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Harold and Lester Hart collection, 1941-1946, Date accessioned: 2012-05-31

 

Summary

Creator:
Hart, Lester
Hart, Harold J.
Extent:
1 folders 1 folder
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], harold and Lester Hart collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-12-2026

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

Harold Hart served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II from 1941-1946. Joining the U.S. Army Air Corps directly out of high school in 1941, he was ultimately assigned to the 91st Bomb Squadron. In April 1942, Harold Hart was captured in Bataan and through his four years as a prisoner of war, he endured the Bataan Death March, O'Donnell Prison camp, Cabanatuan Prison Camp, Nichols Field, Bilibid Prison, and a mining camp in Oeyama, Japan. In August 1945, the Japanese left the Oeyama camp and Harold Hart was freed. Harold Hart was discharged in 1946.

Lee Hart served in the European Theater of Operation from 1944-1945. Lee Hart enlisted in the Army in 1944 and received training at Camp Blanding, Florida. Following his training, Lee Hart was sent to Leghorn, Italy where he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Infantry Division, 220th Anti-Tank Unit.

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

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], harold and Lester Hart collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-12-2026

Location of this collection:
116 Honors Way
Tallahassee
FL
32306-2047
USA