Carleton Elliott Simensen Military Heritage Collection, 1862-

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Collection Overview

Abstract

Collection Historical Note

Subject/Index Terms

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 9: Korean War, 1950-1953

The Korean War was a war between the Republic of Korea (supported primarily by the U.S.) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (supported by the People's Republic of China, with military and material aid from the USSR), and was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. Following the surrender of the Empire of Japan in September of 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th parallel, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half.

The following folders contain documents and photographs pertaining to The Korean War.

Sub-Series 1: Grand Forks Herald: 'Forgotten War Remembered '

In honor of Veteran's Day 2000, the Grand Forks Herald published a special section related to the Korean War. The section is eight pages in length, and contains twelve articles, as well as photographs and a timeline. Several of the articles follow the Korean War experiences of North Dakota veterans in depth, while others examine the war in general. Deposited by Sandy Slater, Department of Special Collections, in June 2001 (Acc.#2001-2518).

Box 6

Folder 39: "The 'Forgotten War' Remembered." Special Section of the Grand Forks Herald, 11 November 2000

Sub-Series 2: Naval Publication: 'The Keel'

"The Keel" was a book published by the U.S. Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. It is dated 1951 for Companies 365-366. It was designed to give new recruits an idea of what their training would encompass. Many pictures are included, as are descriptions of the types of training the recruits would undergo. Donated by John Bye, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, in September 1997 (Acc.#97-2166).

Box 6

Folder 4: "The Keel"

Sub-Series 3: Patrick D. O'Connell

Patrick D. O'Connell, the son of Norman and Orpha O'Connell, was born October 22, 1922 in Crookston, Minnesota. The O’Connell’s moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota when Patrick was five. Patrick O'Connell graduated from Grand Forks Central High School in 1940 and attended the University of North Dakota from 1940-1943. He returned to UND in 1947 to complete his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, which he received later that year.

From 1943-1946, O'Connell served in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to combat infantry - L Company, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Division, where he rose in rank from private to captain. This unit participated in the recapture of the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island in the Philippines and received a Presidential Unit Citation for its role in this conflict. O'Connell himself received a purple heart with oak leaf cluster and a bronze star.

O'Connell returned to the army in 1951, following the outbreak of the Korean War. This time, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an Equipment Officer for the 802nd Engineering Aviation Battalion, which was assigned to build the K-13 airfield in South Korea.

Patrick O'Connell married Muriel M. Jenkins in 1951. Following his service in Korea, he worked as a home builder in California and Arizona. He is presently retired and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. The O’Connell’s have two children and three grandchildren.

The majority of these papers are correspondence between Patrick O'Connell and his mother, Orpha B. (O'Connell) Dobmeir, who saved the letters in bundles wrapped in butcher twine.

Topics within the letters include Army basic training, UND's ROTC, Officers Candidate School (OCS), Air Cadet school at Washington State College in Pullman, WA, barracks life, troop train travel, ration coupons, dating, and family matters. Of special interest are references to Senators Langer and Nye, to whom Mrs. O'Connell had written requesting their assistance after her son's paperwork was lost and he was erroneously assigned to Engineer and then Infantry basic training units. She also reported to the senators, thefts of Army food that had been described to her in Patrick's letters. Letters between Mrs. O'Connell and Senator Langer may be found within the Langer Collection, OGL #19.

Letters from 1945 and 1946 describe the war in the Philippines, criticism of General Douglas MacArthur and the Army's use of "green" troops, the Atomic Bomb, the surrender of the Japanese, and occupation forces. Photocopies of Time, Yank, Pacific Stars & Stripes, as well as copies of newspapers from organizations with which O'Connell was associated, provide additional background information.

All correspondence has been arranged chronologically. This material was deposited into the Department of Special Collections by Pat O'Connell, Scottsdale, AZ, in February and March 1994 (Accession #'s 93-1903, 94-1940 and 94-1951).

Two photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection. These include one photo of Patrick O'Connell holding his dog, Heather (OGL #1278-42) and one photo of Patrick O'Connell with his wife, children and grandchildren. Both photos were taken circa 1994. (OGL #1278-43) There is also one oversized folder of materials (OGL #1278 Oversize Folder #2), consisting of photocopied 1945 articles from the Grand Forks Herald and the Los Angeles Herald Express that describe the fighting in the Philippines, a list of 1947 UND graduates (including Patrick O'Connell), an article on O'Connell's graduation from officer candidate school and a list of North Dakota veterans who died in World War II.

