Richard Bruce Watkins papers, 1941-1946, Date acquired: 05/15/2000
Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Watkins, Richard Bruce, 1921-2013
- Extent:
- 1 folders 1 folder
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Richard Bruce Watkins papers, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_00_0155.
Background
- Scope and content:
This collection relates to Richard Bruce Watkins who served two years in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a U.S. Marine platoon leader, then as a commander of the E Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Immediately after the war in August 1945, Watkins also served in China. The collection contains a manuscript entitled "Brothers in Battle--One Marine's Account of War in the Pacific" written by Watkins that concerns his time in the Pacific Theater.
- Biographical / historical:
Richard Bruce Watkins was born on September 3, 1921, to C. Elmore and Iva J. (Smith) Watkins in Manchester, CT, where he was raised with his two sisters. He graduated from Manchester High School in 1939 and from Tufts University in 1943, where he was on the football and track teams. His family spent summers at Camp Bethel in Haddam, CT, where he met his future wife, Iva June Whitney of Melrose, FL. They married on July 18, 1943, and five weeks later he left to serve in the U.S. Marines. He served in the South Pacific as a Platoon Leader on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa, and China, earning a Silver Star, a Gold Star in lieu of a second Silver Star, and a Purple Heart. He retired with the rank of Captain. After the war, the Watkins' settled in Manchester, CT where they raised their four children. Bruce wrote his memoir, "Brothers in Battle," about his war experience, and returned to Peleliu for the 55th Anniversary of the Battle. Bruce was owner and manager of Watkins Brothers Furniture and Watkins Funeral Home in Manchester from 1946 to 1981 and then worked at Manchester Hardware where he was an assistant manager and furniture repairer. He later ran his own business repairing antique furniture.
- Acquisition information:
Richard Bruce Watkins
Donated
- Custodial history:
Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- World War, 1939-1945--Pacific Area
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941
United States--Armed Forces--Mobilization
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--China
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--New Guinea
United States--Marine Corps--Marine Division, 1st - Places:
- Peleliu, Battle of, Palau, 1944
Manchester (Conn.)
Access and use
- Restrictions:
This collection is open to all researchers.
- Terms of access:
All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Richard Bruce Watkins papers, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_00_0155.
- Location of this collection:
-
116 Honors WayTallahasseeFL32306-2047USA
