Collections

This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Bascom Walden Sparkman who served with Service Company, 753rd Tank Battalion, in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Southern France, and Germany during World War II. The 753rd served as a detached unit assigned as armored support for both the 36th and 45th Infantry Divisions.  The collection includes letters sent from Sparkman to his wife Eleanor and his family.  Letters from his family to Sparkman are also included.  Furthermore, the collection includes documents, unit newspapers, diaries, postcards, personal items carried by Sparkman, and artifacts.

Personal papers including photocopies and photographs of biographical information and materials concerning the history of Pensacola Navy Yard and Warrington, Florida.

Motion picture films documenting the productions of Beckley Films, Inc of Bradenton, Florida.

This collection relates to the Utah Beehive Chapter of the Merchant Marine veterans' organization who served during World War II. The collection contains various documents and photographs related to veterans of this chapter.

This collection relates to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Benjamin T. Leland who served as a fighter pilot on the U.S.S. Wasp with VF-86 Squadron during World War II in the Pacific Theater of Operations and remained in the U.S. Navy Reserves until retiring in 1964. He was recalled to active duty as a pilot during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953 and served with Squadron VF-831 on the U.S.S. Antietam. This collection includes Leland's oral history interview transcript, memoirs, artifacts, flight equipment, documents, Leland's U.S. Navy Flight Jacket, and photographs.

The Bernard Diederich Collection includes both papers and media. Diederich's papers constitute over 130 boxes (143 linear feet); they include Diederich's telegraphs and telexes, his reporter's notepads, and his interview notes, as well as historical documents, such as Central American and Caribbean newspapers and political posters and booklets. The papers also include his private correspondence, which reveals the many challenges encountered by journalists who work in Latin America and the Caribbean. The media collection contains over 20,000 slides and photos that document Diederich's travels. It also includes videotapes and audio cassettes with Diederich's many interviews with Central American and Caribbean leaders.