Finding Aid for the Douglass R. Nicklas Second World War and Korean War correspondence 2018.068.w.r

Sharon Clairemont
Center for American War Letters Archives
5/31/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Douglass R. Nicklas Second World War and Korean War correspondence
Creator: Douglass Nicklas (Douglass R. Nicklas)
source: Diane Nicklas
Identifier/Call Number: 2018.068.w.r
Physical Description: .5 Linear Feet (12 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1942 - 1998
Abstract: This collection contains personal correspondence and records of LtCol. Douglass R. Nicklas, USAAF during the Second World War and the Korean War.
Language of Material: English .
Container: WWII 59
Container: 1-12
Container: 1-12

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Diane Nicklas

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by material type and date. Original order was preserved as much as possible.
  • Series 1, Personal correspondence
  • Series 2, Service records and orders
  • Series 3, Pilot records - Individual Flight Records
  • Series 4, Pilot records - certificates, exams, orders, communications
  • Series 5, Retired Reserve documents and correspondence
  • Series 6, Retired Reserve records and orders
  • Series 7, Diplomas and course certificates
  • Series 8, Air Reserve Notes newsletter and 366th Fighter Group Reunion program
  • Series 9, Discharge documents
  • Series 10, Insignia patches
  • Series 11, U.S. Army Presidential Unit Citation
  • Series 12, Obituary

Biographical / Historical

Lieutenant Colonel Douglass R. Nicklas, United States Army (7/20/1923 - 8/11/1998) studied psychology at the University of Maryland before he entered active service in Army on March 12, 1944, five days before he married "Kitty" on March 17. He served in the European Theater of Operations as a fighter pilot flying P-47s, conducting bomber, escort, strafing, and column cover missions. After the war, he continued his studies and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at Maryland and a master's in experimental psychology from the University of Illinois. He was then recalled from the Air Force Reserve during the Korean War and remained in the US training pilots to fly P-51 fighters. He worked a long career as a human factors psychologist in the field of ergonomics, and passed away at his home in Oxnard at 75 years old.
LA Times obituary - http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/17/local/me-14002

Content Description

This collection contains personal correspondence from LtCol. Douglass R. Nicklas, USA to his parents and brother during the Second World War. Also included are insignia, citations, military orders, correspondence, flight records, certifications, commendations, and discharges relating to Nicklas' war service and subsequent reserve service.

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. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1939-1945)
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
Korean War, 1950-1953.
United States -- Army -- Air Forces
World War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations, American
Diane Nicklas

box WWII 59, folder 1, folder 1

Series 1, Personal correspondence 1942-1945

Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains correspondence from Lt. Douglass Nicklas, USA to his parents and brother during his service in the Second World War. He wrote to his parents each at different locations - one envelope and v-mail indicates he was writing to his mother in Baltimore, MD. Other corespondence suggests his father was in New York.
Correspondence begins in December 1942 with a letter to his father written from the University of Maryland "My plan, if I am required to leave college, is to try to get into Adj. Gen. Dept. (in personnel or testing work). Of course that's a far-fetched dream, but if I can't get there I am going in the Air Force (Army)." He writes about his school work, grades, roommates, his interest in psychology and in film/moving pictures. March 9, 1943 he writes to his mother from training at Miami Beach, FL "But first let me thank you for telling Dad about my engagement (don't forget to send me several clippings of the announcement).
March 25 in a letter to his father: "Speaking of the type of boys I associate with. They are certainly the Army's most intelligent. Practically all of them are college men with two to four years of college behind them I guess they can be considered the cream of the Army's crop."
March 29 he writes he'll be stationed with the 68th College Training Detachment at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL and is very disappointed to be so far from home.
April 12 he writes "Mom, it's certainly some job trying to save money. Cadets are required to do so much more than a regular private. Haircuts once a week, wear garters, clothes pressed and cleaned all the time, ... shoes... always in need of repair. After paying for insurance and war bonds, for toilet articles, writing paper, cigarettes, cards, presents, pencils, etc., why you certainly don't have much left out of $50.00 a month."
April 28 he writes "My Easter weekend was glorious - My fiancee was here! My! did I have a wonderful time."
April 29 to his mother "Well, I finished my last hour of flying here (9 hrs). I asked the instructor how I had made out and he said "average!"
May 3 - On his way through Texas to the Gulf Coast Training Area "The population in San Antonio is 85% Mexican - that's going to be rich. ... Well, the next two weeks will determine whether I will be a pilot, bombardier, or navigator - or what I dread most a common ordinary jeep (private) - like I am now."
May 19 to his mother "By now, I suppose you know that I've been classified as a PILOT."
July 3 to his father "Yes, I have noticed and heard too many men in the Army boast of their episodes with women. It seems that this generation has lost all sight of moral conduct when in the presence of the opposite sex ... a great deal of the fault lies in their home training." He writes about classes and training and how much he anticipates flying school.
August 28 he writes he'll be going to Sikeston, MO for training. "I am very happy because it means that Kitty will be able to come and see me once and I can talk to the family by phone ... the paradoxical thing about flying is that even the man without a pleasant personality, without morals, without ambition, can be the 'hottest' pilot on this earth."
Sept. 5 - "Friday we had our first flight in our new ships. They have three timee the horsepower of the ships we flew at college. All in all they are swell to fly. They said we must not dive the ships over 190 m.p.h." There is a gap in the correspondence until 1944. The next correspondence is v-mail written "At sea" as he crosses the Atlantic. In the v-mail to his mother he makes reference to "my sweet wife."
The next letter in the series is written from "Somewhere in Belgium" on Dec. 22, 1944. He writes about his missions "Recently we have seen much of German air forces - as yet I cannot claim my first enemy airplane. I have had only one chase after them, but expect many more.... I don't know exactly what Germany expects to accomplish, but we're here to see that she doesn't."
Jan. 18, 1945 he writes "I am supposed to get my own airplane very shortly ... I also expect to be a 1st Lt. in a little while. I now have 24 missions; the 25th will find me a fourth of the way through this lousy mess."
Feb. 13 - he writes to ask his mother to buy an anniversary gift for his wife.
March 24 he writes "As I said before, we are very busy. Today will go down in history as another D-Day. The final push! And I might add, we are doing our part! To date I have 42 mission with promise of many more in the near future - neither my ship nor I has been hit by flak yet ... I have tried to be both destructive and careful..."
April 1, 1945 - the last correspondence in the series - "I have completed my 49th mission which leaves me approximately half way through my tour of duty ... there are many hours of sweat, fear and excitement tied up in those 49 missions, the likes of which I never want to see again!" He tells his father how it is impossible for him to study for a future career or consider one at all while he is fighting the war. "War stands in front of me like a brick wall, I can't see over it nor around it. You can see my position; I live from day to day on my hopes and my loves!"
box WWII 59, folder 2, folder 2

