Finding Aid for the Johns Family Second World War correspondence 2016.168.w.r
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: Johns Family Second World War correspondence
Creator:
Johns, Danver, 9/20/1925-9/29/2004
Creator:
Johns, Amy, 1891 to 1973
source:
Johns, Marie
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.168.w.r
Physical Description:
.5 Linear feet
(8 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1943 November 17 – 1946 March 31
Abstract: This collection contains letters to and from Private First Class Danver Johns and his parents Moss and Amy Johns during the
Second World War. It also contains letters to Amy Johns from various correspondents and seven photographs and newspaper clippings.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 33
Container: 1-9
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Marie Johns. Legacy collection from Andrew Carroll.
This collection is arranged chronologically by material type:
- Series 1, Correspondence from Danver Johns
- Series 2, Correspondence to Danver Johns
- Series 3, Correspondence to Amy Johns
- Series 4, Photographs
- Series 5, Biographical Information
Private First Class Danver Johns was born September 20th, 1925, in Spokane, Washington to Moss and Amy Johns. When he was
18, Johns was eligible for a farm deferment, but chose to serve in the Army Air Corps. In December 1943, he was at Buckley
Field near Denver, Colorado. He took the cadets test but didn't make it, so he tried to become a mechanic. He was transferred
to the 770th squadron. He was moved to an Army Air Base in Salt Lake City, which was part of the 18th Replacement Wing of
the Second Air Force. He did not serve overseas, but served on the state side. He went to B-29 school. In April 1946 Johns
was given an honorable discharge. Johns attended Washington State College and graduated in 1950 with a BS in Agricultural
Engineering. He married Verna Larsen on September 29, 1951. They had four kids: Marie, Luci, Robert, and Karen. Johns died
on September 29th, 2004.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number] Johns Family Second World War correspondence (2016.168.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 79 correspondence to and from members of the Johns family during and after the Second World War.
Private First Class Danver Johns served in the Army Air Corps and wrote letters to his parents Moss and Amy. He served stateside
as a mechanic in various bases. This collection also contains 7 photographs and newspaper clippings.
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)
United States. -- Army. -- Air Corps
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945) -- Homefront
United States. -- Army.
Photographs
World War (1939-1945) -- Photography
Johns, Marie
box WWII 33, folder 1-5
Series 1, Correspondence from Danver Johns 1943 November 17 - 1946 March 27
Creator: Johns, Danver, 9/20/1925-9/29/2004
Language of Material: English.
This series contains 75 correspondence from Danver Johns to his parents during his training and service stateside as a mechanic
for the Air Forces during and after the Second World War until Johns' honorable discharge. The letters start soon after Johns
enlisted and during his basic training. He tries to become a pilot, but he fails the test and he becomes a mechanic instead.
Johns talks about his car, other people and their correspondence with him, when he got his parents last letter and why he
didn't reply sooner, the weather, and what duties he has to do. There is also mention of some of the people he serves with
and some of the problems he has to deal with, such as Kitchen Police duty and the trouble he gets in for skipping out on Kitchen
Police duty.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
United States. -- Army. -- Air Corps
box WWII 33, folder 6
Series 2, Correspondence to Danver Johns 1946 March 25 - 1946 March 31
Creator: Johns, Amy, 1891 to 1973
Language of Material: English.
This series contains two correspondence to Danver Johns from his mother, Amy Johns, and a woman named Barbara, whose relationship
to Johns is unknown. In the letter from his mother, she mostly talks about their farm and what has happened in her life recently.
In the letter from Barbara she talks about the weather, asks when he's coming back, talks about his parents, his farm, his
stationery, a dream she had, a show she saw, and her prom.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945) -- Homefront
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
box WWII 33, folder 7
Series 3, Correspondence to Amy Johns 1945
Language of Material: English.
This series contains two correspondence to Amy Johns from Private First Class Robert L. Flory and Ted Malone. The correspondence
from Flory relays why he took so long to respond, the weather, and that there are a lot of coconuts and bananas on the undisclosed
island that he is on. The one from Malone relays that he is glad that Amy Johns wrote to him and that he will use what he
wrote to him on one of his next radio shows.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
box WWII 33, folder 8