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William I. Criste collection, 1886-2003, Date acquired: 04/25/2014

 

Summary

Creator:
Criste, William I. , 1917-2004
Extent:
3 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], William I. Criste collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_14_0017.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection relates to U.S. Navy Electrician's Mate First Class William I. Criste who served during World War II with GROPAC 11, Section E-9. The materials relate to the battle, work, and life on Iwo Jima, including more than 100 photographs, military documents, and Japanese military artifacts.

Biographical / historical:

William I. Criste, born on April 19, 1917, Harrisburg, PA, entered service in the U.S. Navy on February 13, 1943. Criste served in the US Navy during the Battle of Iwo Jima as an Electrician's Mate First Class with Group Pacific 11 (GROPAC 11),  Section E-9.  He arrived with his unit from Hawaii aboard the U.S.S. Whiteside (AKA-90.)  He witnessed and documented in a journal the initial invasion of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945.  Criste, along with his unit, assisted in building the U.S. Naval Base on Iwo Jima.  While stationed on Iwo Jima for 9 months, Criste had the opportunity to accumulate Japanese military artifacts. Criste departed Iwo Jima on November 2, 1945 aboard U.S.S LSM-97 and transferred to the Heavy Cruiser U.S.S. Chester which arrived in San Francisco on November 17, 1945 with a stop at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Criste was subsequently discharged on December 7, 1945. Criste worked as an electrician for 40 years and was a past-president of the IBEW Local 308, serving the Tampa Bay area. Criste also served as a Crime Watch captain in the Mount Vernon, FL area for many years.  In 2003, Criste was entered into the World War II Registry of Remembrances. Criste passed away on February 19th, 2004 in St. Petersburg, FL. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy.


Note written by Michael Kasper

Acquisition information:

Michael W. Criste

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

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], William I. Criste collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_14_0017.

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