Finding Aid for the Edward F. Rivinus, Jr. Second World War correspondence 2017.314.w.r
Lorraine Shaller
Center for American War Letters Archives
2/22/2018
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Edward F. Rivinus Jr. Second World War correspondence
Creator:
Rivinus, Edward Florens, Jr., 11/27/1915 -- 11/03/1998
Creator:
Rivinus, Andrew
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.314.w.r
Physical Description:
0.75 Linear feet
(1 carton)
Date (bulk): 1943 August 16 - 1945 August 31
Date (inclusive): 1944 August 16 - 2017 May 2
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence and other materials sent by Maj. Edward "Ted" Rivinus, USA, to his wife Esther "Teddy"
Rivinus while Edward was stationed in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 109
Container: 1-4
Container: 1-4
Container: WWII 110
Container: 1-10
Container: 5-14
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Andrew Rivinus, the Edward F. Rivinus family
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
- Series 1, Correspondence from Edward Rivinus, Jr. to Esther Rivinus
- Series 2, Correspondence to Esther Rivinus, various authors
- Series 3, Correspondence to Edward Rivinus, Jr., various authors
- Series 4, Correspondence from Edward Rivinus, Jr. to Mrs. Draper
- Series 5, Correspondence to Edward Rivinus, Sr., various authors
- Series 6, Clippings
- Series 7, Publications
- Series 8, Biographical information
Major Edward "Ted" Florens Rivinus, Jr., United States Army (11/27/1915 - 1998) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and
grew up and went to school in New England until an asthma condition forced his family to relocate him to Arizona to attend
the Evans School for Boys, a prep school known as a haven for the wealthy east coast jet set. He attended Princeton University
and enrolled in ROTC. Upon his graduation, he joined the 166th field artillery battalion of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
After the war, he worked as a Foreign Service officer and after his retirement, worked for the Smithsonian Institute. He died
in a car crash in 1998.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Edward Florens Rivinus, Jr. Second World War correspondence (2017.314.w.r), Center
for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains correspondence and other materials sent by Maj. Edward "Ted" Rivinus, USA to his wife Esther "Teddy"
Rivinus while he was stationed in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War. Rivinus wrote letters almost every day,
and many of them are packed with information about the North African campaign and his day to day life as an Army officer overseas.
Upon his arrival with the artillery at Cassino in Italy, Rivinus writes of his increasing role in the warfare around him,
for example his experiences of bombing raids in the middle of the night by German fighters and his experience with nearly
being shelled in his foxhole on the beach at Anzio. He also frequently asks after his children, Martin and Nina, and writes
about the exploits of his colleagues, Frazier, Ty, Si, and many others.
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) -- Italy
Anzio, Battle of, Anzio, Italy, 1944
Battle of Cassino (Cassino, Italy : 1944)
United States. -- Army. -- Field Artillery
United States. -- Army. -- Field Artillery, 938th
box WWII 109, folder 1-4, folder 1-4, box WWII 110, folder 1-3, folder 5-7
Series 1, Correspondence from Edward Rivinus, Jr. to Esther Rivinus 1943 August 13 - 1945 August 31
Physical Description: .5 Linear Feet(7 folders)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence from Maj. Edward "Ted" Rivinus, Jr., USA to his wife Esther "Teddy" Rivinus during the
Second World War. His letters detail his life in the Army from the point of his arrival at Oran in North Africa in 1943. He
discusses the other officers he meets and the friends who came with him, in particular a fellow officer, Captain John Frazier
(usually referred to as simply "Frazier" in his letters). Other officers named in the letters are "Foo" and "Ty," though little
indication is given of their real names.
Rivinus writes about everything, from the landscape of his new environs to the people he meets, to the larger political schema
of what is happening in the war. Of the are around Oran, he writes that "the whole countryside resembles northern Mexico more
than anyplace. The towns, architecture, landscape, people, in fact everything except the costumes are just like Sonora." He
also relates stories he picks up from other officers, like this one about a pilot he met at the officer's club:
"The other day, I ran into an American flyer (a major) who had been shot down in Sicily, burned very badly, captured by the
Italians, kept for 20 days in a hospitpal which was in turn demolished by British dive-bombers shelled by Americans & British
artillery, captured by British, then German artillery. All this time, he was in the basement. Talk about 9 lives!"
