A Guide to the Virginia World War II History Commission's Personal War Service Record of Virginia's War Dead, Education, 1941-1946 Virginia World War II History Commission's Personal War Service Record of Virginia's War Dead, 1941-1946 24805

A Guide to the Virginia World War II History Commission's Personal War Service Record of Virginia's War Dead, Education, 1941-1946

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 24805


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Library of Virginia

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Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2003 By the Library of Virginia.

Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Roger Christman

Repository
Library of Virginia
Accession number
24805
Title
A Guide to the Virginia World War II History Commission's Personal War Service Record of Virginia's War Dead, 1941-1946
Physical Characteristics
7.0 cu. ft.
Creator
Virginia World War II History Commission
Physical Location
State Records Collection, Virginia World War II History Commission (Record Group 68).
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia. World War II History Commission, Personal War Service Record of Virginia's War Dead, 1941-1946. Accession 24805. State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Accession 24805 transferred by History Division, Virginia State Library, 30 June 1958.

Agency History

On January 7, 1919, Governor Westmoreland Davis created the Virginia War History Commission whose goal was "to complete an accurate and complete history of Virginia's military, economic and political and civic participation in the World War." The commission had limited success. Its' work was hampered by a lack of funds and a lack of interest. Virginians wanted to forget about the war and get on with their lives. The commission did publish seven source volumes between 1923 and 1927 but did not publish a comprehensive history.

After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Dr. Lester Cappon, an archivist at the University of Virginia, proposed the creation of a state agency to preserve "the records of Virginia's part in the war contemporaneously with the production of these records." Cappon wrote Douglas S. Freeman, chairman of the Virginia Council of Defense, editor of the Richmond News Leader and a former member of the Virginia War History Commission, about his proposed "Committee on Virginia Historical Records of the Second World War." Cappon wanted the scope of the Virginia Council of Defense expanded to include the collection and preservation of war records. He was unsuccessful.

In September 1942 the Virginia Conservation Commission's Division of History and Archaeology, under the direction of Dr. Hamilton J. Eckenrode, began a war records collection program. Unable to continue the Division of History's historical marker program because of wartime rationing, Eckenrode sought to "record the history of the Old Dominion's war effort while the history is still fresh in the making, rather than wait until after the war when the events and details would be more obscured." The Conservation Commission began a correspondence program in which a non-salaried correspondent from each locality sent reports about local war activities and local effects and reaction to the war. In October 1942 the Commission began a newspaper file. War news articles related to Virginia were clipped/transcribed and sorted by time period and subject categories. In addition, the Commission published VIRGINIA IN WAR TIME, 1942-1943, a short sketch on how the war affected Virginia.

In 1943 the Virginia Conservation Commission created the Historical Advisory Committee of the Virginia Conservation Commission to assist with the war records program. Members of the committee included: Dr. Cappon, Dr. Eckenrode, Dr. E.G. Swem, William and Mary College, Dr. Wilmer Hall, Virginia State Librarian and State Senator William Wright, Chairman of the Virginia Conservation Commission. The committee met in January 1944 to discuss the creation of a permanent agency for collecting war records.

The Virginia World War II History Commission was established by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly approved on 8 March 1944. The commission was a policy-making body comprised of twelve non-salaried citizens appointed by the Governor. Its purpose was "to collect, assemble, edit, and publish. . . information and material with respect to the contribution to World War II made by Virginia and Virginians." The commission, headed by Senator Wright, hired Dr. Cappon as director and Dr. W. Edwin Hemphill of Mary Washington College as assistant director. Staff was assigned working quarters in the Alderman Library of the University of Virginia.

To achieve their goal of collecting records and publishing histories concerning Virginia's participation in the war, the commission devised a two-phase plan. During the planning phase (1944-1946), the commission publicized its activities in two pamphlets: Your Communities War History: What Are You Doing to Preserve Its Records? and Writing Your Community's War History. These publications encouraged communities to create their own local war history commission branch and offered suggestions and advice. During this time, the Virginia Conservation Commission continued the newspaper-clipping file and turned it over to the commission in 1946. The Virginia Conservation Commission assisted the commission with its' questionnaire, "Personal War Service Record of Virginia's Dead". The next of kin of Virginia's deceased servicemen completed the questionnaire. Dr. Cappon resigned at the end of 1945 and Dr. Hemphill replaced him as director.

During the research and writing phase (1946-1950), the commission hired additional staff members and began publishing histories. The first book, Gold Star Honor Roll of Virginians in the Second World War, published in 1947, was a roster of Virginia's 9000 war dead. Other publications published or assisted by the commission included: Pursuits of War: People of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia in the Second World War; Virginia's State Government During the Second World War: It's Constitutional, Legislative and Administrative Adaptations, 1942-1945; Virginia on Guard: Civilian Defense and the State Militia in the Second World War; Virginia Farmers at War: Essays on Agricultural Production in the Old Dominion During the Second World War; Conscripted City: Norfolk in World War II and Aerial Gunner from Virginia: the Letters of Don Moody to his Family During 1944.

