Finding aid for the George F. Drake papers 3312

Sarah Cassone

USC Libraries East Asian Library

2018 April

Doheny Memorial Library

3550 Trousdale Parkway

Los Angeles, California 90089-1825

URL: http://libraries.usc.edu/locations/east-asian-library

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: USC Libraries East Asian Library

Title: George F. Drake papers

creator: Drake, George F., 1930-

Identifier/Call Number: 3312

Physical Description: 1.5 Linear Feet 2 boxes

Date (inclusive): 1950-2017

Abstract: George F. Drake is an American Korean War veteran and activist. This collection comprises primarily DVDs, CDs, and CD-Rs created and collected by Drake and pertaining to orphans during the Korean War. It also contains correspondence, clippings, and documents relating to Korean War Children's Memorial and the Kiddy Car Airlift rescue operation, as well as news clippings, articles and a few books.

Organization

The George F. Drake papers have been organized into the following series: 1. DVDs and CD-Rs; 2. Korean War Children's Memorial; 3. Kiddy Car Airlift; 4. General correspondence and notes; 5. Books, articles, and clippings. Arrangement within each series is alphabetical.

Scope and Contents

The George F. Drake papers, 1950-2017, consist of audiovisual materials, correspondence, clippings, articles, research documents, notes, and books created and collected by George F. Drake. The majority of the material is comprised of DVDs, CDs, and CD-Rs featuring audiovisual content, photos, and articles pertaining to orphans during the Korean War and Drake's efforts to bring awareness of this matter through the erecting of the Korean War Children's Memorial and his website. The collection also includes correspondence, clippings, and publicity of the Korean War Children's Memorial and articles, notes and research documents on Russell Blaisdell, Dean Hess, and the Kiddy Car Airlift rescue operation that took place in 1950 during the Korean War and was dramatized in the 1957 film entitled "Battle Hymn" starring Rock Hudson. Included within the Kiddy Car Airlift series is Drake's photo exhibit and published booklet regarding this event, entitled "GIs and the Kids: A Love Story", as well as his research diaries and documents in attempt to uncover the truth of this event.

The remainder of the collection comprises general correspondence with Korean War Veterans, articles and clippings (included collected clippings and biographical information on Drake after his being named an honorary citizen of Gwangju City), and the books "Korean 65: the forgotten war remembered" and the Korean language version of "Father of a thousand: kids of the Korean War".

Biographical Note

George F. Drake is an American Korean War veteran and activist. He was assigned to the 326th Communications Reconnaissance Company, an Army Security Agency radio intelligence company. A large part of his job was communication with the company orphanage committee. In Drake's first six months in Korea, he noted having sent over 1,000 letters soliciting help for the orphans of the war, in addition to his regular shifts in the operations tent and guard duty. Upon returning to the U.S. after the war, Drake enrolled in Monterey Peninsula College where he organized campaigns to collect material for the orphans in Korea.

Drake continued his studies at University of California Berkeley, earning a B.A. in history and a M.A. in sociology. Thereafter he taught high school for three years before joining the U.S. Foreign Service. Drake moved to Colombia where he was appointed Director of the Centro Colombo-Americano. Drake's community interest was renewed there, and he began to develop programs to help aid the poor. The literary program developed by Drake in the U.S. cultural center earned him the title of honorary citizen of the city of Gwangju.

Over the next twenty-plus years, Drake was involved in a number of community action projects while living in Bellingham, WA as well as chairing the city park department sculpture committee, where the construction of the Korean War Children's Memorial pavilion took place. Drake has dedicated himself to the Korean War Children's Memorial, bringing awareness for this topic through his book and photo exhibit entitled "GIs and the Kids – A Love Story: American Armed Forces and the Children of Korea 1950-1954" and his Korean War Children's Memorial website.

Drake has also focused on bringing renewed awareness to the Kiddy Car Airlift rescue operation from December 20, 1950, which for years was solely credited to Colonel Dean E. Hess and was the subject of the film dramatization "Battle Hymn." Drake has put together documentation and research to reveal that Chaplain Russell L. Blaisdell was the true hero of that operation.

