Carleton Elliott Simensen Military Heritage Collection, 1862-

Printer-friendly | Contact Us About This Collection

Collection Overview

Abstract

Collection Historical Note

Subject/Index Terms

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 8: WW II Home-Front

Sub-Series 1: Arthur Grant Anderson

Arthur Grant Anderson was raised in Binford, North Dakota and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1938.  During World War II, he served as a radio-telephoto operator in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and then in the Pentagon.  The one folder of materials contributed by Anderson contains a written recollection of these experiences, entitled "First Color News Photo Transmitted by Radio:  The Potsdam Conference and Other Radio telephoto Experiences."  As the title notes, the narrative's main focus is Anderson's description of receiving the first color news photo to be transmitted by radio telephoto, which Anderson had received in the Pentagon on July 26, 1945.  The photo featured President Harry Truman, British Prime Minister Clement Atlee and Soviet Generalissimo Josef Stalin taken at the Potsdam Conference.  Anderson also explains the process of sending a photograph by radio transmitter, its history during the war and some of his other experiences as a radio telephoto operator during other events of the war, including the D-Day invasion and Japanese surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri.

Box 2

Folder 41: "First Color News Photo Transmitted by Radio,": 1996

Sub-Series 2: Edna M. Boardman

Edna M. Boardman donated one folder of materials in which she describes her experiences during World War II.  This includes a photocopy of her article, "Winning World War II:  How a North Dakota Farm Child Did Her Part for the War Effort," which appeared in the March 1992 issue of Heritage Review.  Boardman was six when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.  She and her family were Mennonite Germans from Russia.  Boardman provides a view of the North Dakota home-front during World War II.  She describes problems with labor, clothing and food shortages, community feelings of patriotism and the problems of being German and Mennonite (a pacifistic religion) during the war. Boardman also contributed a short essay in which she recalls the problems of a German Canadian relative living in Canada during the war. (Accession #93-1905)

One portrait of Edna Boardman was separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets (#1278-78).

Box 2

Folder 42: Memoirs: 1992, 1993

Sub-Series 3: Raymond Hall

Raymond S. Hall was born July 20, 1920 in Rawson, North Dakota.  He fought in World War II as a member of the 164^th Infantry Regiment.  After the war, he graduated from UND with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce in January 1950.

The Raymond Hall Papers consist of editions of the Service Men's Herald, a supplement to the Williston Daily Herald.  The Service Men's Herald was designed to provide news and information regarding soldiers from the Williston area serving in World War II.  These updates included news of awards, address changes, death notices and funerals, as well as general columns regarding what the soldiers were doing and seeing.  Also included are miscellaneous newspaper clippings dealing with the war, as well as several photocopied photographs.  Donated by Randall Hall via Jim Fenelon (Acc. #2000-2425).

Box 5

Folder 28: Service Men's Herald: 1943-1945

Folder 29: Miscellaneous newspaper clippings

Folder 30: Photocopied photographs

Sub-Series 4: Home-front in North Dakota

The North Dakota Humanities Council examined the home front in a January-February 2001 publication.  Many aspects of the home front experience are examined, including the importance of victory gardens, civilian defense volunteers, war bonds, and the Red Cross.  Also discussed are the Fort Lincoln Internment Camp, and the experiences of North Dakota soldiers overseas.  The publication includes photographs and several depictions of war posters.  Deposited by Sandy Slater, Department of Special Collections, in June 2001 (Acc. #2001-2518).

Box 6

Folder 38: The Home Front in North Dakota During World War II.  North Dakota Humanities Council: January-February 2001

Sub-Series 5: How to Teach an Employee

How to Teach an Employee: A Wartime Training Program for Store Supervisors and Department Heads was a publication of the Federal Security Agency, U.S. Office of Education, Vocational Division.  The publication was a training guide designed to assist supervisors in the training of workers called up for the war effort.  It was hoped that better job instruction would improve wartime job performance and efficiency.  There are two versions of this undated document.  Also included are two pocket guides to How to Teach an Employee.  These guides were designed for quick and easy retrieval, and summarize the highlights of the longer document.  Deposited by Mary Hegle Drewes, UND Chester Fritz Library, May 2003 (Acc. #2003-2623).

Box 6

Folder 35: How to Teach an Employee: A Wartime Training Program for Store Supervisors and  Department Heads.  Washington D.C.: Federal Security Agency: undated

Sub-Series 6: Kathryn 'Kay' Lawrence

Kathryn (Kay) Lawrence of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was the first woman to graduate from the University of North Dakota’s Flight Training Program in 1942.  After graduation she worked for Boeing Aircraft Company before joining the Women Auxiliary Ferrying Service (WAFS) in July 1943.  On August 4, 1943, while flying a PT-19, Lawrence’s plane crashed near Sweetwater, Texas, causing her untimely death.  Seventeen days after her death the WAFS and the Women’s Flight Training Detachment (WFTD) merged to form the Women Air force Service Program (WASP) on August 21, 1943.