The commission operated as an independent agency until 1948 when the state government reorganization act approved by the General Assembly on 30 March 1948 placed it administratively under the Virginia State Library. After the transfer became effective on 1 July 1948, the commission was known as the World War II History Division. On 1 July 1950, as a result of a new reorganization of the state's historical offices, the World War II History Division was combined with the Division of History and Archaeology of the Virginia Conservation Commission, to become the History Division of the Virginia State Library. The new division ceased work on World War II publications.

Scope and Content Information

The series Personal War Service Record of Virginias War Dead consists of questionnaires completed by the next-of-kin of Virginian's killed during World War II. The three-page questionnaire records personal and military data. The first page records personal information including the full name of the soldier, home address at time of enlistment, birth date and place, race, height, weight, name of spouse, date and place of marriage, name and date of birth of children, education, religious affiliation and name of father and mother. The second and third page records military information including, date and place of enlistment, induction or commission, branch of service, prior military service, where trained or stationed, promotions, military honors, circumstances of death (including date and place) and the next of kin. Photographs, letters, newspaper clippings and military service records often accompany the questionnaires. Information from this collection was used to compile the GOLD STAR HONOR ROLL OF VIRGINIANS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. However, a questionnaire does not exist for every individual listed in the GOLD STAR HONOR ROLL.

Arrangement

Arranged by locality and alphabetical therein.