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Curator of the Korean Heritage Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Korean Heritage Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Preferred Citation

[Box/Folder# or Item name]. George F. Drake papers, Collection no. 3312, Korean Heritage Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of George F. Drake, October 2017.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Archival resources

Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal narratives -- Archival resources

Orphans -- Korea -- Archival resources

War memorials -- Washington (State) -- Archival resources

War stories, Korean -- Archival resources

Books

Clippings

Correspondence

Compact discs

DVDs

Blaisdell, Russell Lloyd, 1910-2007 -- Archives

Drake, George F., 1930- -- Archives

Hess, Dean E. (Dean Elmer), 1917-2015 -- Archives

DVDs and CD-Rs

Box 2

Accession List 2003, 2006

Box 2

AF Assoc Gala 2001-02-14

Box 2

Arirang Prime (Operation Kiddy Car) [DVD-R] undated

Box 2

Back up file accession list 2004-09-21

Box 2

Backup - KWCM files [2 discs] undated

Box 2

Bill Asbury undated

Box 2

Big Rock Garden 2007-05-13

Box 2

Big Rock Korea for George Drake 2006

Box 2

Blaisdell and KKAL photos undated

Box 2

Ceremony to Celebrate the Restoration of Korean War Orphanage Buildings and Unveiling of Memorial Sculptures [CD and DVD, two copies] 2012-03-31

Box 2

Ceremony to Celebrate the Restoration of Korean War Orphanage Buildings and the Unveiling of Memorial Sculptures album and Arirang Prime (operation kiddy car) [2 DVD-Rs] undated

Box 2

Chejv-do Kwan GJV [2 discs] 2005-08

Box 2

DC, Bagota - Korea redo [CD-R] undated

Box 2

Dedication 2003-07

Box 2

Drake/Korea flowers undated

Box 2

Dreamweaver (KWCM project) undated

Box 2

Funeral service for Chaplian Russell L. Blaisdell [DVD] 2007-05-11

Box 2

George [DVD-R] undated

Box 2

Gwangju 2 Big Rock Garden Park 2007-03-24

Box 2

HES RVT undated

Box 2

Inventory - KWCM access programs [4 discs] 2001-11

Box 2

Jimmy Pusan archive movie [DVD-R] undated

Box 2

JPGs web (large and thumbs) 2004-03-30

Box 2

Kang Koo R1 (PSS scans) undated

Box 2

Kiddy Car Airlift [DVD] 2014-06-25

Box 2

Kids of the Korean War - Father of a Thousand 2008-05-01

Box 2

KING-5 TV undated

Box 2

Korea - backward scans [CD-R] undated

Box 2

Korean Children images [3 discs] 2002-06-14

Box 2

Korean tile (master) [CD-R] undated

Box 2

KWCM [2 discs] 2005-01-14

Box 2

KWCM 1-6 [6 discs] undated

Box 2

KWCM dedication photos 2004-07-24

Box 1

KWCM DVD set one 2007-05

Box 2

KWCM photo exhibit 2003-10-17

Box 2

KWCM website [4 discs] 2004-2005

Box 2

Las Vegas slide show copy 1 undated

Box 2

Las Veglas slide show copy 2 undated

Box 2

Link a George w/ Korean TV in Washington D.C. [CD-R] undated

Box 2

Manassas Manor articles undated

Box 2

Manassas Manor photos undated

Box 2

Media of Korean Vets [largely photos, 14 discs] 2006

Box 2

Memorial service for Russell Blaisdell [DVD, 2 copies] 2007-05-12

Box 2

Memories of Korean War [DVD] undated

Box 2

Mennonite undated

Box 2

NAR photos "Hidden" undated

Box 2

Orphanage House of Korea - noodle factory scrapbook images undated

Box 2

Photo ex Gwangju [CD] 2006-08-14

Box 2

Pour Your heart Out: a tribute in song and word to the life of Jin Joo Ellen Byrne - Sun Hak Choir and Alumni 2003

