Finding Aid for the Harry Scotidas Second World War correspondence 2016.122.w.r

Rebecca Woolf
Center for American War Letters Archives
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Harry Scotidas Second World War correspondence
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.122.w.r
Physical Description: .75 Linear Feet (1.5 document boxes; 18 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1940 January 17 - 1946 April 17
Abstract: This collection contains letters correspondence written to Sgt. Harry Scotidas, USAAF, and Mary Mantos by family and friends during the Second World War.
Language of Material: This collection contains letters written in English and Greek.
Container: WWII 55
Container: 1-10
Container: 1-10
Container: WWII 49
Container: 1-9
Container: 11-19

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Silverman [first name unknown]

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series by recipient in chronological order.
  • Series 1: Correspondence to Harry Scotidas
  • Series 2: Correspondence to Mary Mantos
  • Series 3: Correspondence to Sgt. Harry, Mary, and Thomas Scotidas
  • Series 4: Stamps

Preferred Citation

[Item title] Harry Scotidas Second World War correspondence (2016.122.w.r.), Center for American War Letters, 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 correspondence written to United States Army Air Force Sergeant Harry Scotidas and Mary Mantos by family, friends, and fellow soldiers. The letters are dated between 1940 and 1946. Most of the letters are written in English, although there are some letters written in the Greek alphabet, namely from Harry's mother. In 1940, Scotidas was stationed in Hawaii (then an American territory) in Hickam Field in the Air Corps, as part of the 17th Air Base Squadron. In 1941, he was transferred to 4th Reconnaissance Squadron still on Hickam Field and he was promoted to Private First Class in the latter part of 1941. By April 1942, Scotidas was promoted to Sergeant and he was transferred to the 394th Bomb Squadron based in San Francisco, California by July 1942.

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)
World War (1939-1945) -- Homefront
United States -- Air Force.
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945) -- Hawaii
Scotidas, Harry

box WWII 55, folder 1-10, box WWII 49, folder 1-5

Series 1, Correspondence to Harry Scotidas 1940 January 17 - 1942 December 26

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains correspondence written to Sgt. Harry Scotidas by his mother, brothers Chris and George Scotidas, sister Alice Scotidas, Vince Ryan, Anne Pislis, Karl Dorzback Jr., Josephine De Simone, Louis De Meis, Helen Benuid nee Reiman, Joseph (Joe) Ryan, Pvt. Irving Littman, Gringer, Madeline De Palma, Donald, an unidentified family, Mary Mantos, Catherine V. Le Roy, Paul, Albert, Larry, Pvt. James Ryan, and Maria.
All of Mother Scotidas' letters were written in Greek, implying she was an Greek immigrant and probably felt more comfortable writing in her native language than English.
Frequent topics dicussed in these letters were questions about Hawaii, asking for Scotidas' photographs (he appeared to be a talented amateur photographer), and talking about the family store business along with other civilian events like weddings.
box WWII 49, folder 6-7

Series 2, Correspondence to Mary Mantos 1941 July 31 - 1944 August 23

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence written to Mary Mantos by Sgt. Tom M. Patrick and Pvt. Nicholas Ferri. Patrick was in the Air Force and he attended the Technical School for the Army Air Force Technical Training Command at Gulport Field, Mississippi. He frequently signed his letter as 'Tommy" or "Pat." Mary worked as Nicholas Ferri's secretary at an office where he was the boss. One letter was written on American Red Cross paper, indicating Ferri was hospitalized at some point due to war injuries. Ferri and Mary spoke occasionally on the phone when time permitted. Ferri also made some mentions of a Tommy in a couple of letters, and since a Tom Patrick wrote to Mary too, it is likely he and Ferri were friends or knew each other close enough.
box WWII 49, folder 8

Series 3, Correspondence to Sgt. Harry, Mary, and Thomas Scotidas 1945 March 31 - 1946 April 17

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains one handwritten letter in Greek to Harry and Mary Scotidas and one Easter card addressed to their infant son, Thomas Scotidas
box WWII 49, folder 9

Series 4, Stamps

Physical Description: 0.025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains nine postage stamps with pictures of presidents and military propaganda.