Finding Aid for the Tonya Babb Rowe Second World War and Vietnam War correspondence collection 2017.315.w.r
Lorraine Shaller
Center for American War Letters Archives
10/4/2017
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Tonya Babb Rowe Second World War and Vietnam War correspondence collection
Creator:
Johnson, Roger Eugene
Creator:
Johnson, Chester
Creator:
Babb, Donald
source:
Babb Rowe, Tonya
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.315.w.r
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear feet
(1 document box)
Date (bulk): 1942 February 20 - 1943 November 9
Date (bulk): 1970 September 26 - 1971 March 7
Date (inclusive): 1942 February 20 - 1971 March 7
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence from Chester "Bud" Johnson and Roger "Rog" Johnson among others to their brother Herbert
and his wife Harriet during the Second World War as well as correspondence between Donald Babb and his wife Carolyn Babb during
the Vietnam War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Vietnam 14
Container: 1-6
Container: 1-6
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Estate of Donald Alvin Babb (Tonya Babb Rowe)
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
- Series 1, Correspondence from Roger Johnson
- Series 2, Correspondnece from Chester Johnson
- Series 3, Correspondence from various authors to Herb and Harriet Johnson
- Series 4, Correspondence from Donald Babb
- Series 5, photographs
- Series 6, Ephemera
- Series 7, Realia
Donald Babb was born in Chicago, Illinois in October 1944. He served as navigator on a P3 Orion, a naval vessel, during the
Vietnam War. He graduated from the University of Illinois and received his Master's Degree from Eastern Michigan University.
He was married to Carolyn Babb for 52 years and passed away in March of 2017.
Access Information
Donor irrevocably transfers, conveys, and assigns to Chapman University all Intellectual Property Rights for the Donated Materials. For more information, consult original donation form.[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Tonya Babb Rowe Second World War and Vietnam War correspondence collection (2017.315.w.r),
Center for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains correspondence from brothers Chester "Bud" Johnson, Roger "Rog" Eugene Johnson, and Clayton O. Johnson
to their brother Herbert B. Johnson and his wife Harriet during the Second World War. Also included in the collection is a
series of letters from Donald Babb to his wife Carolyn during the Vietnam War.
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
United States. -- Navy
Vietnam War (1961-1975) -- Vietnam.
World War (1939-1945) -- Hawaii
Babb Rowe, Tonya
box Vietnam 14, folder 1, folder 1
Series 1, Correspondence from Roger Johnson 1942 September 12 - 1943 October 25
Physical Description: .08 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence from Aviation Ordinanceman Roger Johnson to his brother Herb and sister-in-law Harriet
during the Second World War. The correspondence begins as Roger and his friends are traveling to the Great Lakes Naval Training
Station. After some brief training, he was relocated to Alameda, California. He writes about seeing "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
and "Iceland" in Chicago and at the canteen in California respectively. Two more months finds him stationed at Pearl Harbor.
Most of his letters deal with personal business, asking after family and friends. For example, in a letter dated December
15, 1942, he writes, "So Harold is in Africa. Boy he is getting around too isn't he." He also asks about the weather at home
(Rockford, Illinois) mostly to ask if it is snowing or whether his brother and sister have gone ice-skating. He asks after
his brother Bud, who in 1942 went into the army. In late 1942, Roger learns he will be an uncle, and in his last letter, October
25, 1943, he begins with, "Probably you will e almost ready to go to the hospital by the time you get this letter?"
box Vietnam 14, folder 2, folder 2
Series 2, Correspondence from Chester Johnson 1943 May 30 - November 9
Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence from Private Chester "Bud" Johnson to his brother Herb and sister-in-law Harriet. Bud
discusses his entrance into the Army and his progression through boot camp initially. Many of his letters discuss his exercise
and marches, and others talk about his education in plane spotting and recognition and anti-aircraft training. He mentions
being questioned briefly about a rape allegation, but later mentions that the military police found the real culprit. By his
last letter, Harriet and Herb informed Bud that he was going to be an uncle, and he talks about his excitement as well as
his relief that he has finished boot camp and will soon "ship out" and see action.
box Vietnam 14, folder 3, folder 3
Series 3, Correspondence from various authors to Herb and Harriet Johnson 1942 February 20 1943 December 9
Physical Description: .08 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspodence to Harriet and Herb Johnson from other family members and friends serving overseas during
the Second World War. One letter is addressed from March Field, Riverside, dated February 20th, 1942, but the last page is
missing, and the author is unknown. The writer discusses being sick with tonsilitis, the weather in Riverside, and the quality
of the food at the camp.
The series also contains two letters and two postcards from Herb's brother Private First Class Clayton O. Johnson. Clayton
served in the Army Air Corps stationed first at Jackson Air Base in Mississippi, then Columbia Air Base in South Carolina,
and finally served overseas in England during the Second World War.
One letter is addressed from "Elmer" at Columbia Air Field. He discusses another Johnson brother, Oral, and his tasks in the
motor pool ferrying captains around.
The series contains a postcard from Johnson sister Hazel. She wrote from Lansing, Michigan about a trip she took to Detroit.
A letter addressed to Harriet from Margaret Mitchell in Vallejo, California mentions Margaret's husband Glenn is at Camp Pendleton.
She talks about their son Freddie and about how windy it is at their house. She also asks after Harriet and her baby.
Three letters are addressed from Merv, who mentions being stationed in California and later Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi in
1943. He mentions his training with rifles and anti-aircraft, asks about Clayton, and mentions what appears to have been a
race riot at Camp Van Dorn.
Two more letters are addressed from Doris and Roy Hartman, and one was from Private First Class Roy Hartman alone. The letters
discuss the couple's working situation and generally what they had been doing at the time.
box Vietnam 14, folder 4, folder 4
Series 4, Correspondence from Donald Babb 1970 September 26 - 1971 March 7
Physical Description: .08 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence from Lieutenant Junior Grade Donald Babb to his wife Carolyn during the Vietnam War. Donald
and Carolyn are the parents of the donor, Tonya Babb. Initially, he discusses how this will be his final deployment and how
difficult it was to say good-bye to his family at the airport. He talks about flying missions over Cam Ranh Bay as well as
some bizarre incident about having to ferry around a bunch of Northwest Airlines employees who were on strike. He also talks
about his daughter Tonya, and says he wishes he could be there to help take care of her. He also mentions that there is rioting
in Manila on January 25, 1971, and that a friend's wife died. Most of his letters, though, discuss his daily routine and news
from home.
box Vietnam 14, folder 5, folder 5
box Vietnam 14, folder 6, folder 6
Series 7, Realia
Physical Description: .25 Linear Feet(unfoldered)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains a cigar box of unknown date or origin. The box is cardboard covered in a veneer meant to simulate wood.
It is decorated with a picture of a horse and originally held the collection of Roger Johnson and Chester Johnson's letters.