Finding for the Arthur F. Qulia Second World War correspondence 2022.120.w.r

Frank J. López-Huerta

Center for American War Letters Archives

04/07/2022

Leatherby Libraries

Chapman University

Orange, CA 92866

speccoll@chapman.edu

URL: http://www1.chapman.edu/library/archives/

Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives

Title: Arthur F. Qulia Second World War correspondence

source: Palumbo, Virginia

Creator: Qulia, Arthur Francis "Frank", 1921-1983

Identifier/Call Number: 2022.120.w.r

Physical Description: .01 Linear feet (1 folder)

Date: 1945 October 25

Abstract: This collection contains one letter from Arthur F. Qulia, USA to his wife Margaret during the Second World War.

Language of Material: English .

Container: WWII 127

Container: 9

Container: 1

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the family of Arthur Francis Qulia, donated by Virginia Palumbo.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically

Biographical / Historical

Arthur F. "Frank" Qulia, United States Army (4/2/1921 - 2/15/1983) was born in Syracuse, New York to Arthur and Ida Qulia. He married Margaret Sarah Robinson September 3, 1943. They had five children: Barbara Ellen Koski, Richard Francis Qulia, Virginia Irene Palumbo, Robert Gerard Qulia, and Patricia Anne. Qulia was studying at Marshall college prior to being drafted into the USA.

Qulia was a member of the US occupying forces in Japan after the end of the Second Wolrd War. In 1947 he and his wife opened a family business, the Village Drycleaners which operated for forty-years. After Qulia passed away, Margaret S. Qulia retired and moved to Ferragut, Tennessee to be closer with their son and daughter-in law.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Arthur F. Qulia Second World War correspondence (2022.120.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 one fourteen-page letter from Arthur F. Qulia, USA to his wife Margaret S. Qulia written during the Second World War. He wrote her soon after arriving in Tokyo Bay, Japan, as a member of the Allied occupational forces. Qulia makes numerous observations throughout the letter regarding the Japanese children, women, and men; the state of Yokohama, Japan; and the purchasing power of US currency and supplies in Japan.

On October 25, 1945, Qulia wrote that "when the boat finally entered Tokyo Bay, it was slightly foggy" but by 8:30 AM it had cleared. "All that we saw until we docked [were] ships" including battleships, destroyers, and aircraft carriers. Once Qulia reached the wharf, he was surprised to see fifty Japanese children doing all of the manual labor wondering, "where the older ones were - the ones who had fought, I don't know." Qulia described walking down to the Yokohama docks saying that "before the war, Yokahama (sic) had a population of 700,000" but now "all [he] could see was desolation and plenty of filth."

Also included is a photocopied photograph of Arthur and Margaret.

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

Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945

World War (1939-1945)

World War (1939-1945) -- Japan

Palumbo, Virginia