Archival Collections

This World War II collection covers the overseas experience of a sailor in the U.S. Navy aboard the escort aircraft carrier U.S.S. Natoma Bay (CVE 62), Composite Squadron 63 (VC-63). The collection includes sets of uniforms, a bomber jacket, personal papers, medals, awards, and a plaque. His personal papers include personnel documents, two journals, captured Japanese papers, the Bluejacket Manual, Natoma Bay records, and various publications from and about the Natoma Bay Association. The papers primarily document his time spent in the Pacific Campaign, although his records also date his trainings in Rhode Island and Jacksonville, Florida. This sailor also has a memoir titled Between Here and There that details his life and military experiences. He died in 2010.

This collection relates to Allen Jere Tillery who served with the United States Marine Corps in the 22nd Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division, in the Pacific Theater at the battles for Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Guam, and Tinian. This collection includes a published memoir of Tillery's time in service: Well and Smartly Done: a remembrance of war 1943-1945.

This collection relates to Alvin H. Nellesen who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Private First Class cook with the 65th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403rd Troop Carrier Group in New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Western Pacific, and the Philippines during World War II. This collection includes a 65th Squadron group photograph.

This collection contains papers and artifacts collected by Billy Thomas Miner, who served during World War II as a Pharmacist's Mate, 1st Class, U.S.Navy. Miner's service brought him honors such as the Marine Expeditionary Force Ribbon, Point System, Victory Medal World War II, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, and Asiatic Pacific Medal with 4-Stars.

This World War II collection relates to First Lieutenant Carl Johnson and his wife Marion Bennett Johnson and includes various letters, photographs, telegrams, cards, documents, and memorabilia. Carl's letters to Marion comprise the bulk of the collection and detail his college experiences as well as his training and overseas military experience as a United States Marine Corp officer during and after the war. During his career as a Marine, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, then went to San Francisco to start his voyage in the Pacific. He went to Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Okinawa before arriving in China where he served as a Commanding Officer. Marion's letters to Carl highlight her experiences on the home front during and after the war.

This collection relates to Corporal Charles F. Silzer who served with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He participated in the battles of Cape Gloucester, New Britian, Peleliu, and Okinawa and occupation of China. The collection contains letters Silzer wrote to his fiance, later wife, Florence Erickson, photographs of Silzer, and a framed discharge document.

This collection relates to Lieutenant Commander Ivan E. Johnson, Jr. who served with U.S. Naval Intelligence in the U.S. Navy during World War II.  The collection includes Johnson's U.S. Navy officer's winter jacket and three Special Service Division Army Service Army Service Forces Newsmap large format maps.

Elmer Hubbard served as Radioman Second Class in the US Navy's 1st Naval Beach Battalion in the Mediterranean and European Theaters, as well as the Pacific Theater aboard the U.S.S. Buckingham attack ship during World War II. Hubbard participated in the amphibious landings at Anzio, Salerno, and Southern France. The collection consists of original wartime transcribed, typed, and mimeographed letters from original handwritten letters Hubbard wrote to his parents.

This collection relates to Ernest Ivy "Boots" Thomas Jr., who served with the Fifth Marine Division in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Thomas participated in the battle for Iwo jima, where he served as Platoon Sergeant to the men who raised the first flag atop Mt. Suribachi. He was subsequently killed in action on March 3, 1945 in Iwo Jima. This collection contains letters from Thomas to his mother, as well as photographs from the flag raising on Iwo Jima, letters to Mrs. Thomas after Ernest's death, and military magazines.

This collection relates to retired U.S. Navy Captain Fred S. Bertsch Jr. who served as the Engineer Officer during World War II in the Pacific Theater of Operations on the destroyer U.S.S. Case and the Korean War as a naval aviator.  The collection includes a daily handwritten log journal of activities aboard the U.S.S Case which begins with his eyewitness account of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, including the attack of the U.S.S. Arizona Battleship, through the end of 1943.  The collection also contains 133 original color slides, and digitized prints of the slides, taken by Bertsch Jr. aboard the U.S.S  Case during the Aleutian Island campaign in 1942, additional photographs, documents, artifacts, newspaper articles, and two publications authored by Bertsch Jr.