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Alexander Schmidt collection, 1942-1945, Date acquired: 08/03/2016

 

Summary

Creator:
Schmidt, Alexander
Extent:
3 boxes
1 items shadow box
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Alexander Schmidt collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_16_0018.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

Alexander Herman Schmidt was born on August 5, 1921, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the United States Navy in September 1942. He attended training in Rhode Island and Jacksonville, Florida until he went aboard the U.S.S. Natoma Bay in June 1943. He served aboard the U.S.S. Natoma Bay (CVE-62) , Composite Squadrom 63 (VC-63) until his discharge in December 1945. Initially, he was a gunner on a Grumman Avenger until he was grounded due to an ear infection. After that he serviced aircraft aboard the Natoma Bay. While aboard the Natoma Bay, Schmidt saw much combat in the Pacific, namely in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and other major Pacific Island battles such as Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Along with Pacific battles, his ship also survived a Kamikaze attack. He also wrote a memoir titled Between Here and There that details his life experiences. Schmidt passed in 2010.

Custodial history:

This collection was donated by Jon Schmidt. The collection was acquired by the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience on August 3, 2016.

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.

This collection is in an offsite storage location. Please contact lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu with requests for access or for more information.

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], Alexander Schmidt collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_16_0018.

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