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Francis A. Mirigliano collection, 1943-1945, Date acquired: 09/08/2016

 

Summary

Creator:
Mirigliano, Francis A., 1925-2018
Francine Wolfe Schwartz
Robbins Mirigliano, Helenor J. , 1925-2017
Extent:
5 boxes 4 in General Collection; 1 in Artifacts
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Francis A. Mirigliano collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_16_0024

Background

Scope and content:

This collection relates to Francis A. Mirigliano who served as a gunner crewman on a B-29 Superfortress bomber on Tinian, Marianna Islands during World War II with the 39th Squadron, 6th Bombardment Group of the 20th Air Force. The collection includes Mirigliano's dress uniform, leather bomber style jacket decorated with hand painted B-29 nickname of "Snuggle Bunny," pilot's navigation leather flight portfolio, pilot training log book, personal letters and postcards, newspaper clippings, Tinian base newspaper, flight personnel lists, war service certificates, flight records of bombing missions, files of restricted and de-classified documents, fabric navigational maps of Japan and the south China Sea, hula skirt made from a parachute, Japanese propaganda flyers, foreign language training books, war time cartoons, personal canteen and mess kit, and photographs chronicling Mirigliano's basic training, pre-aviation cadet training at Gettysburg College, social life during all of his training experiences, Tinian Island Air Field base, women stationed on base, and photographs of aerial bombing missions.

Biographical / historical:

Francis A. Mirigliano was born on May 15, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and served as a right gunner on a B-29 Superfortress bomber nicknamed "Snuggle Bunny" during World War II. He served with the 39th Squadron of the 6th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force. Mirigliano placed his college education on hold leaving Temple University in his freshman year to enlist in the Army Air Corps. He was subsequently inducted into the service on August 17, 1943. After basic training at Fort Meade, Maryland and Miami Beach, Florida he was accepted to Pre-Aviation Cadet Training at the 55th College Training Detachment, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Mirigliano's Pre-Aviation Cadet training ceased on April 3, 1944 upon receiving "Relief from Air Crew Training" orders which stated "due to recent developments" he was reassigned to gunnery training to become a member of a combat crew. He transferred to Gunnery School training at Tyndall Field, Panama City, Florida, Clovis Army Air Field, Clovis, New Mexico, and Kearney Army Air Field, Kearney, Nebraska. After a brief stopover in Hawaii, Mirigliano was ultimately assigned to Tinian Island North Field in the Marianna Islands where he participated in the 6th Bombardment Group's mission to strategically attack Japan by air.

Biographical information by daughter of Helenor Jean Robbins, Francine Schwartz.

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.

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], Francis A. Mirigliano collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_16_0024

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