Finding Aid for the Politeo Family First World War correspondence 2015.074.w.r

Norm Lee

Center for American War Letters Archives

5/5/2016

Leatherby Libraries

Chapman University

Orange, CA 92866

speccoll@chapman.edu

URL: http://www1.chapman.edu/library/archives/

Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives

Title: Politeo Family First World War correspondence

Creator: Bodler, Frank Frederic

Identifier/Call Number: 2015.074.w.r

Identifier/Call Number: 1268

Physical Description: 0.2 Linear Feet (2 binders) (3 books) (9 pieces of ephemera) (2 scrapbook)

Date (inclusive): 1918-1922

Abstract: This collection contains correspondence and ephemera of Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo, AEF during and after the First World War.

Condition Description: Several folded pieces of paper were found inlaid in between pages in a book titled Correspondence Book. A list is included in the Scope and Contents note of Series 5.

Language of Material: English .

Container: WWI 11

Container: 1-5

Container: Oversize 3

Container: 1

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Anne Politeo

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by material type and author, and correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Series 1, Correspondence from Dominic F. Politeo
Series 2, Correspondence from the Bodler Family to Dominic F. Politeo
Series 3, Miscellaneous correspondence to Dominic F. Politeo
Series 4, Vincent Politeo military records
Series 5, Scrapbooks
Series 6, Books
Series 7, Oversize photographs

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Politeo Family First World War correspondence (2015.074.w.r), Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Content Description

This collection contains correspondence to and from Sergeant Dominic F. Politeo, American Expeditionary Force during the First World War, while training and stationed in France. This collection also contains loose ephemera, field books, aerial photographs, one gunner's handbook, one note book, one scrapbook with various loose material, and one oversize photograph of the 37th Engineers upon arrival in the United States.

**Photographs of Dominic "Dom" Politeo can be found in a photo album in another accession: [F.F. Bodler First World War photo album 2015-070-w-r]

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918) -- Personal Narratives.

Politeo, Dominic F.

Politeo, Anne

Politeo, Vincent, Pvt.

box WWI 11, folder 1, folder 1

Series 1, Correspondence from Dominic F. Politeo 1918-1919

Creator: Politeo, Dominic F.

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains letters written by Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo, AEF to members of his family during the First World War. Recipients include Politeo's older brother, sister, mother and father. Topics include daily activities, training and camp life while stationed at Fort Myer, VA and their battalion's deployment to France.

Of particular interest are records of his promotions from Private to Corporal and Corporal to Sergeant. This series also contains a roster of the First Battalion Headquarters Company, photographs of Politeo during training, Politeo's discharge and enlistment records and a certificate of promotion.

box WWI 11, folder 2, folder 2

Series 2, Correspondence from the Bodler Family to Dominic F. Politeo 1918-1919

Creator: Bodler, Frank Frederic

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains letters written to Sgt. Dominic Politeo, AEF from Mr. and Mrs. F.F. Bodler. In these letters they discuss eveyday happenings on the homefront and Politeo's deployment to France.

box WWI 11, folder 3, folder 3

Series 3, Correspondence to Dominic F. Politeo from various authors 1917-1918

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains correspondence to Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo, AEF from multiple authors during the First World War.

box WWI 11, folder 4, folder 4

Series 4, Vincent Politeo military records 1919-1992

Physical Description: 0.08 Linear Feet(1 Folder)

Language of Material: English.

Content Description

This collection consists of original military documents and postcards of PFC Vincent Politeo, AEF with the 4th Military Police Company during the First World War. These include his discharge papers, one driver's permit, a World War compensation notification (and one copy), disability pension amendment, a citizen seaman's identification card, two postcards, three unused postcards, and one photograph of military police.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918)

box WWI 11, folder 5, folder 5

Series 5, Scrapbooks 1917-1919

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains miscellaneous ephemera belonging to Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo, AEF collected during and after the First World War. Materials include one scrapbook, one scrapbook from F.F. Bodler, and one folder of paper inlays contained between the below listed pages.

Bodler's scrapbook contains materials, photographs, and ephemera gathered by Bodler pertaining to the First World War. Included are photographs of soldiers and French war orphans, sheet music, and newspaper clippings. The scrapbook includes images of SGT Politeo and his brother PFC Vincent Politeo, AEF.

Of particular interest are numerous aerial photographs with overlays showing gun emplacements and trench layouts. These are contained within a handmade scrapbook.

Correspondence Book inlay page numbers:

#1 one letter dated January 7, 1919 (between pages 6 and 7)
#2 one German 50,000 Mark,
#3 a typed poem called Only a Volunteer,
#4 a letter in French (between pages 12 and 13)
#5 one official pass (between pages 30 and 31)
#6 one typed copy of an article copied from the San Francisco Examiner (between pages 34 and 35)
#7 one small paper pass labeled "Night Circulation Authorized" (between pages 54 and 55)
#8 one typed copy of a poem by J.N. Shearer (between pages 106 and 107)
#9 one newspaper clipping from the San Fransico Journal. Date reads Friday, May with unknown year (between pages 154 and 155)

box WWI 11, object Out of folder

Series 6, Books 1917-1918

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains books issued to Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo, AEF during the First World War. Materials include the book Bayonet Fighting by Captain Leopold McLaglen, one correspondence booklet, Yanks: A Book of A.E.F. Verse, a book of Engineer Field Notes, and a copy of Gunner's Handbook for Field Artillery by Captain John S. Hammond and Captain PT Dawson Olmstead.

box Oversize 3, folder 1

Series 7, Oversize photograph of 37th Engineers 1919

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains one oversize photograph of the 37th Engineers upon their arrival in the United States from France. The photograph is dated March 20th, 1919. Sgt. Dominic F. Politeo is one of the men in the photograph. He is in the seventh row from the top and 23rd man from the left.