Finding Aid for the Joseph G. Murace Vietnam War correspondence 2018.154.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
10/29/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Joseph G. Murace Vietnam War correspondence
Creator:
Murace, Joseph G.
Identifier/Call Number: 2018.154.w.r
Physical Description:
0.05 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1972 April 27 - 1973 August 23
Abstract: This collection contains eight correspondence from EN3 Joseph G. Murace, USN to Rea Nurmi in Helsinki, Finland during the
Vietnam War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Vietnam 3
Container: 4
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Rea Nurmi.
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Engineman Petty Officer Third Class Joseph G. Murace, United States Navy (b. 3/17/1949) was born in Italy and lived in Stamford,
Connecticut with his family before joining the Navy. He met Rea Nurmi in October 1971 while aboard the USS Newport News visiting
Helsinki, Finland. The circumstances of their meeting, courtship, marriage, and eventual divorce are recorded in the collection
by Rea, dated October 8, 2018.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Joseph G. Murace Vietnam War correspondence (2018.154.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.
This collection contains eight correspondence from EN3 Joseph G. Murace, USNavy to his girlfriend Rea Nurmi in Helsinki, Finland
during the Vietnam War. Also included is one historical note written by the donor.
After their meeting, EN3 Murace sailed to Hawaii and went back to Vietnam for his second tour. His correspondence during this
period consists of love letters, poems and song lyrics, and asks Rea to marry him in the first letter. He writes from his
battle station and frequently mentions being on the gun line, firing big guns constantly from the ship onto the beaches of
Vietnam. He is assigned to PBR 521 (River Boat Patrol) at one point, and his ship sails for repairs in Subic Bay, Philippines.
His time overseas was slightly extended, but he eventually made it to Norfolk, Virginia before discharging from the Navy on
August 31, 1973.
Of note are the song lyrics from Johnny Cash's "Viet Nam Talkin' Blues" and two poems by Khalil Gibran, a Lebanese poet/writer
that Murace refers to as a prophet. Also, Murace mentions listening to Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album and lists the songs
on the album.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Vietnam War (1961-1975) -- Correspondence
United States. -- Navy
Nurmi, Rea