Box 1

Folder 44: Correspondence, June, 1943

Folder 45: Correspondence, July, 1943

Folder 46: Correspondence, August, 1943

Folder 47: Correspondence, September, 1943

Folder 48: Correspondence, October, 1943

Folder 49: Correspondence, November, 1943

Folder 50: Correspondence, December, 1943

Folder 51: Correspondence, January, 1944

Folder 52: Correspondence, February, 1944

Folder 53: Correspondence, March, 1944

Folder 54: Correspondence, April, 1944

Folder 55: Correspondence, May, 1944

Folder 56: Correspondence, June, 1944

Folder 57: Correspondence, July, 1944

Folder 58: Correspondence, September, 1944

Folder 59: Correspondence, October, 1944

Folder 60: Correspondence, November, 1944

Folder 61: Correspondence, December, 1944

Folder 62: Correspondence, January, 1945

Folder 63: Correspondence, February, 1945

Folder 64: Correspondence, March, 1945

Box 2

Folder 1: Correspondence, March, 1945

Folder 2: Correspondence, April, 1945

Folder 3: Correspondence, May, 19454.

Folder 4: Correspondence, June, 1945

Folder 5: Correspondence, July, 1945

Folder 6: Correspondence, August, 1945

Folder 7: Correspondence, September, 1945

Folder 8: Correspondence, October, 1945

Folder 9: Correspondence, November, 1945

Folder 10: Correspondence, December, 1945

Folder 11: Correspondence, January, 1946

Folder 12: Correspondence, February, 1946

Folder 13: Correspondence, March, 1946

Folder 14: Correspondence, February, 1951

Folder 15: Correspondence, March, 1951

Folder 16: Correspondence, April, 1951

Folder 17: Correspondence, May, 1951

Folder 18: Correspondence, June, 1951

Folder 19: Correspondence, July, 1951

Folder 20: Correspondence, August, 1951

Folder 21: Correspondence, November, 1951

Folder 22: Correspondence, December, 1951

Folder 23: Correspondence, January, 1952

Folder 24: Correspondence, February, 1952

Folder 25: Correspondence, March, 1952

Folder 26: Correspondence, April, 1952

Folder 27: Correspondence, May, 1952

Folder 28: Medals Earned, 1945

Folder 29: Korean Handbook, circa 1950

Folder 30: Time Magazine, Excerpts, January-February, 1945

Folder 31: Biennial Report of Army Chief of Staff, July 1943-July 1945

Oversize Folder 2: Newspaper Clips Pertaining to Patrick O'Connell

Dates associated: 1945,1947,1952

Oversize Folder 11: Pertains to Japanese Surrender

Photocopies of newspaper clippings and magazine articles published by "YANK: The Army Weekly"

dated 1944-1945

Sub-Series 4: Arthur Timboe

Colonel Arthur Clifford Timboe was born on January 21, 1907, in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  He served the North Dakota National Guard from 1925 to 1941 when he was called to active duty in the United States Army on February 10. Timboe saw combat in World War II with the 164^th Infantry, part of the famous Americal Division.  He commanded the 2^nd Battalion in the battle for Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, from October 24 to 26, 1942.  Following World War II, Timboe served at the Army Ground General School in Fort Riley, Kansas, and Fifth Army Headquarters in Chicago. Colonel Timboe served the United States Army as a Public Information Officer of the Korean Communication Zone during the Korean War.  He was stationed in Korea from December 1953 to April 1954 acting in this capacity with such astonishing efficiency that he eventually was awarded the Legion of Merit award, the second highest military award for meritorious service.  He was awarded this medal for Exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Public Information Officer of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission at Panmenjon and Munsan-ni.

Arthur and Catherine Timboe had three children: Gay, Mary Frances, and Arthur Richard.  Colonel Arthur Clifford Timboe died on June 24, 1996, in San Francisco, California.  He is buried in San Francisco National Cemetery.

The collection is primarily a visual one, consisting of over 270 photographs and 98 color slides.  Paper records include official copies of the Armistice Agreement Vol. 1 and its Supplement.  Both documents date from July 1953, and were made between the United Nations Command, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, and the Commander of the Chinese Peoples Volunteers.  The armistice ended the Korean War on July 27, 1953.  Other documents in the collection include newspaper clippings, correspondence, and two maps.

