Collections

This collection consists of the business records from the Apalachicola Tent and Awning Company once located in Apalachicola, Florida. The company manufactured pyramidal tents under contract from the United States Army from early 1941 to at least October 1942. The records are unclear as to when the company ceased operations.

Emanuel Lamb served with the Heavy Weapons Company of the 89th Infantry Division. Collection includes letters from Emanuel and his brother Mandy during their time serving overseas, mainly discussing their daily lives, censorship, and treatment of prisoners of war, as well as a complete oral history transcript between Emanuel Lamb and an interviewer discussing his time in combat and his memories of the Battle of the Bulge. There are also newspaper clippings, photocopies of identification cards and ephemera included in the collection.

This collection relates to James J. McGuire who served with the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II and was captured by the Germans in November 1944 near the Roer River. The collection includes documents related to prisoners-of-war, including special postage and protocols for sending letters to American POWs, special postage and protocols that James McGuire had to follow to send letters back to his family, and even an extremely detailed, multi-page set of instructions on how to order tobacco products for American soldiers in German POW camps. It also includes a ration book application, and a ration book itself.  Finally, it includes communications, telegrams, and letters, between the McGuire family and various government agencies and departments as they attempt to gain more information about James McGuire and his fate.

This collection relates to James W. Harrington who served with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. This collection includes a manuscript entitled Return to Ville de Bastogne: A Time Remembered, which concerns the Battle for Bastogne, Belgium. This manuscript consists of a 10-page memoir of the Battle of the Bulge following Harrington's return visit to Bastogne 53 years later. He describes his division's encampment prior to the Battle of the Bulge. This manuscript is an exclusive Battle of the Bulge memoir. An additional page entitled "A Trek Remembered" is an account of a specific experience on December 17, 1944. It also includes photocopies of maps, insignia, ephemera, a copy of a certificate of discharge, a photocopy of a picture of Harrington in uniform, and a veteran's questionnaire.

Leonard J. Travaline (also spelled Traveline in some records) served in the United States Army as an Artilleryman from 1941 to 1945. He served with the 166th Field Artillery Battalion and later the 938th Field Artillery Battallion in the Mediterranean and European Theaters. He served as a front line observer in Oran, North Africa, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria. The collection contains a transcribed daily journal that Travaline kept from the time of his landing in North Africa until the end of the war and his arrival back in the States in September 1945.

The Lloyd M. Hicks Jr. Collection includes personal artifacts such as medals, ribbons, and various pins. The collection also contains scrapbooks containing news clippings and photographs detailing the actions of the 2nd Armored Division and 41st Armored Infantry Regiment in their overseas campaigns, as well as Lloyd Hicks Jr.'s own personal photographs from his time overseas and those taken during periods of leave spent in Florida.

Second Lieutenant Robert H. Cardinell served with the 65th Infantry Division in Europe during the latter part of the Second World War and the occupation forces afterward. The collection includes two manuscripts. One is entitled "65th Infantry Division." The other is titled "Battle of Struth-Roscus at Dorna." The manuscript contains recollections of the Struth-Dorna battles fought on 7 April 1945. It also contains an account and photos of a return visit to Dorna in 1988 by several members of the division. Also, the manuscript gives an account of the battles by a German participant.

This collection relates to Samuel Rhea, M.D., Willard Carr, and Anna (Groover) Carr. Dr. Rhea served as a physician with the 377th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion attached to the 4th Infantry Division in the U.S. Army in the European Theater (ETO). Willard Carr served as an officer in the 377th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion and served in the European Theater of Operations. Anna (Groover) Carr served in the Red Cross as Director of the Enlisted Men's Club, Luchbal Barracks in Antwerp, Belgium.

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant William A. Kummerer who served with the 463rd Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division during World War II.  The majority of this collection concerns the reunions of the 101st Airborne, 463rd Field Artillery Battalion, on the creation of the division shoulder patch.

This collection relates to William H. Jenner (5th Ranger Battalion, U.S. Army). He served from 1942-1945.  Jenner was a Technician Fourth Grade (TEC 4) and wire chief in charge of communications. The collection contains two photographs of William H. Jenner, a copy of an Extract of his Award of Bronze Star Medal, a copy of his Separation Qualification Record, badges, a copy of his Honorable Discharge and a copy of his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation.  There are also two copies of his Veteran Questionnaire. A full transcript of an oral history conducted on November 13-14, 1999 is part of this collection as well.