Guide to the American Militaria Collection MSS-2013-01-15

SJSU Special Collections & Archives
June 2013
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: American Militaria Collection
Identifier/Call Number: MSS-2013-01-15
Physical Description: 3 boxes (3.42 linear feet)
Date (inclusive): 1931-1996
Abstract: This collection consists of militaria belonging to various service-members in the WWII and Cold War eras. Included are: the lapel pins and certification cards of WWII Merchant Mariner William H. Pabst Jr.; a WWII-era Army Medical Department First Aid Kit assigned to a service-member with the surname Daley; photographs, documents and historic objects belonging to WWII Army soldier James Nolan Hoover, who served in North Africa and occupied Japan with the 62nd Signals Battalion, and Thomas J. Durkin, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s and was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska with the 925th Engineer Aviation Group.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

American Militaria Collection, MSS 2013-01-01, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives.

Scope and Content of Collection

This collection consists of militaria belonging to various service-members in the WWII and Cold War eras. Included are: the lapel pins and certification cards of WWII Merchant Mariner William H. Pabst Jr.; a WWII-era Army Medical Department First Aid Kit assigned to a service-member with the surname Daley; photographs, documents and historic objects belonging to WWII Army soldier James Nolan Hoover, who served in North Africa and occupied Japan with the 62nd Signals Battalion and Thomas J. Durkin, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s and was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska with the 925th Engineer Aviation Group.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in four series: Series I. Thomas J. Durkin; Series II. William H. Pabst, Jr.; Series III: The Hoover Family; Series IV.: The Daley Medical Kit

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War II -- History
Merchant marine -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
Airmen
Armed Forces
Soldiers
Elmendorf Air Force Base (Alaska)
Hoover, James Nolan
Pabst, William H.
Durkin, Thomas J.

 

Series I. Thomas J. Durkin 1931-1991

Scope and Content of Collection

This series features photographs detailing the life and activities of an Airman during the Cold War. A photo album constructed by Thomas J. Durkin during his service in the U.S. Air Force begins and ends with Independence Day holiday in Green Lake, Alaska, and contains scenes from life at Elmendorf AFB on 203 black and white photos (198 of which remain). Five additional sets of photographs detail elements of training, exercise, fraternization and professional recognition which composed military life, and additional photographs, negatives, documents and objects spanning Durkin's life are also included.

Biographical History

Thomas J. Durkin was an enlisted airman in the United States Air Force from at least 1954 to 1955. He was stationed with the 925th Engineer Aviation Regiment in Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, a unit which specialized in airfield construction and maintenance. This period witnessed a robust commitment of military resources to the Arctic, many of which were air power-related facilities (airfields, radar and telecommunications installations, etc).

Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically, with photographs organized chronologically by military service.
Box 1, Folder 1

Fishing license 1982

Box 2, Folder 1

Garrison caps 1952-1955

Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 2, Folder 2

Kempo certificate 1991

Box 2, Folder 3

Photo album sheets 1954-1955

Box 1, Folder 2

Photographs (1 of 2) 1954-1955

Contents

1/1 - Green Lake and Elmendorf AFB, 1954-1955 1/2 - Social scenes, 1954-1955 1/3 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/4 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/5 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/6 - Social scenes, 1954-1955 1/7 - Social scenes, 1954-1955 1/8 - Social scenes, 1954-1955 1/9 - Barracks, 1954-1955 1/10 - Office and barracks life, 1954-1955 1/11 - Office and barracks life, 1954-1955 1/12 - Outdoors, 1954-1955 1/13 - USO, 1954-1955 1/14 - Elmendorf AFB, 1954-1955
Box 1, Folder 3

Photographs (2 of 2) 1954-1955

Contents

1/15 - Barracks life, 1954-1955 1/16 - Abroad (France, Germany), 1954-1955 1/17 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/18 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/19 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/20 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/21 - Basketball, 1954-1955 1/22 - Barracks life and outdoors, 1954-1955 1/23 - Social scenes, 1954-1955 1/24 - Barracks life, 1954-1955 1/25 - Barracks life, 1954-1955 1/26 - Airfield, 1954-1955 1/27 - Civilian dress, 1954-1955 1/28 - Green Lake, 1955 1/29 - Miscellaneous - Training (Pickett, VA), 1954 1/30 - Miscellaneous - Winter training, 1954 1/31 - Miscellaneous - Winter bivouac, [date unknown] 1/32 - Miscellaneous - Fraternity, [date unknown] 1/33 - Miscellaneous - Awards, [date unknown]
Box 1, Folder 4

Photographs and negatives 1931

Box 1, Folder 5

Poem 1991

Box 2

USS Hornet baseball cap undated

 

Series II. William H. Pabst c. 1945-1946

Scope and Content of Collection

This series contains one photograph, lapel pins and award certificates certifying the service record of William H. Pabst, Jr., Ensign in the United States Merchant Marine for the duration of World War II.