Series 2, Service records and orders 1941-1947

Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains military records pertaining to LtCol. Douglass Nicklas, USAAF. The Record includes stations in the US and Europe that are not included in his correspondence (in Series 1). The series also includes copies of personnel and special orders, 1943 - 1947.
box WWII 59, folder 3, folder 3

Series 3, Pilot records - Individual Flight Records 1943-1952

Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains Pilot Individual Flight Records belonging to Lt. Douglass Nicklas, USAAF which include date, type of aircraft, flying time, location.
box WWII 59, folder 4, folder 4

Series 4, Pilot records - certificates, exams, orders, communications 1943-1952

Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains pilot instrument certificate applications and records, written tests ("Pilot's Questionnaire"), personnel orders and commendations.
box WWII 59, folder 5, folder 5

Series 5, Retired Reserve documents and correspondence 1967

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains douments and correspondence relating to Nicklas' retired reserve service including copy of certification document, notification of eligibility correspondence, and "current information questionnaire."
box WWII 59, folder 6, folder 6

Series 6, Retired Reserve records and orders 1951-1967

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains records, documents and correspondence relating to Nicklas' reserve service. Included are retirement credit summaries records of points and service, training and course completion records, orders, assignments, separation report from the National Guard, memos and personal notes.
box WWII 59, folder 7, folder 7

Series 7, Diplomas and course certificates 1960-1964

Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains 1) a document of certification as a psychologist, issued April 1960, and 2) diplomas and accompanying letters for courses from Air University, U.S. Air Force, Extension Course Institute. The diplomas are for Introduction to Statistical Analysis, Intelligence Fundamentals, and Photographic Fundamentals.
box WWII 59, folder 8, folder 8

Series 8, Air Reserve Notes newsletter and 366th Fighter Group Reunion program 1957 June - 1993 September

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains one edition of "Air Reserve Notes," June 1957, from the Baltimore Air Reserve Center, and one copy of the "366th Fighter Group 50th Anniversary and 5th Reunion" program, Richmond, VA, September 1993.
box WWII 59, folder 9, folder 9

Series 9, Discharge documents

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains documents relating to Army discharges during Nicklas' military career including:
  • 1) an original copy of his Honorable Disharge upon completion of pilot training in March 1944
  • 2) a white on black photocopy of the above discharge
  • 3) a photocopy of a Certificate of Service, date undecipherable
  • 4) a poor photocopy of a "Military Record and Report of Separation Certificate of Service," date undecipherable
  • 5) a facsimile cover page (undated)
box WWII 59, folder 10, folder 10

Series 10, Insignia patches

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains one US Army Air Force "Hap Arnold" wings insignia patch and one 9th Air Force insignia patch.
box WWII 59, folder 11, folder 11

Series 11, US Army Presidential Unit Citation

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains one US Army Presidential Unit Citation badge/pin - a soild blue bar framed in gold metal.
box WWII 59, folder 12, folder 12

Series 12, Obituary 1998 August 20

Physical Description: 0.01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains an obituary for Douglass Nicklas, published Aug. 20, 1998 in The (Ventura County) Star. The photocopy of the newspaper article is laminated in plastic and includes two photographs of Nicklas.