Archival holdings

Significant Collections

World War I

• An all-encompassing view of a soldier’s life during the Great War, Private Max Ottenfeld of Headquarters Company 18th Infantry Regiment amassed a significant collection of photographs and papers documenting his training and hospitalization during the war and occupation, activities with the American Legion (Cantigny post) and Sunrise Masonic Lodge, and letters written between November 23, 1917 and June 25, 1918. (8”x 12”x 12”)


• Handwritten letters between Private Clifford McAdams, Co. D, 16th Infantry Regiment and family, spanning March 4, 1918-August 17, 1919, concerning the progress of the war and activities of the home front. (1”x 12”x 10”)


• In his own words, recollections of service in “No Man’s Land” and gas warfare, the battle of Cantigny and the capture of Mont Sec, and digging in at Exermont by Private Jesse Owens, Co. L, 18th Infantry Regiment from April 13, 1917 to February 28, 1919. (1/2” x 12” x 10”)


• Commanding General of the First Division,Charles Pelot Summerall III, Fifth Army Corps (active in France July 1918 to May 1919.) Oversized photographs, clippings detailing his official visits to veterans and soldiers, and photos of his service at Fort Shafter, Honolulu, personalized and autographed by fellow commanders. (8”x 12”x 12” and 25”x 19 ½ ”x 3”)


• Five personal diaries kept by Private Walter H. Burrows Co. F. 13th Engineers Railway. Includes: Departing on the RMS “Orduna” after leaving Chicago on July 21, 1917, drilling at Camp Bordon, and parading through London on August 15, 1917. Witness account of the Battle of Helaire on September 3, 1917. Personal encounter with French aviator Madon. Assault by bomb raid, war in trenches, and duty on the rail lines. (7” x 9” x 1 ½”)


• Photo scrapbook by Major Henry Dunn, Signal Corps, Third Army from July 1917 - September 1919. Pictured are Army Telephone Girls, Third Army Football Championship, images of General Pershing with the troops, the city of Cologne, the U.S.S. Graf Waldersee. Also observation balloons, wrecked biplanes, and trench living. (12” x 15” x 3”)

Interwar

• One of two closely-captioned scrapbooks donated by the Chaplain of the 26th Infantry Regiment Father Albert C. M. Steffans, the photo album beginning in Plattsburg, 1940 details training maneuvers at Placid Devens, Camp Blanding, Fort Benning, Indian Town Gap, San Luis Obispo Number One, through 1942 North Carolina Maneuvers at Norfolk, Virginia. Also shown are photos of U.S.S. Dickman, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt becoming a Brigadier General at Headquarters, and "Jax," the regimental canine mascot. (19” x 21” x 11”)


• Snapshots taken during November 1941 amphibious landing maneuvers with the U.S. Marines from the U.S.S. Wakefield in New River, North Carolina by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Bennett, 16th Infantry Regiment. (14” x 12” x ¼”)

World War II

• Letters and v-mails seeking comfort from the home front by Private First Class Walter E. Lipovsky, Co. M, 16th Infantry Regiment, 81 mm. mortar and radioman, to his parents, brother, and sister between January 9 and November 7, 1944. Topics include his Class E allotment, packages from the home, air bombardments on German lines, and the war ballot. (10 ¼” x 12” x ¾”)


• Correspondence from Private Gunnar Gustavson, Co. E, 16th Infantry Regiment, depict his marksmanship at Camp Fannin in 1943-1944, the difficulty of communicating by telephone and mail, training in combat tactics, and the exigencies of a rifle inspection. After entering the fighting in Europe, he was taken prisoner at Stalag II B and M- Stammlager II B and donated mail sent home from the camps. His collection also includes XPW Bulletin, the official monthly publication of American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc., his voter identification information card, his selective service card, and instructions for soldiers entering the redistribution center in Miami. (10 ¼” x 12” x 7 ½ ”)


• The letters of Captain Joseph T. Dawson, G Co., 16th Infantry Regiment describe his experience combat on OMAHA Beach, the surrender of German prisoners of war, divisional occupation of Belgium after pushing the Germans back and acquisition of “spoils of war”. (10 ¼” x 12” x 16”)