The material consists of an 8x10 photograph of Kay Lawrence deposited by Marcy (Gilbertson) Schoenecker, Denver, Colorado, on April 20, 2005 (Acc. #2005-2767).  Also within the collection are photocopies from the Dacotah annual, Alumni Review, and information pulled from the World Wide Web, all of which were deposited by Special Collections staff.

Box 8

Folder 5: Kathryn (Kay) Lawrence:  1940-46

Sub-Series 7: Delcie D. Light

Delcie D. Light graduated from North Dakota State University in 1961 and earned a master's degree from the University of North Dakota in 1983.  She currently teaches English at Devil's Lake High School.  Light donated one folder of material consisting of her essay, "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning," which won an Honorable Mention at the 1991 North Dakota State Fair.  She has won other prizes at the North Dakota State Fair and awards at the national level from the National Education Association and the American Chiropractic Association (for her article, Parental Alcoholism.")  "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning" describes her experiences as a little girl during World War II and her impressions of the war at that age.  She concludes the essay by discussing the then recent Persian Gulf War and explaining how her views on war have changed since World War II (Acc. # 93-1897).

An East Asian Silk Brocade Jacket was given to the Chester Fritz Library by Delcie D. Light of Devils Lake, North Dakota, on June 28, 2002 (Acc. #2003-2598).  The jacket originally belonged to her aunt, Violet (Cotton) Helmsworth.  The jacket was originally a gift to Violet from her husband, Louis W. Helmsworth.  Louis Helmsworth served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.  Both Violet and Louis were originally from Mandan, North Dakota.  Following the war, Louis Helmsworth worked for many years as manufacturing engineer for the Hughes Aircraft Company.  He died on November 16, 1992, in Madera, California.

Box 2

Folder 51: Memoirs: 1993

Sub-Series 8: N. Manuel Lillehaugen

N. Manuel Lillehaugen donated one folder of material.  This consists of a greeting card mailed to him in 1943 when he was a Sergeant in the United States Army.  The card is entitled "Some Swell Advice to a Guy in the Service" and is of a humorous nature.  The card is signed "The Carlsens" and a message from Olga Carlsen is written inside (Acc. # 93-1922).

Box 2

Folder 49: Birthday Card: 1943

Sub-Series 9: Pearl Harbor Special, Grand Forks Herald

Remembering Pearl Harbor was a special section in the Grand Forks Herald dated December 7, 1991.  Within the section are articles on soldiers that were present at Pearl Harbor, both American and Japanese, President Franklin Roosevelt’s Day of Infamy speech, and an article in which Herald readers wrote in about where they were when they heard about the bombings.  Also included is an article that appears on the front page of the Herald on what people in Grand Forks and Hawaii were doing prior to and after the bombings at Pearl Harbor.  The Pearl Harbor Special, Grand Forks Herald was deposited by Special Collections staff (Acc. #2005-2766).

Box 8

Folder 3: Pearl Harbor Special, Grand Forks Herald, 1991.

Sub-Series 10: Virgil Oxley

Virgil E. Oxley was born October 6, 1902 in Maxwell, Iowa.  He entered the army as a resident of Sargent County, North Dakota with the rank of Staff Sargent in 1932.  He served throughout the New York/New Jersey area with HQ Co. of the 16^th Infantry, until he was transferred to Panama in the spring of 1941.  He separated from the army on October 23, 1948.  Virgil Oxley died March 10, 1989.

Enclosed in this collection are letters Virgil wrote home to his wife, a Cogswell, North Dakota resident, while serving in the army from 1939-1941.  The letters provide a revealing account of the daily regimen of a soldier during the period before United States entry into World War II, while also depicting the feelings and emotions of having to leave loved ones behind.  Also included are two newspaper clippings, a pressed 4-leaf clover and several Aposition cards, which appear to have been used in Army training exercises.  Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum (Rare Manuscripts and Archives dealer), Watchung, New Jersey, August 12, 1997 (Acc. #97-2157).

Box 6

Folder 18: Letters from Oxley to his wife: 1939

Folder 19: Letters from Oxley to his wife: 1940

Folder 20: Letters from Oxley to his wife: 1941

Folder 21: Letters to Mrs. Oxley, 1940: undated

Folder 22: Unidentified letters

Folder 23: Position cards: 1941

Folder 24: Miscellaneous: 2 newspaper clippings, pressed 4-leaf clover

Sub-Series 11: Bill Shemorry

Bill Shemorry of Williston, North Dakota served as a photographer in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II.  He was assigned to cover the Chinese Theatre of Operations in mainland China. Shemorry donated six folders of materials to the Carleton Elliott Simensen Military Heritage Collection.

The first folder contains "The Adventures of Private Bill, 1943-1946."  This is a compilation of photocopied clippings from Shemorry's column, "The Adventures of Private Bill," which appeared in the Williams County Farmers Press from 1943-1946. In this column, Shemorry detailed his wartime exploits as a photographer for local North Dakota readers.  (Accession #94-1995)

The second and third folders contain "The Way It Was 50 Years or So Ago, During World War II."  This is a compilation of articles written by Shemorry for the Williston Herald, in 1994 and 1995. In the articles, Shemorry reflects on World War II and the experiences of those who fought in it.  Articles often focus specifically on area veterans, and Shemorry relied heavily on oral histories for his material.