By the middle of March of 1944, Rivinus was fully entrenched in the battle of Anzio. On March 3, 1944, he writes of having
his tooth filled on the beach. He writes through several major battles, including Anzio and Cassino, and later in France,
Alsace, and Germany. Soon after V-E Day, he transferred to working at a prison camp and after that ran an officer's rest home.
His letters end with his impending return to the United States.
box WWII 110, folder 4, folder 8
Series 2, Correspondence to Esther Rivinus, various authors 1943 December 17 - 1944 December
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains letters written to Esther "Teddy" Rivinus from soldiers and others during the Second World War. The letters
include one from Lieutenant Colonel Mel B. Coburn, one from Leona P. McCaffrey, and one from Captain John Frazier.
box WWII 110, folder 5, folder 9
Series 3, Correspondence to Edward Rivinus, Jr., various authors 1944 March 30 - May 10
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This collection contains two letters to Maj. Edward F. Rivinus, Jr., USA during the Second World War. The first is from his
cousin Lieutenant Francis Markoe "Mark" Rivinus, an officer in the Navy's Mobile Explosions Investigative Unit. He commiserates
with his cousin over Eddie's placement in the field, saying that he should never have gone to the Army, instead joining the
Navy like Mark himself. He also discusses his day to day life in the Navy's offices where he is stationed, and he mentions
their mutual acquaintances Fearless Harry Brown, Phil Barringer, and a soldier named Lukens.
The second letter is addressed from Second Lieutenant Lincoln L. Mauzi who writes to tell Major Rivinus about his recent battlefield
officer's commission.
box WWII 110, folder 6, folder 10
Series 4, Correspondence from Edward Rivinus, Jr. to Mrs. Draper 1944 February 9
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains one letter from Maj. Edward F. Rivinus, Jr., USA to Mrs. A. F. "Sal" Draper. He thanks her for information
about his family, and relates some of his experience living in foxholes. At the end of his letter, he assures her that his
"big dog" general thinks the war will be over soon.
box WWII 110, folder 7, folder 11
Series 5, Correspondence to Edward Rivinus, Sr. 1944 March 30 - May 10
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains one letter from Bill Scott of the 938th Field Battalion to Mr. Edward Rivinus, Sr., Major Rivinus's father.
He writes to thank Mr. and Mrs. Rivinus for their hospitality the previous winter and say that Major Rivinus is doing well
in his officer's appointment.
box WWII 110, folder 8, folder 12
Series 6, Clippings 1941 January - 1944 December 1
Physical Description: .033 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains newspaper clippings related to the military service of Maj. Edward F. Rivinus, Jr., USA from the time
of his regiment's drafting into service in January 1941 until he received the French Croix de Guerre in 1944. Some of the
clippings feature the 166th Reginment (later 938th Artillery) specifically, and a spread in Life magazine discusses the life
of artillery men in general.
box WWII 110, folder 9, folder 13
Series 7, Publications 1943 November 1 - 1945 January 3
Physical Description: 0.05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains five works, both published and unpublished from the military service of Maj. Edward F. Rivinus, Jr.,
USA. The first item is a pamphlet of cartoons drawn by Bill Mauldin called "Mud, Mules, and Mountains." The second item is
an article Major Rivinus wrote called " Sport and Where to Find It" about game hunting in North Africa. The third and fourth
items are poems he wrote to his wife Esther, and the final item is a menu from the time Rivinus was stationed as the aide
to French General Dumas.
box WWII 110, folder 10, folder 14
Series 8, Biographical information 2002 - 2017 May 2
Physical Description: .08 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains a book of letters from Maj. Edward F. Rivinus, Jr., USA with additional biographical notes provided by
his son Andrew P. Rivinus. Additionally, the series contains several printed internet resources regarding the Garigliano region
of southern Italy and Victory Mail (V-mail). The series also contains an email to Center for American War Letters archivist
Lauren Menges from Mr. Andrew Rivinus prior to the donation of the collection in 2017.