Box 2

Rascal pilgrim undated

Box 2

R. Ferry - KWCM 2005-02-28

Box 2

Russ Blaisdell undated

Box 2

SSS and PSS [multiple discs] 2002-08-2002-12

Box 2

SSS photos 2006-06-22

Box 2

SSS - NAR 2006-06-21

Box 2

Star of the Sea orphanage revisit [DVD-R] undated

Box 2

Traditional buildings undated

Box 2

326th CRC - Korea [2 discs] 1950-1953

Box 2

"Where are You Going, Thomas? The Journey of Korean War Orphan Thomas Clement" by Jackie Choi [dvd-r] 2012-05

Box 2

[Unknown photos] 2006-06-22

Box 2

V.A. News 2010-07-12

Box 2

The 10th Memorial Ceremony and International Academic Forum: Kids of the Korean War-Father of a Thousand - The late Chaplain Russell Lloyd Blaisdell, US Air Force [2 discs, photo and mp4] 2017-06-22

Korean War Children's Memorial

Box 1, Folder 1

American Servicemen and the Children of Korea During the Korean War 1950-1953 [quotations] undated

Box 1, Folder 2

[Correspondence, clippings, and project report] 2002-2003

Box 1, Folder 3

[Correspondence - Consul of Korea] 1998-2004

Box 1, Folder 4

Hanjin Shipping Co. [KWCM admin docs] 2003

Box 1, Folder 5

Seoul [itinerary] 2004-08-18-2004-08-29

Box 1, Folder 6

Itinerary - Seoul [Korea trip] 2010-09

Box 1, Folder 7

Kim Moon-Soo visit [KWCM] 2010-2011

Box 1, Folder 8

Korea [correspondence] 2008-10

Box 1, Folder 9

Korea project - Cheongju 2010-09

Box 1, Folder 10

Korea trip 1998-09

Box 1, Folder 11

[Korean scrapbook clippings (copies)] 1952

Box 1, Folder 12

[Korean War Children's Memorial articles and correspondence] 2001-2003

Box 1, Folder 13

[KWCM clippings, correspondence, and press] 2010-2011

Box 1, Folder 14

[Korean War Children's Memorial correspondence] 2006

Box 1, Folder 15

[Korean War Children's Memorial correspondence and meetings] 1999, 2003

Box 1, Folder 16

KWCM dedication program outline 2003-07-27

Box 1, Folder 17

KWCM dedication stone 2003-07

Box 1, Folder 18

[KWCM flyers and Korean War Memorial dedication booklet] 2007-10-20

Box 1, Folder 19

Korean War Children's Memorial [press and correspondence] 2007-10-20

Box 1, Folder 20

[Korean War Children's Memorial press and progress report] 2007-10-20

Box 1, Folder 21

[KWCM press statement draft, correspondence, and clippings] 2002

Box 1, Folder 22

Morning Star Korean Culture Center [correspondence] 2002-2003

Box 1, Folder 23

Shin, Paull 2003-03

Box 1, Folder 24

Shin, Yong-GI Consul of Korea [correspondence] 2002

Box 1, Folder 25

Sohn, Hoon Consul General of Korea 2000-02

Box 1, Folder 26

[Tokyo trip correspondence] 2000-12

Box 1, Folder 27

[Website data] 2001

Kiddy Car Airlift

Box 1, Folder 28

Blaisdell copyright 2004-11

Box 1, Folder 29

[Blaisdell - correspondence, notes, and photo] 2001

Box 1, Folder 30

Blaisdell, Russell [memorial service, notes, remarks, and clippings] 2002-2007

Box 1, Folder 31

["GIs and the Kids - a Love Story" photo exhibit items and correspondence] 1953, 2005

Box 1, Folder 32

"GIs and the Kids: A Love Story" (American Armed Forces and the Children of Korea 1950-1954) book outline draft 2002-05-29