Biographical History

William H. Pabst, Jr. was an Ensign (ENS) in the Merchant Marine—a wartime branch of the Navy which provides supply logistics at sea, often on small vessels, many privately-owned. ENS Pabst's awards indicate service in four major theatres of World War II, and were issued before the Sept. 1st, 1946 dissolution of the War Shipping Administration.

Arrangement

Materials are sorted alphabetically and pins are grouped by type.
Box 1, folder 6

Certificates and Photograph c. 1945-1946

Box 2, Box 1

Uniform items undated

 

Series III. The Hoover Family 1945-1996

Scope and Contents

This series contains photographs, uniform and paper items related to the military service of James Nolan Hoover, who served with the Army's 62nd Signals Battalion in World War II. The collection consists mostly of photographs taken in Hiroshima Prefecture during the Occupation of Japan, and at reunion events for the 62nd in the late 1980s and 1990s. Also included is the publication Soldier's Guide to Rome produced by the Psychological Warfare Branch of the Allied Forces Head Quarters and published by the Allied Control Commission, Italy, and a printing of the Indianapolis Star given to Hoover. Accompanying is a letter to Hoover conveying his father's American Legion garrison caps and uniform items and an identification tag ("dog tag") for Ethel J. Hoover.

Biographical History

The Hoover Series is composed of the memorabilia of Army soldier James Nolan Hoover of Morgan Hill, CA as well as items belonging to Edith Hoover and his father B.V. Hoover of Carlisle, IN. During World War II, LT Hoover served in Company C of the 62nd Signals Battalion, a unit which saw service in Africa, Italy, the Philippines and Japan and installed telephones and teletype lines for wartime communication. The oldest dated photographs in this collection are from Hiroshima Prefecture between 1945-7 during the occupation of Japan. Photographs from 1945 were taken in the city of Hiroshima and at an American base in Sendai, Japan. Photographs taken in the late 1980s and 1990s reside in a separate album and document several reunions of veterans of the 62nd.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically, with photographs organizes by chronologically and by subject.
Box 2, Folder 4

American Legion Uniform Cap - B.V. Hoover (1 of 2) undated

Box 2, Folder 5

American Legion Uniform Cap - B.V. Hoover (2 of 2) undated

Box 2, Folder 6

Identification tag, medal ribbons, buttons - Ethel J. Hoover 1991

Box 2

Indianapolis Star album January 27, 1922

Box 1, Folder 7

Letter form 'Vesta' to Jim Hoover November 27, 1984

Box 1, Folder 8

Photographs 1943-1947

Contents

1/1 - Artillery Training, [date unknown] 1/2 - Bizerte, Tunisia, 1943 1/3 - Sendai, Japan, 1947 1/4 - 62nd Signal Battalion Pin, [date unknown]
Box 1, Folder 9

Photographs Occupation of Japan 1945-1947

Box 1, Folder 10

Reunions photo album (1 of 2) 1989-1996

Box 1, Folder 11

Reunions photo album (2 of 2) 1989-1996

Box 1, Folder 12

Soldiers Guide to Rome 1945

 

Series IV. Daley Medical Kit, c. 1945-1947

Scope and Content of Collection

This series consists of the US Army Medical Department's "Kit, First-Aid, motor Vehicle, 12-unit, Stock No. 977300," and contains several small boxes of medical supplies, an inventory and instructions.

Historical Note

The Daley Series is composed entirely of an Army Medical Department first aid kit designed to attach to a ¼ ton truck—popularly known as the 'Jeep.' It contains basic medical supplies for burns, lacerations and eye injuries. Its stock number indicates a date of manufacture after 1944 and the 'Field Brown' color color of bandages indicates manufacture after 1945.

Arrangement

Medical supplies are arranged according to the instructions pasted to the interior of the box lid.
Box 3

First-Aid Kit c. 1945-1947