Finding Aid for the Leon B. Kravik Second World War correspondence 2017.272.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
7/19/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Leon B. Kravik Second World War correspondence and personal papers
Creator:
Kravik, Leon Bruce, Private First Class, 1924-1943
source:
Hansen, Fern
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.272.w.r
Physical Description:
.1 Linear Feet
(2 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1942 December 22 - 1946 October 28
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence and other materials pertaining to the accidental death of PFC Leon Bruce Kravik, USAAF,
during training in 1942 during the Second World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 21
Container: 9-10
Container: 1-2
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Fern Hansen.
This collection is arranged by material type:
Folder 1: Correspondence, death notifications, photograph, personal papers;
Folder 2: Clippings, telegrams
Private First Class Leon Bruce Kravik, United States Army Air Force (10/15/1924 - 4/24/1943) was born in Seattle, Washington
to John Edwin Kravik and Florence Marguerite Kravik and enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 18 on December 10, 1942. PFC
Kravik first began his training with Training Support Systems (TSS) in Fresno, California. He then moved to Sioux Falls, South
Dakota where he wrote home about the meals and uniform regulations. Lastly, he was with TSS at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin.
At Truax on April 24, 1943, just short of five months into training, PFC Kravik and a friend, Private First Class Jack Childers,
United States Army Air Force rented a canoe and went out onto a rough lake, Lake Mendola. The canoe capsized and the two
men, held afloat by life jackets, washed ashore the next morning after an exhaustive search, deceased due to exhaustion and
exposure on the lake. PFC Kravik's sister Fern donated this collection and in 2017 was the last surviving member of the
family.
His father John received telegrams concerning his son's death and arrangements for the body, as his dog tag, social security
card, and a letter from General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff United States Army.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Leon B. Kravik Second World War correspondence and personal papers (2017.272.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 correspondence from PFC Leon B. Kravik, USAAF who enlisted in 1942 at the age of 18 and was killed
in a boating accident only a few months later. The first letter also contains a birthday card and a Christmas card. The collection
also includes newspaper clippings about the accident, two western union telegrams on the event of his death, one condolence
letter from General George C. Marshall, a birth certificate, a death certificate, social security cards and one dog tag.
The correspondence predominantly discusses training, meals and uniforms, as well as asking about home.
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
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
World War (1939-1945) -- Newspapers
World War (1939-1945) -- Homefront
World War (1939-1945) -- Christmas
World War (1939-1945) -- Casualties
Death notification
Last letters before death
War -- Death notification
Basic training (Military education)
Military training camps
Photographs
Hansen, Fern