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Butler and Cowart families collection, 1943-1950, Date acquired: 07/28/2015 by Dr. Marie E. Cowart, bulk 1945-1947

 

Summary

Creator:
Butler, Thomas A., 1916-2007
Cowart, James Bryant, Sr., 1899-1951
Cowart, James Bryant, Sr., 1899-1951
Extent:
1 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Butler and Cowart Families collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_15_0014.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection pertains to Thomas A. Butler, who served as a First Lieutenant in the 468th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion during World War II. Butler served in France and Germany from 1944-1945, receiving five battle stars and a bronze star medal. In the immediate months following the war, he was stationed at the Berchtesgaden Hof Hotel, which was adjacent to Hitler's retreat at Obersalzberg, where he operated the Hotel as a retreat for Army officers. Butler maintained a detailed Service Record Book that includes his personal information, transfers, the locations he was deployed, the people he met, and military letters he received during and after the war. In aggregate, Butler's collection includes: A U.S Military Service Record Book, including a personalized autographed photograph of General of the Air Force Henry (Hap) Arnold, one Berchtesgaden photo album created by Butler himself, Butler's awarded and framed Bronze Star, and two artifacts retrieved from Germany: one Nazi Party armband and one stationary folder.

Biographical / historical:

Thomas A. Butler was born on August 16, 1916, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Butler grew up in Miami, Florida where he spent his teenage years working at The Bath Club, a luxurious country club for Miami's elite. Butler enlisted as a Private in the United States Army at Camp Blanding, Florida in January 1943 at the age of 26. Butler rose through the ranks to Second Lieutenant during basic training at Camp Wallace, Texas; Camp Davis, North Carolina; and Camp Haan, California.

Acquisition information:
Dr. Marie Cowart, niece of Thomas A. Butler
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], Butler and Cowart Families collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_15_0014.

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