Collections

This collection contains a manuscript memoir of Anthony Catalino's WWII service in the U.S. Army Field Artillery and staff work at Army hospitals and supply depots in North Africa and Italy.

The collection of Arthur W. Card contains an oral history transcript of an interview conducted by or for the Institute on World War II. He discusses bringing US troops to and from Europe, as well as returning German POWs to Germany at the end of the war. He also discusses his work in the engine room (where he felt proud to be "more important" to the soldiers on the ship because they relied on his work to keep them safe) and his time ashore in Naples, Italy.

The papers of Carl Lavin contains a transcript provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Carl Lavin served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946 as an infantryman in the European Theatre of Operations with the 69th Infantry Division. He operated a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in the advance across Western Europe in 1944 to 1945, and he relates numerous anecdotes from his combat experiences.

Charles Campbell was bombardier on a B-17 who was shot down over Linz, Austria and captured by the Germans. While in captivity, he was sent to Mauthausen concentration camp and managed to keep a journal of his experiences there. He served with the 483rd Bombardment Group. Just prior to the war's end, Campbell was transferred to an unidentified Stalag and credits this with saving his life. The collection includes reproductions of 483rd Bomb Group artwork, a statement and picture of the Mauthausen concentration camp from after the war, a World War II memoir with pictures and documents and a copy of his obituary.

Donald Nelson served in the 59th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 6th Armored Division and the 36th Field Artillery in the European (ETO), North African, and Mediterranean Theaters. Nelson was a technician, 5th grade (medic). The collection includes a memoir of his experience covering the period January 27,1942 to October 30, 1945.

Essie Nirider served in the Army in the 2nd Infantry in the Atlantic and European (ETO) Theaters during World War II. The collection contains a diary titled "2nd Infantry in Iceland: A Diary," which covers the time period for the year 1942 when Nirider served in Iceland with the 2nd Infantry, in which he rose from private to corporal. The collection also includes a 66-page manuscript entitled "World War II Reflections" about time with the Army in the Atlantic and European Theaters. Also included is a summary of the 5th Infantry's activities in the pages of "Diamond Dust."

The collection of Francis I.G. Coleman contains an oral history transcript of an interview conducted by or for the Institute on World War II. Coleman served in the European Theater (ETO).

This collection relates to Harold Williamson who served as a medical officer in World War II and his wife, Kathryn Williamson, who was a homemaker on the homefront in Ohio. The collection relates to their marriage and family during the war, as well as Harold's service in the 161st Medical Battalion. The collection consists primarily of letters and V-Mails between Harold and Kathryn and photographs of places including the homefront in Ohio and Camp Chaffee at Fort Smith, Arkansas and from a wide variety of locations in Italy and of other locations in Europe, particularly Switzerland. The collection also contains Harold's personal journal, ephemera from the war, Harold's military documents and correspondences, a variety of military handbooks printed for the US Army, and V-Mails and letters between other family members.

The collection of Harold Cooler contains an oral history transcript of an interview provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Cooler served in the U.S. Army in the 165th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater during World War II.

This collection relates to Harold E. Bergman's (Army Counter Intelligence Corps). The collection contains a memoir of his service. He volunteered in December 1939, spent two years in ROTC, and was later assigned as a clerk for Medical Replacement Training Center (MRTC), within the 54th Training Battalion.