Finding Aid for the James L. Weber Second World War correspondence 2017.622.w.r

Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
2/15/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: James L. Weber Second World War correspondence
Creator: Weber, James Louis, 1926-2013
source: Meier, Mary
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.622.w.r
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Date: 1945 December 31
Abstract: This collection contains one letter from ART James L. Weber, USN to his grandmother after the Second World War.
Language of Material: English .
Container: WWII 24
Container: 14
Container: 1

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of James Louis Weber (1926-2013), via Mary Meier.

Biographical / Historical

Aviation Radio Technician James Louis Weber, United States Navy (6/23/1926 - 11/3/2013) was born in San Antonio, Texas and attended St. Gerards Elementary and High School from 1931-1944. He served as an Aviation Radio Technician with the Navy from 1944-1946 before attending the University of Texas. In 1950, he graduated, married Julie Grace Tiblier on August 5, and began work for the IBM Corporation until he retired in 1989. He and Julie raised seven children together. James Weber passed away in November 2013.
Note: according to birth records found on Ancestry.com, Weber was born James LEWIS Weber, son of Oswald Weber and Jennie Karda. The spelling of his middle name, as seen above, was provided by the donor.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], James L. Weber Second World War correspondence (2017.622.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 one letter dated December 31, 1945 from ART James L. Weber, USN to his grandmother after the Second World War. In the letter he discusses his work as a radio technician, working with electronics, on the forty planes that had not flown in months. He also discusses the scenery in Hawaii, how dirty and expensive Honolulu is, a small description of the pretty landscape of Waikiki and the mountains, and the movies he gets to watch in several base and town theaters. He also hopes to be out of the Navy by June or July and take a couple months off before going to college.
Weber arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii around October 1945 and was stationed at the base on Ford Island. He described ships, such as two escort carriers at the time of this letter, being tied up in the docks outside his window and the USS Saratoga coming through to take troops and sailors home for discharge. He worked hard on the planes' electronics for the first few weeks until all were commissioned, and then his schedule became "slack." Occasionally, he would fly the dual engine planes for inspection, about five or six hours a month which he enjoyed because it was very little but earned him extra pay.

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.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1939-1945) -- Hawaii
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
United States. -- Navy
Airplanes, Military -- Maintenance and repair
World War (1939-1945)
Meier, Mary