Finding Aid for the Richard W. Hood Second World War poetry 2019.176.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
12/3/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Richard W. Hood Second World War poetry
source:
Henn, Sharon
Creator:
Hood, Richard William , Sergeant, 1925-1987
Identifier/Call Number: 2019.176.w.r
Physical Description:
0.01 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date: 1950
Abstract: This collection contains four poems written by Sgt. Richard William Hood, USMC during the Second World War, as well as two
copies of photographs and a biography.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 153
Container: 10
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of The family of Richard William Hood USMC, donated by Sharon Henn.
This collection is arranged by material type; biography, photographs, poetry.
Sergeant Richard William Hood, United States Marine Corps (5/20/1925 - 2/1987) was born in Ridgewood, Queens, New York to
J. William Hood and Frieda Nick Hood. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after dropping out of high school his junior year in
July 1942. He trained at Parris Island, Camp Legeune and San Diego before being deployed to the South Pacific with Company
M, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines and first saw action at Namur, Kwajalein.
He served with Richard K. Sorenson, Wilbure "Joe" Woltmon, T.C. Gillespie and two others. Sorenson threw himself onto a grenade
and saved the others' lives, earning him the Medal of Honor. The four named Marines reunited periodically over the years "to
celebrate their good fortune and to occasionally tease Sorenson for being dumb enough to jump on a live grenade." (donor provided
biography).
Hood was wounded in Saipan and sat out the invasion of Tinian but rejoined the unit before their landing on Iwo Jima where
he was wounded again, carrying the shrapnel for the remainder of his life. He was discharged from the Marine Corps in November
1945 and returned to New York where he married Peggy Krug and raised four children. He later remarried to a woman named Ann
Davis and had a fifth child. (more information about postwar life provided in bio).
Health issues caused Hood to retire early and travel, though he passed away in February 1987 at the age of only 61.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Richard W. Hood Second World War poetry (2019.176.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 four poems written by Sgt. Richard William Hood, USMC during the Second World War, as well as two
copies of photographs and a biography. The poetry is rewritten in the hand of Hood's wife, with side notes written by Hood
in reference to people and locations. The photographs include one of Hood in uniform and one of he, Richard K. Sorenson and
Wilbur "Joe" Woltmon take at his daughter's wedding in June 1982 (the donor's sister). The donor also included a link to Sorenson's
story: http://www.mohconvention.com/tn-recipient/398/richard-k-sorenson/.
- "Liberty Goes," aboard a ship going into Pearl Harbor for the last liberty before Iwo Jima, December 1944-January 1945
- "Machine Guns Up," aboard a ship heading for Iwo Jima, January 1945
- "Dream Valley," aboard a ship heading for Iwo Jima, January 1945
- "A Marine Speaks," aboard a ship two days out of Pearl Harbor on the way to Iwo Jima, January 1945
The donor believes the poetry was rewritten sometime in the 1950s for legible copies to be sent to Leatherneck Magazine. The
publication has no record of their publishing.
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
World War (1939-1945) -- Poetry
Poetry.
World War (1939-1945) -- Marine Corps
Henn, Sharon
Sorenson, Richard K.
Woltmon, Wilbur