1950, has a very rough sketch of the layout of Rio de Janeiro.

Collection

Jerome Silberman letters, 1943-1945, undated

1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

World War II-period letters of Jerome Silberman to his wife Ruth Silberman, written from locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Belgium, France, and Philippines; also U.S. Army-issued language books, foreign banknotes, issues of English and Spanish language newspapers published in the Philippines, map of Europe; and a photograph most likely depicting Jerome Silberman.

Collection

Deardorff family papers, 1943-1944

0.5 linear feet

The Deardorff family papers consist of 109 letters, 6 V-mail envelopes, 2 Christmas cards, and 1 newsletter. Dale Deardorff wrote most of the letters from his military posts to his parents and sister, Jane, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and to his brother Bob in Virginia. Donald Price wrote 4 letters from Texas and Italy. The collection provides details of the daily lives of soldiers as they trained for and fought in World War II.

The Deardorff family papers consist of 109 letters, 6 V-mail envelopes, 2 Christmas cards, and 1 newsletter. Dale Deardorff wrote most of the letters from his military posts to his parents and sister, Jane, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and to his brother Bob in Virginia. Donald Price wrote 4 letters from Texas and Italy: 1 to Jane and 3 to his Aunt Anna Deardorff, who was also living in Gettysburg. A man with the last name of Geiman wrote 1 postcard to Erle and Ipha Deardorff.

When Dale was in basic training at Camp Croft in South Carolina, he wrote letters to his parents nearly every day. This pattern continued when he was stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland and at an undisclosed location in New England. Once Dale was shipped to England, his correspondence home became more sporadic. His letters primarily provide information about his daily training activities, the weather, family affairs, and the soldiers' recreational activities. He often mentioned spending time at USO centers. Dale described the physical features of the locales where he was stationed in great detail.

Many of Dale's letters contain enclosures. On August 3, 1943, he recounted his first experience on an obstacle course and included a sketch of the course. Dale also attached a photograph of himself with a friend, taken while his friend's family was visiting, to his letter of August 14, 1943. Two newspaper articles regarding obstacle courses, including the one at Camp Croft, are enclosed with Dale's letter to his father on September 12, 1943. On September 15, 1943, Dale wrote a short message to his mother, referring to the USO calendar of events on which he was writing. A small calendar, in which he kept the addresses of his friends from basic training, accompanied Dale's letter of November 26, 1943. The front cover displayed an image of a pin-up girl. Many of his letters are on postcards and illustrated stationery from Camp Croft, the USO, the 31st Infantry Training Battalion, and the U.S. Army.

Don wrote 4 letters from his military post in Laredo, Texas, and from Italy, where he was stationed during the war. The short message from Laredo is on an illustrated postcard and was addressed to Jane. In it, he briefly described the city and the people. His later messages were directed to his Aunt Anna. They provide details about the daily life of a soldier in the Army Air Corps. In his last letter, Don mentioned meeting a few British soldiers and shared details about the time he spent with them.

The final postcard, from "Mr. Geiman," is an invitation for Mr. and Mrs. Deardorff to attend a service flag dedication at a church.

The collection contains 6 empty V-mail envelopes addressed from Dale to his parents and postmarked from England. In addition, the collection includes 2 Christmas cards, both from Dale. One is for Jane and the other is for his parents. Also part of the collection is a newsletter from Dale's battalion at Camp Croft, dated July 10, 1943. It consists of articles related to various events and to people in the battalion. On the last page, Dale wrote a short note to Jane, explaining that she might enjoy reading the stories.

Collection

Otto Fisher collection, 1942, undated

1 folder

The Otto Fisher collection includes photographs of Michigan Wing # 63 Civil Air Patrol personnel and aircraft during World War II.