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Greguras (Fred M.) Papers
OCH.FGP
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Fred M. Greguras Papers
Creator:
Greguras, Fred M., 1943-
Identifier/Call Number: OCH.FGP
Extent:
44.47 linear feet
Extent:
7.76 Megabytes
Date (inclusive): 1841-2018
Abstract: Fred M. Greguras served as a United
States Marine in Vietnam in 1970 with Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment,
before entering the field of law and becoming a partner at a law firm in California. The
Fred M. Greguras Papers reflect his research and writing
interest in U.S. Marine history through manuscripts, research materials, photographs, and
collected ephemera that focus on China Marines and the presence of the U.S. military in
Asia.
Language of Material: English
Fred M. Greguras was born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 3, 1943. He attended the
University of Nebraska, Omaha, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics in 1966 and
a Masters of Science in mathematics and computer science in 1968. In 1969, Greguras joined
the United States Marine Corps, and in 1970 he served a tour of duty in Vietnam with the
Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. After completing his service in the
Marine Corps as a captain in 1972, Greguras earned a law degree from the University of
Nebraska in 1975. His work as a business lawyer and entrepreneur led him to California to
work as a partner in a law firm, venture capitalist, and startup company general counsel and
CFO. In addition to his work as an attorney, Greguras is also a Marine historian, and has
taken numerous trips to China and Asia to research sites affiliated with Marines.
The
Fred M. Greguras Papers consist of research materials and
manuscripts related to the history of the United States Marines in China, primarily before
and during World War II. Greguras' work charts the China Marine presence throughout the
region, with a particular focus on documenting the physical landscape and built environment
as they change over time. This also includes documentation of other military presences in
the region, and material related to China Marines reunions in the late 20th and early 21st
centuries. The collection is arranged in three series:
China Marines
Reunion Materials
(1986-2018),
Manuscripts (2006-2018),
and
Research Papers and Ephemera (1841-2018).
Series I,
China Marines Reunion Materials, includes
newsletters, correspondence, audiovisual materials, and ephemera related to China Marines
reunion activities. These materials include information about event schedules, association
membership, and China Marines' memories and reflections of their lived experiences. These
files are arranged chronologically.
Series II,
Manuscripts, includes manuscripts written by Fred M.
Greguras based upon his extensive historical and field research. These reports shed light
onto the historical use and current status of Marine Corps related places in China. These
files are arranged alphabetically by title, and then chronologically.
Series III,
Research Papers and Ephemera, includes research
notes, serials, photographs, maps, and ephemera collected by Greguras in pursuit of his
research endeavors. These materials document the presence of the Marines in China, and the
movement of China Marine units to other locations in Asia before or after being stationed in
China. It is divided into two subseries,
Asia and Pacific Islands
(1841-2015) and
China (1886-2018). Materials are arranged by
geographic region, and then alphabetically within region.
Subseries A,
Asia and Pacific Islands, documents the presence
of the China Marines in greater Asia and the Pacific before, during, and after World War II.
This includes the movements of the 1
st and 6
th Marine Divisions from the mainland of Japan to China, as well as materials
related to rest and recuperation locations from the Vietnam War era. It is divided into six
subseries,
Hong Kong (1841-2013),
Japan
(1904-2015),
Korea (1945-2002),
Pacific Islands (1927-2015),
Philippine Islands
(1892-2009), and
Singapore (1881-2006).
Hong Kong includes tourist booklets, postcards, and hotel ephemera
primarily related to the region's role as a destination for American military personnel on
rest and recuperation. It also contains photographs and other ephemera that document the
British military presence in Hong Kong.
Japan primarily documents
Japanese military perspectives in China and Manchuria, and the American military occupation
of post-World War II Japan.
Korea includes materials from the
Korean War period, military base yearbooks, and documentation of U.S. military sites.
Pacific Islands includes locations in the Pacific where Marines
fought during World War II before serving in China at the close of the war.
Philippine Islands, reflects the American military's role in the
region from the late 19
th century through World War II, and
documents military perspectives of the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War,
American imperialism and expansionism, Subic Bay, and the Fourth Marines in Corregidor.
Singapore, includes ephemera and maps related to the British
military during the time of British imperial rule, and the city-state's role as a rest and
recuperation location.
Subseries B,
China, includes Greguras' research on the American
military presence in China, with a focus on physical billet locations and both their past
and contemporary conditions. It is divided into five subseries,
General
China
(1886-2016),
Peking (1900-2017),
Shanghai (1906-2017),
Tientsin
(1900-2016), and
Tsingtao (1894-2018).
General China,
includes materials that span multiple locations in China and are
generally not tied to a specific location. Locations represented here, but not represented
by individual subseries elsewhere, include Hsin Ho, Peitaiho, and Tang Ku, the port for
Tientsin and Peking. This series also includes U.S. Marine Corps recruiting materials.
Peking, materials focus on Legation Street and the Legation area, the
Marines' role in the Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement, Nan Yuan Field of the 1
st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) post-World War II, and the Red Cross
run Embassy Club.
Shanghai, follows the Fourth Marines in
Shanghai from 1921-1941, the International Settlements, the Army and Navy personnel presence
after World War II, and the evolution of the built environment through Greguras' own
photographs taken around the turn of the 21
st century.
Tientsin includes materials related to the Battle of Tientsin in
1900, the U.S. barracks for the 15
th Infantry and the Marines by
Race Course Road, and construction of the brigade airfield at Hsin Ho.
Tsingtao includes maps from the German imperial period pre-World War II, materials
on the 6
th Marine Division officers' club, and many souvenir
handkerchiefs purchased by servicemen.
Series I: China Marines Reunion Materials, 1986-2018
Series II: Manuscripts, 2006-2018
Series III: Research Papers and Ephemera, 1841-2018
Subseries A: Asia and Pacific Islands, 1841-2015
Subseries 1: Hong Kong, 1841-2013
Subseries 2: Japan, 1904-2015
Subseries 3: Korea, 1945-2002
Subseries 4: Pacific Islands, 1927-2015
Subseries 5: Philippine Islands, 1892-2009
Subseries 6: Singapore, 1881-2006
Subseries B: China, 1886-2018
Subseries 1: General China, 1886-2016
Subseries 2: Peking, 1900-2017
Subseries 3: Shanghai, 1906-2017
Subseries 4: Tientsin, 1900-2016
Subseries 5: Tsingtao, 1894-2018
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Fred M. Greguras, 04/2007.
2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Jessica Geiser, 2013
Subjects and Indexing Terms
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