Finding Aid for the Herbert L. Claassen Second World War correspondence 2019.030.w.r

Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
4/10/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Herbert L. Claassen Second World War correspondence
source: Partner née Claassen, Margaret
Creator: Claassen, Herbert L., Private First Class, 1917-1945
Identifier/Call Number: 2019.030.w.r
Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Date: 1944 September 23
Abstract: This collection contains two letters written by Pvt. Herbert L. Claassen, USA to his parents during the Second World War.
Language of Material: English .
Container: WWII 146
Container: 17
Container: 1

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Margaret Partner (Claassen)

Biographical / Historical

Private First Class Herbert L. Claassen, United States Army (6/17/1917 - 3/10/1945) was born near Byron, Illinois and lived on a farm five miles out of town with German parents, Henry and Ella Claassen, and his five brothers Henry, Charlie, Alfred, Edward, and Donald (Alfred was the father of the donor of the collection). The family moved to Lorraine, Oregon in late 1939. Henry had emigrated from Germany through Ellis Island in the 1920s.
PFC Claassen enlisted in the Army on February 1, 1944. He served with Company B 310th Infantry 78th Division and was killed in Germany on March 10, 1945. He was one of four of the brothers that served during the war. Alfred flew 45 bombing missions over the Pacific and was stationed in New Guinea. Edward served in the Army and Donaled in the Navy.
According to the donor, Herbert's niece, her father and his younger brother Alfred "Al" also served. He was a gunner aboard a B-24 in the Pacific Theater with 50 completed combat missions and was awarded the air medal with two oak leaf clusters.

General

This collection is not accompanied by a donation form.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Herbert L. Claassen Second World War correspondence (2019.030.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 two letters written by Pvt. Herbert L. Claassen, USA to his parents during the Second World War. The two letters were written the same day from a camp near Richmond, presumably in Virginia. He mentioned going to a boxing match where the fighters were very good, one even having fought Joe Louis. He wrote again after the boxing match and was seeing a band with a few men from Oregon, where his parents were living at the time.

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.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1939-1945)
Military training camps
Partner née Claassen, Margaret