Archival Collections

Dorothy "Dot" Douglas Whittle was ten years old when the Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941. The Japanese Army interned the Douglas family in civilian prisoner of war camps for the duration of World War II, including Camp John Hay, Camp Holmes, and Bilibid Prison. During this period, Whittle kept a diary to document everyday life in camp, including her schoolwork, schedule, games, and church activities. The US Army liberated the civilian prisoners at Bilibid Prison in February 1945 and the Douglas family subsequently repatriated to the United States. They settled in Florida, and Whittle continued high school and went on to graduate from Florida State University. She later volunteered at the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience at Florida State University.

This collection includes letters, personal papers, manuscripts, books, maps, and artifacts from E. Thomas and Margaret Fitzell Tifft Gilliard. The letters are from before, during, and after World War II between friends and family of Thomas and Margaret. The bulk of the letters include correspondence with Therese "Teddy" "Butchi" Waelchli, Thomas's aunt. The personal papers are official military documents, non-military documents, and notes. There are family photographs, photographs taken while Thomas served with the 63rd Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Division,  in the Pacific Campaign, and photographs from the many scientific expeditions they took.

This collection relates to Harold and Lee Hart who served in the Pacific Theater of Operations and European Theater of Operations respectively. This collection contains two manuscripts, "Bataan ... My Story", by Harold Hart, and "Never to Forget", by Les Hart, and an accompanying current newspaper photograph of Lester hart. Harold's manuscript recounts events from June 1941 - June 1946, and covers his training, station in Manila, capture, experiences as a Prisoner of War, liberation, and return home. Les' manuscript recounts his experiences in World War II from 1944 to 1945 with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division, 220th anti-tank Unit.

This collection contains an unpublished biography of Joseph Peters entitled "An Ordinary Hero." Peters served as a medical doctor in the Philippines during World War II and retired a Colonel. The collection also includes a letter about his 1952 retirement and a letter to his daughter about an injury stating that the initial injury was sustained upon capture by the Japanese in 1942.

This collection contains personal papers including letters, notes, sketches, newspaper articles, and a radio interview of Mildred Shearer about her work with the United Service Organization (USO) sketching servicemen. Almost 600 photostatic copies and a few original portraits are included as well. The letters are mainly thank you notes in which servicemen and family members of servicemen commend her for her sketches.

This collection relates to William V. Voss, Jr. who served with the U.S. Army, 11th Field Artillery, 24th Infantry Division, in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II. This collection contains four copies of personal letters and two manuscripts, as well as letters and articles from a reunion magazine from Robert Dexheimer. In his manuscript on the "Return to Bataan," he recounts his experience and tells stories of men he knew and his interactions with local Filipinos. Included with the manuscript is a photograph of Voss. The letter from James L. Postma describes his time in the Philippines and experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and includes a photograph of him from 1945. There are three articles by men recounting their experiences in the Philippines. There is one copy of a photograph of the 21st Brigade at Schofield Barracks and copies of four images of Hawaii before World War II. There is also one article on the Korean War and two articles on incidents at Pearl Harbor after December 7, 1941.