The fourth folder contains Shemorry's book, "D-Day ... The Way It Was."  The book is divided into three sections.  The first is entitled "D-Day, 1944 ... The Story of `Overlord,' The Attack on Nazi Europe."  In this section, Shemorry provides some background information on the allied invasion of the Normandy and describes the planning process for Operation Overlord.  Segment Two is entitled "The Assault on Normandy."  Here, Shemorry gives an account of the invasion itself.  Segment Three is entitled "D-Day ... The Way It Was:  First Person Vignettes by and of the Men, and a Few Women, Who Were There."  In this section, Shemorry reprints accounts from the Service Men's Herald, an auxiliary publication of the Williston Herald from 1943-1945.  The Service Men's Herald printed letters, photos and first person accounts from G.I.'s., as well as press releases from the Office of War Information.

The fifth folder contains Shemorry's booklet, "As World War II Ended, G.I.s in Liuchow, China Prepared for a Skirmish."  In this booklet, Shemorry recounts the experiences of himself and two other G.I.'s in the 164th Signal Corps Company, who were stationed in Liuchow, China in August, 1945.

The final folder contains two miscellaneous newspaper clippings.  One is an obituary of Martin S. Hovde, a fellow Williston World War II veteran.  The second is an article on Ruth Guttromson, another Williston resident, who served as a semper paratus, or SPAR, with the U.S. Coast Guard for 2 1/4 years in World War II (Acc. #94-1995).

Several oversize materials were separated and stored in OGL #1278 Oversize Folder # 8.  These materials include one 1945 front page from the India-Burma Theater Roundup, a newspaper for American troops in the India-Burma Theater, a reproduction of the front page of the Williston Herald dated August 14, 1945, and a compilation of contemporary newspaper clippings detailing the World War II experiences of the 8th Army, 10th Mountain Division, 8th Infantry Regiment, the regiment in which Martin S. Hovde of Williston, N.D. served.

Box 2

Folder 52: "Soldier's Diary Tells Company E's World War I Story,": circa 1994]

Folder 53: "The Adventures of Private Bill, 1943-1946": circa 1994

Folder 54: "The Way It Was 50 Years Ago, or So, During World War II: circa 1994

Folder 55: "The Way It Was 50 Years Ago, or So, During World War II, Part II,": circa 1994

Folder 56: "D-Day ... The Way it Was": circa 1994

Folder 57: "As World War II Ended, G.I.'s in Liuchow, China Prepared for a Skirmish,”: circa 1994

Folder 58: Clippings: 1994

Oversize Folder 8: Articles Pertaining to Bill Shemorry

"Cpl. Martin S. Houde, Williston, ND"

8th Army 10th Mountain Division, 8th Infantry Regiment, Kiska-Italy, WWII, dated 1943-1945

Newspaper Clippings, 1945,1985

Sub-Series 12: Michael Unsworth

Michael Unsworth delivered the dedication speech for the Carleton Elliott Simensen Military Heritage Collection.  This collection of materials consists of Unsworth's curriculum vitae, de-classified balloon bomb incident reports (photocopied from the National Archives), newspaper and personal accounts of the balloon bombs in North Dakota, copies of two journal articles written by Unsworth regarding the balloon bomb campaign and correspondence between Unsworth and the Department of Special Collections regarding the Simensen dedication.  The materials were added to the Military Heritage Collection by Dean Yates in December 1997 (Acc. #97-2169).

Box 6

Folder 7: Curriculum Vitae

Folder 8: De-classified balloon bomb incident reports (photocopied from the National Archives): 1945

Folder 9: Accounts of balloon bomb incidents in North Dakota: 1994

Folder 10: Two journal articles, "Floating Vengeance: The World War II Japanese Balloon Attack on Colorado," Colorado Heritage, Autumn 1993 and "The Japanese Balloon Bomb Campaign in North Dakota," North Dakota History: Winter 1997

Folder 11: Correspondence between Dean Yates (Assistant Archivist) and Unsworth regarding Unsworth's speech at the dedication of the Simensen Collection

Sub-Series 13: Woody and Cassy's Journal

Woody and Cassy's Journal: WWII and Other Dark Shadows, was written for Fall 2002 edition of Western Pennsylvania History by UND Professor of English James McKenzie.  In the article, McKenzie traces the World War II experiences of his parents, Woody and Cassy McKenzie, as recorded in journals they kept from April 1942 - December 1943.  The McKenzie’s lived in Monessen, Pennsylvania, and their diary recounts how the war influenced life on the "home front."  Deposited by James McKenzie, UND Department of English, on January 6, 2003 (Acc. #2003-2592).

Box 6

Folder 34: James McKenzie.  "Woody and Cassy's Journal: WWII and Other Dark Shadows.” Western Pennsylvania History: Fall 2002.