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Title: James Conrad Myers letters
Date (inclusive): 1943-1949
Collection Number: 96013
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
3 manuscript boxes
(1.3 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Letters to family members relating to American military operations in China and India during World War II.
Creator:
Myers, James Conrad, 1924-1986
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1996.
[Identification of item], James Conrad Myers letters, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Technican 5, United States Army Signal Corps; member, 993rd Signal Service Company, 1944-1945.
| 1924 October 10 | Born in Anaheim, California |
| 1943 June 15 | Graduated from Withrow High School, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1943 July - December | Stationed at Camp Callan, California |
| 1944 March 5 | Deployed to Pacific Theater out of Long Beach, California; ports of call included Perth, Australia and Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
| 1944 March - May | Stationed at Camp Angus (Calcutta, India) as Army private |
| 1944 May 29 | Transferred to Kunming Province, China, as a radio operator with the 993rd Signal Service Company |
| 1944 May - December | Stationed in Kunming Province, China, and various parts of the Indo-China border |
| 1944 December | Promoted to Technician 5 with the 245th Signal Operation Company, China Combat Command |
| 1944 January - March | Stationed at Fort Ord, California |
| 1945 October | Relieved of duty; departed from Calcutta, India, to return to the U.S. |
| 1945 January - October | Stationed in various provinces along the Indo-China border, including 2 months with the 18th Army Division |
| 1986 September 14 | Died in Burlingame, California |
| 1949 | Married Elna (maiden name unknown) |
| 1945 December 30 | Returned to his hometown near Cincinnati, Ohio, as a civilian |
Scope and Content of Collection
The James Conrad Myers letters consist of letters (accompanied by cartoons, sketches, and portraits in pencil and water color
of Myers, acquaintances, and various locations), postcards, a photograph, and clippings related to American military operations
in China and India during World War II. Also includes a copy of a memo from Japanese General Yasuji Okamura to Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-shek on negotiations for the surrender of Japanese forces in China on August 17, 1945.
The majority of the letters in the collection are to Myers' parents and detail his daily routine as a radio operator and Technician
5 with the 993rd Signal Service Company along the Indo-China border. While he does not describe any combat experience in his
letters, Myers does give detailed accounts of base operations. He also includes a number of sketches and illustrations of
his travels, as well as portraits of relatives and acquaintances back home. The collection is notable for its level of detail
and fullness, and it contains nearly one letter for every month of the war from July 1943 to December 1945.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- India
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- China
United States. Army. Signal Service Company, 993rd