One of the Public Information Offices main modes of communication during the Korean War was through photographs.  This is reflected in the collection by the abundance of both official US Army photographs and impromptu snapshots.  The collection begins with several individual portraits of Timboe, as well as other photographs of him posing with military personnel, as well as with Korean civilians and children.  Several of the photographs with children were taken during Christmas, and depict Timboe distributing toys.

There are many photographs depicting the nature of day-to-day life in Korea.  These include pictures of Korean children playing, as well as Korean civilians working in rice fields or at a local marketplace.  Korean buildings and structures are also depicted, including a temple, government building, and several street scenes.  On a somber note, some of these photographs depict a Korean Leper Colony.

Also included are photographs of military buildings and structures: barracks, tents, and officers homes to name a few.  Military equipment, in the form of helicopters and tanks, are included as well.  There are also official photographs depicting military recreational and business activities: ceremonies, marches, and special visits from dignitaries, including Vice-President Richard Nixon, and H. Alexander Smith, Republican Senator from New Jersey.

These are snapshots that show American soldiers in recreational settings: either gathering together showcasing game they’ve hunted or strolling through a military base.  There are also several photographs of a special Christmas U.S.O. show with stateside entertainers who performed for the troops.

There are also many photographs of prisoners of war (POW).  These include South Korean, North Korean, and Chinese prisoners.  There are also photographs of Anti-Communist North Korean prisoners, who were fighting with the South Koreans.  A significant number of the POW photographs depict prisoner exchanges between North Korea and the United Nations Command.

In addition, there is also one album of photographs from the Korean War.  Many pictures in the album are duplicates of the other photographs in the collection.  The material was deposited by Arthur Timboe's daughter, Mary Fran Riggs, Encitas, California, on March 20, 2001 (Acc. #2001-2510).

274 photographs were separated and added to the Photograph File Cabinets.

1278-167 to 1278-179

Individual Portraits of Timboe 1278-180 to 1278-191

Group Photographs Including Timboe 1278-192 to 1278-199

Timboe with Korean civilians 1278-201 to 1278-209, 309

Korean Leper Colony 1278-210 to 1278-220, 292

Korean Children 1278-221 to 1278-241

Korean civilians 1278-242 to 1278-251

Korean buildings 1278-252 to 1278-276

U.S. Military Buildings and Structures 1278-277 to 1278-294

Col. Timboe with Military Personnel or Dignitaries 1278-295 to 1278-308

Various U.S. Military 1278-310 to 1278-321

More U.S. Military: Dwellings, Tents, Streets 1278-322 to 1278-326

Col Timboe with U.S. Military Personnel/Official and Snapshots 1278-327 to 1278-354

Prisoners of War (POW): South Korean, North Korean, Anti- Communist North Korean, Chinese 1278-355 to 1278-369

U.S.-Korean Military Personnel/Dignitaries 1278-370 to 1278-381

Large Snapshot, Military Personnel/Dignitaries, Ike, Nixon, Armistice Commission 1278-382 to 1278-395

Military Vehicles-Helicopters 1278-396 to 1278-402

U.S.O. Christmas Show 1278-403 to 1278-412

Miscellaneous Military Personnel 1278-413 to 1278-418

Displaced Korean Civilians 1278-428 to 1278-433

Korean Cityscapes and Landscapes 1278-419 to 1278-441

Miscellaneous

Two maps were separated and placed in the Oversize File Cabinet in Oversize File #10: 1. Stars and Stripes Map of the War (undated, but of the Korean War) 2. U.S. Air Force Air Navigation Chart, Korea and Honshu: 1953

Box 6

Folder 58: Photocopy of Timboe’s Orders: November 1942

Folder 59: Two Photocopied Letters from North Dakota Governor John Moses: 1942-1942

Folder 60: Armistice Agreement Vol. 1: July 1953

Folder 61: Supplement to Armistice Agreement: July 1953

Folder 62: Timboe’s Orders: July 1953

Folder 63: “The War in Korea” by Stars and Stripes: 1953

Folder 64: Newspaper Clippings: 1947-1985

Folder 65: Miscellaneous Cards and Invitations: 1954-1965

Box 7

Folder 2: Photograph album of Korean War Photographs

Oversize Folder 10: Pertains to WWI and Korean War

World War 1 star flag-- c. 1917-1918

Korean War Maps, in color