• Brigadier General George Taylor donated a history of the 16th Infantry Regiment March 1, 1943 to April 8, 1943 and S-3 Combat Report with hourly journal reports on the Normandy landing June 6-14, 1944. His large collection of restricted and top secret files contain G-2 Estimates of the Enemy Situation, Field Orders, Letters of Instruction from July 22, 1944 to May 11, 1945, Combat Observations, Standard Operating Procedures and Standard Operating Instructions, G-3 Report of Activities January 30 -June 1945, Command and Leadership School, 9th Infantry Division, Administrative Orders and Instructions, International Trials of High Ranking War Criminals, Battle Engagements November 8, 1942 to May 8, 1945, Intelligence Bulletins, Training Memoranda Notes February 28, 1944". Also of interest are the manuscript of '"Leadership Course" as set up by the Infantry School in 1946 and the daily Battle Experiences published from the European theater between July 12, 1944 and June 14, 1945 (10 ¼” x 15” x 21”)

Occupation

• The memoir written by Frank Hoxie Smith, Machine Gunner, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment devotes a chapter to occupation duty in Germany after the war, including the surrender of German soldiers, refugees, and displaced persons, the discovery of Falkenau, the Nuremburg trials, and a meeting with Countess von Stauffenberg. (10 ¼” x 12” x ¾”)


• 16th Infantry Association collection of orders and memos from the Headquarters 1st Infantry Division, include the significant launch of Operation Gyroscope in March 1955, with Order Number 1, Movement of 1st Infantry Division to Fort Riley, Kansas. (10 ¼” x 12” x 52”)

Cold War

• Account of President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Berlin on June 26, 1963 as recalled by Specialist 4 John Parmenter, Mortar Section (81mm), Weapon Platoon, Co D, 1st Battle Group, 28th Infantry Regiment, accompanied by twelve black and white photographs of the presidential motorcade (10 ¼” x 12” x ¾”)


• Albums that belonged to Major General Guy S. Meloy II, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, June 17, 1954 - December 20, 1955. Photographs include Wildflecken, Germany, Operation Gyroscope, the 16th Infantry Regiment at Graffenwohr, U.S.S. Upshur. (11 ½” x 18” x 4”)

Vietnam

• A photo scrapbook commemorating the ceremony in remembrance of Major General Keith L. Ware, Commanding General of the First Division, and seven soldiers of the helicopter team who went down on September 13, 1968. Included are remarks by Major General Orwin C. Talbott upon the dedication of the memorial in Lai Khe. A second scrapbook provides a photographic retrospective of General Ware with his men in the field and the hospital, with the staff, at the office and at rest. There is a tribute to “King 77,” the constant canine companion of the Major General. (12” x 12” x 3”)


• Manuscripts written by Curtis Parker of B Co 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry (3rd Platoon) (Mechanized) recalling: Phase I of the Tet Offensive, January 6- February 15, 1968; the battle on April 3, 1968; the battle of Bandit Hill October 9-10, 1968 and a glossary of talking terms. (10 ¼ ” x 12” x 4”)


• A collection of negatives and prints made from the negatives donated by SP-5 William Heaster, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1966-1967. Pictured are a Caribou airplane on landing strip, the stage of the Bob Hope Christmas Show in December 1966, Christmas events at the orphanage supported by Heaster’s unit and the division, and typical sleeping quarters of an individual soldier at Camp Cox, Bearcat, RVN. (12 ”x 12”x 4 ½ ”)


• Albert Smith, Jr’s photographic account of the one millionth serviceman (Staff Sergeant 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Lester R. Hudson) to depart Vietnam, Spring 1969, on R&R leave to Honolulu, Hawaii.


• Thomas M. Barnes’ photo collection of his tour of duty with the Aerial Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon, B Company, 1st Aviation Battalion, April 2, 1966 to January 10, 1968 in Phu Loi, VN. He served as radar operator/repairman for OV-1 "Mohawk" Observation aircraft. Includes a trip along Highway 13, a tour of the company area, aerial photography of III Corps, and Martha Raye performing in Hello Dolly! in Phu Loi. (12” x 13” x 5”)


• Photographs of Command Sergeant Major James Knox from Vietnam, 1965-1966, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment and 1969-1970 with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. Also, a great collection of Society of the First Division Dinner photographs and menus and programs for various dinners organized by CSM Knox including the assembly of telegrams commemorating the 80th birthday of Colonel John Ames. (10 ½” x 12” x 22” and 11 ½” x 12 ½” x 2 ¾” )


• Orwin C. Talbott donated four photo albums from his time as Commanding General of the Big Red One in Vietnam. Of particular interest is President Nixon’s visit to the G.I.’s in Vietnam in August, 1969. (13” x 10 ½” x 16”)


• Major General John H. Hay, Jr donated his palm-sized album of regulations, procedures, and photographs of enemy weaponry. There are many large photo albums including a photographic history of Andrews Barracks prior to the fall of the Third Reich. (15” x 20” x 4” and 48” x 16” x 12 ½” )