Physical Description: 0.75 Linear Feet(11 folders)
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This series contains the correspondence of BM 2/C George H. Clark, USCG. The series also contains photographs, a scrapbook
and ephemera. The bulk of the series consists of letters and postcards from George to his parents Donald Clark, Sr. and Celia
Nunn Clark, but includes letters to his brothers Joe (Oliver), sisters Rosamond and Suzanne, grandmother Mable Nunn, Ray and
Connie Nunn and his aunt Kate Clark. -- The earliest letters in this series are written when George is working on a painting
crew with his brother David (see Series 2) in California and Arizona. July 23, 1942 he writes from Alameda, CA of having joined
the Navy. He writes of training, marching, effects of vaccinations, KP, serving on color guard. On liberty in San Francisco,
he has Chinese food for the first time. In Sept. 1942, he is serving in San Clemente, then Carlsbad, then Solana Beach and
La Jolla patrolling the beach. He is able to get home to Orange for some holidays. Back in Alameda, CA in August 1944, he
describes gunnery practice shooting tracers at planes on a movie screen wearing 3D glasses; firefighter training, especially
for gas and oil fires and techniques for fires on ships; airplane identification; Hollywood filming his camp at parade for
movie called "Seaman Jones." He writes he is to be assigned to an Army ship manned by the Coast Guard that will pick up supplies
from larger ships and deliver the supplies to various islands in the South Pacific. He writes of seeing or receiving letters
from various friends from Orange who were serving in Europe or the Pacific. In October 1944, at gunnery school at Pacific
Beach. Nov. 4, is assigned to U.S. Army Freight and Supply ship F.S. 548. He writes of reaching their destination in the Pacific
January 2, 1945 after a crossing occassionally "so rough the cook couldn't cook." He writes of stops at Nggela Islands (Florida
Islands) and Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Hollandia, New Britain. April 1945, he writes from the Philippines about seeing
effects of war on people and their living conditions and of ruined, bombed-out buildings in Cavite City. He writes of one
port in the Philippines at which the docks are in such ruins only a few ships may enter at a time. He often mentions people
and places in Orange and Orange County, Santa Ana winds, similarities in Orange County and southern California geography with
places in the South Pacific, the family farm, citrus, cover crops and irrigation, Orange High School football and track, USC
at the Rose Bowl, surfing and "missing those waves at Corona Del Mar." -- At his mother's mention of a relative's interest
in real estate "lots down around Dana Point. That is pretty country down that way. It should build up after the war. L.A.
is getting so big people are going to have to move out further to get away from all the factories." -- He writes his biggest
complaints are of heat, missing mail, and the lack of fresh food. In his last letter home, Feb. 6, 1946 he writes, "Nothing
out of cans for that first meal at home, please!" -- Also in this series are a folder of correspondence between George Clark
and the Veterans Administration about his life insurance; a folder of photographs primarily of himself and shipmates; a folder
of ephemera including a U.S. Coast Guard service medal, shoulder sleeve rank insignia, a small American flag, Coast Guard
identification card, a Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Senior Citizens' Golf I.D. Card (1992), and Elks membership
cards (1993 -2006); a folder of material from a scrapbook including a photocopy of George Clark's U.S. Coast Guard discharge,
an article from the Dec. 2, 1945 Navy Times with photographs of Subic Bay, Clark's Shellback certificate with signatures of
shipmates, photos of four mates and three pieces of paper currency (pesos and centavos) issued by The Japanese Government,
various Coast Guard service registration cards, photographs of his sister Suzanne Struck and her son Stuart James Struck,
photo of Donald Clark, Sr. and Stuart James Struck, photos of George Clark onboard ship and during various points and places
of service during the war. The records of George Clark are the largest part of the Clark Family collection and include seven
folders of correspondence with parents and siblings (221 letters).