Finding Aid for the Maurice Edwin Becker Second World War correspondence 2014.161.w.r

Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
6/8/2016
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Maurice Edwin Becker Second World War correspondence
Creator: Becker, Maurice Edwin
source: Pow, Sylvia
Identifier/Call Number: 2014.161.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 961
Physical Description: 0.075 Linear Feet (3 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1944 April 6 - 1946 February
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence from PFC Maurice Edwin Becker, USA to his mother and father during the Second World War.
Language of Material: English .
Container: WWII 7
Container: 3-5
Container: 1-3

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Sylvia Pow.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by material type and chronology.
  • Series 1, Correspondence
  • Series 2, Medical documents
  • Series 3, Supplementary materials

Biographical / Historical

According to the supplementary biography, Private First Class Maurice Edwin Becker, United States Army went to the Army Specialized Training Corps at Princeton University. He served in the European Theater in Company L, 413th Regiment, 104th Infantry Division and received the Sharp Shooter medal and a Purple Heart for being wounded near Aachen, Germany. He spent over a year undergoing operations and rehab and then returned to Cornell in February 1945 a day after his medical discharge.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Maurice Edwin Becker Second World War correspondence (2014.161.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 35 correspondence from PFC Maurice Edwin Becker, USA to his mother and father during the Second World War. The correspondence includes both letters and V-Mail, as well as one postcard and one Western Union telegram. There is also one letter written by a woman named Dorothy to Becker's mother and father, dated August 22, 1944. A few of the letters in the beginning of the collection are not dated. A telegram in the collection is addressed to Becker's father, Gordon E. Becker, informing him that his son was wounded in action on November 23, 1944. There are also hospital patient status cards that describe Becker's recovery.
Also contained in the collection are two supplementary papers: a short excerpt from an article about Becker and a testimony by an unknown soldier who served in the same company as Becker. The day that Becker was wounded in action is on page 11 of the testimony.

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

Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
World War (1939-1945) -- Battlefields -- France
World War (1939-1945) -- Germany
World War (1939-1945) -- Hospitals
World War (1939-1945) -- Belgium
World War (1939-1945) -- France
United States. -- Army.
World War (1939-1945) -- Casualties
Pow, Sylvia

box WWII 7, folder 3, folder 1

Series 1, Correspondence 1944 April - 1945 February

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

Scope and Contents

This series contains 35 correspondence from PFC Maurice Edwin Becker, USA to his mother and father during the Second World War. Included is a letter to his mother and father from a woman named Dorothy. The correspondence includes both letters and V-Mail, as well as one postcard and one Western Union telegram.
box WWII 7, folder 4, folder 2

Series 2, Medical documents 1945 January - 1946 February

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

Scope and Contents

This series contains documents related to the progress of PFC Maurice Edwin Becker, USA after being wounded in action. Included are one letter to PFC Becker's father informing him that his son was wounded, four medical status cards, and one Separation Qualification Record.
box WWII 7, folder 5, folder 3

Series 3, Supplementary materials

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

Scope and Contents

This series contains supplementary materials pertaining to the life and career of PFC Maurice Edwin Becker, USA as well as information on his unit, Company L, 413th Regiment, 104th Infantry Division. Inventory:
1 biography, paper slip that explains PFC Becker's service in the Army
1 packet, unbound, discusses the history of Company L.