Box 1, Folder 33

"GIs and the Kids - a Love Story (American Armed Forces and the Children of Korea 1950-1954) [published booklet] 2005

Box 1, Folder 34

Hess, Dean E., Col. [correspondence] undated

Box 1, Folder 35

[Hess, Hero-Thief (article drafts) and GIs and the Kids: a Love Story outlines and mockups] 2002-05

Box 1, Folder 36

Kiddy Car Airlift - Blaisdell documents 1950-2003

Box 1, Folder 37

Kiddy Car Airlift documents 1951-2017

Box 1, Folder 38

Kiddy Car Airlift - Hess documents 1957-2000

Box 1, Folder 39

Las Vegas [Blaisdell memorial] 2007-05-10

Box 1, Folder 40

Research diary on Kiddy Car Airlift 2016-2017

Box 1, Folder 41

[Stars and stripes] 2004

General correspondence and notes

Box 1, Folder 42

Anthony, Joseph 2005-2006

Box 1, Folder 43

Raynor, Caleb [addresses and printed photos] undated

Box 1, Folder 44

Caplain, Bill - photos and correspondence undated

Box 1, Folder 45

China - KWV gathering 2005

Box 1, Folder 46

Clow, Melvin KWV 1954-01-26

Box 1, Folder 47

Coffey, Ronald M. 1951-2003

Box 1, Folder 48

[Correspondence] 2006-01-13

Box 1, Folder 49

Hager, Howard 2001-2003

Box 1, Folder 50

Han, Boo Nam 2003-03-30

Box 1, Folder 51

Holt, Molly 2003-03

Box 1, Folder 52

Keenan, Dan 2005

Box 1, Folder 53

Kohls, Bob and Norma 2002

Box 1, Folder 54

Korean American Women's Association of Whatcom County [Correspondence, notes] 2003-2004

Box 1, Folder 55

Korean CG Chung, BH 2003

Box 1, Folder 56

KWNML [administrative documents] 2007

Box 1, Folder 57

Lee, Chang Gun 2003-06-03

Box 1, Folder 58

Lee, Myung Woo [correspondence and story] 2003

Box 1, Folder 59

Montgomery, Roy re: locating orphanage 2000-08-06

Box 1, Folder 60

Sullivan, John C. 2003-06-10

Box 1, Folder 61

Sumblin, Toni 2002-10

Box 1, Folder 62

Yong-GI, Shin Consul [memo] 2002-09-19

Books, articles and clippings

Box 1, Folder 63

"Children of Calamity" by John C. Caldwell [article] undated

Box 1, Folder 64

Civilian Assistance - U.S. Navy Chaplains [chapter] undated

Box 1, Folder 65

[Clippings and event pictures] 1951-1991

Box 1, Folder 66

[Clippings (photocopies)] 1951-1968

Box 1

Father of a thousand: kids of the Korean War [Korean language version] 2011

Box 1, Folder 67

George F. Drake Honorary Citizen of Gwangju City [collected clippings and biographical information] undated

Box 1, Folder 68

GI Remembers 1953, 1999

Box 1

Korea 65: the forgotten war remembered 2017

Box 1, Folder 69

The Korea Times [article] 2000-06-06

Box 1, Folder 70

[Korean clippings (photocopies)] 2006

Box 1, Folder 71

Miscellaneous publications undated

Box 1, Folder 72

News clippings - Korea 2006-08

Box 1, Folder 73

"The Old in Heart" [article] 1953-07-25

Box 1, Folder 74

Sister Maria Del Rey, "Her Name is Mercy" [article] 1957

Box 1, Folder 75

Sizo, Joseph R. 2002-04

Box 1, Folder 76

The 10th Memorial Ceremony and International Academic Forum: Kids of the Korean War Father of a Thousand - the late Chaplain Russell Lloyd Blaisdell, US Air Force [program] 2017-06-22

Box 1, Folder 77

"The War Against Misery" - The Korean Survey [article] 1953