Contents List

Box 1 Folder 1
Accomack County
Box 1 Folder 2
Albemarle County, A-H
Box 1 Folder 3
Albemarle County, J-W
Box 1 Folder 4
Alleghany County, A-K
Box 1 Folder 5
Alleghany County, L-W
Box 1 Folder 6
Amelia County
Box 1 Folder 7
Amherst County
Box 1 Folder 8
Appomattox County
Box 2 Folder 1
Arlington County, A-C
Box 2 Folder 2
Arlington County, E-H
Box 2 Folder 3
Arlington County, J-P
Box 2 Folder 4
Arlington County, R-W
Box 2 Folder 5
Augusta County, A-C
Box 2 Folder 6
Augusta County, D-H
Box 2 Folder 7
Augusta County, J-P
Box 2 Folder 8
Augusta County, R-W
Box 3 Folder 1
Bath County
Box 3 Folder 2
Bedford County, A-D
Box 3 Folder 3
Bedford County, E-W
Box 3 Folder 4
Bland County
Box 3 Folder 5
Botetourt County
Box 3 Folder 6
Brunswick County
Box 3 Folder 7
Buchanan County
Box 3 Folder 8
Buckingham County
Box 3 Folder 9
Campbell County, A-C
Box 3 Folder 10
Campbell County, D-L
Box 3 Folder 11
Campbell County, M-W
Box 4 Folder 1
Caroline County
Box 4 Folder 2
Carroll County
Box 4 Folder 3
Charles City County
Box 4 Folder 4
Charlotte County
Box 4 Folder 5
Chesterfield County
Box 4 Folder 6
Clarke County
Box 4 Folder 7
Craig County
Box 4 Folder 8
Culpeper County
Box 4 Folder 9
Cumberland County
Box 4 Folder 10
Dickenson County
Box 4 Folder 11
Dinwiddie County
Box 4 Folder 12
Elizabeth City County
Box 4 Folder 13
Essex County
Box 5 Folder 1
Fairfax County
Box 5 Folder 2
Fauquier County, A-K
Box 5 Folder 3
Fauquier County, L-W
Box 5 Folder 4
Floyd County
Box 5 Folder 5
Fluvanna County
Box 5 Folder 6
Franklin County
Box 5 Folder 7
Frederick County
Box 5 Folder 8
Giles County
Box 5 Folder 9
Gloucester County
Box 5 Folder 10
Gouchland County
Box 6 Folder 1
Grayson County
Box 6 Folder 2
Greene County
Box 6 Folder 3
Greensville County
Box 6 Folder 4
Halifax County
Box 6 Folder 5
Hanover County
Box 6 Folder 6
Henrico County
Box 6 Folder 7
Henry County
Box 6 Folder 8
Highland County
Box 6 Folder 9
Isle of Wight County
Box 6 Folder 10
James City County
Box 6 Folder 11
King and Queen County
Box 6 Folder 12
King George County
Box 6 Folder 13
King William County
Box 6 Folder 14
Lancaster County
Box 7 Folder 1
Lee County
Box 7 Folder 2
Loudoun County
Box 7 Folder 3
Louisa County
Box 7 Folder 4
Lunenburg County
Box 7 Folder 5
Madison County
Box 7 Folder 6
Mathews County
Box 7 Folder 7
Mecklenburg County
Box 7 Folder 8
Middlesex County
Box 7 Folder 9
Montgomery County, A-L
Box 7 Folder 10
Montgomery County, M-W
Box 8 Folder 1
Nansemond County
Box 8 Folder 2
Nelson County, A-F
Box 8 Folder 3
Nelson County, G-W
Box 8 Folder 4
New Kent County
Box 8 Folder 5
Norfolk County
Box 8 Folder 6
Northampton County
Box 8 Folder 7
Northumberland County
Box 8 Folder 8
Nottoway County
Box 8 Folder 9
Orange County
Box 8 Folder 10
Page County
Box 8 Folder 11
Patrick County
Box 9 Folder 1
Pittsylvania County
Box 9 Folder 2
Powhatan County
Box 9 Folder 3
Prince Edward County
Box 9 Folder 4
Prince George County
Box 9 Folder 5
Prince William County
Box 9 Folder 6
Princess Anne County
Box 9 Folder 7
Pulaski County (index cards from Mr. R.I. Brown)
Box 9 Folder 8
Pulaski County
Box 9 Folder 9
Rappahannock County
Box 9 Folder 10
Richmond County
Box 9 Folder 11
Roanoke County
Box 9 Folder 12
Rockbridge County, A-H
Box 9 Folder 13
Rockbridge County, J-W
Box 10 Folder 1
Rockingham County, A-H
Box 10 Folder 2
Rockingham County, K-W
Box 10 Folder 3
Russell County, A-I
Box 10 Folder 4
Russell County, J-Y
Box 10 Folder 5
Scott County, A-G
Box 10 Folder 6
Scott County, H-W
Box 11 Folder 1
Shenandoah County
Box 11 Folder 2
Smyth County, A-J
Box 11 Folder 3
Smyth County, K-W
Box 11 Folder 4
Southampton County
Box 11 Folder 5
Spotsylvania County
Box 11 Folder 6
Stafford County
Box 11 Folder 7
Surry County
Box 11 Folder 8
Sussex County
Box 12 Folder 1
Tazewell County
Box 12 Folder 2
Warren County
Box 12 Folder 3
Warwick County
Box 12 Folder 4
Washington County
Box 12 Folder 5
Westmoreland County
Box 12 Folder 6
Wise County
Box 12 Folder 7
Wythe County
Box 12 Folder 8
York County
Box 12 Folder 9
State At Large - Thompson Brooke Maury III
Box 12 Folder 10
Auxiliary Services
Box 12 Folder 11
Post-Discharge Deaths
Box 12 Folder 12
Deaths Erroneously Reported
Box 13 Folder 1
Alexandria
Box 13 Folder 2
Bristol
Box 13 Folder 3
Buena Vista
Box 13 Folder 4
Charlottesville, A-C
Box 13 Folder 5
Charlottesville, D-L
Box 13 Folder 6
Charlottesville, M-W
Box 13 Folder 7
Clifton Forge
Box 14 Folder 1
Danville
Box 14 Folder 2
Fredericksburg
Box 14 Folder 3
Hampton
Box 14 Folder 4
Harrisonburg, A-K
Box 14 Folder 5
Harrisonburg, L-W
Box 14 Folder 6
Hopewell
Box 14 Folder 7
Lynchburg, A-K
Box 14 Folder 8
Lynchburg, L-W
Box 15 Folder 1
Martinsville
Box 15 Folder 2
Newport News
Box 15 Folder 3
Norfolk, A-B
Box 15 Folder 4
Norfolk, C-E
Box 15 Folder 5
Norfolk, F-L
Box 15 Folder 6
Norfolk, M-R
Box 16 Folder 1
Norfolk, S-Z
Box 16 Folder 2
Petersburg
Box 16 Folder 3
Portsmouth (index cards)
Box 16 Folder 4
Portsmouth, A-G
Box 16 Folder 5
Portsmouth, H-N
Box 16 Folder 6
Portsmouth, O-W
Box 16 Folder 7
Radford
Box 16 Folder 8
Richmond, A-B
Box 17 Folder 1
Richmond, C
Box 17 Folder 2
Richmond, D-E
Box 17 Folder 3
Richmond, F-G
Box 17 Folder 4
Richmond, H
Box 17 Folder 5
Richmond, I-K
Box 17 Folder 6
Richmond, L
Box 18 Folder 1
Richmond, M
Box 18 Folder 2
Richmond, N-P
Box 18 Folder 3
Richmond, R-S
Box 18 Folder 4
Richmond, T-U
Box 18 Folder 5
Richmond, W-Y
Box 19 Folder 1
Roanoke, A-B
Box 19 Folder 2
Roanoke, C-G
Box 19 Folder 3
Roanoke, H-L
Box 19 Folder 4
Roanoke, M-R
Box 19 Folder 5
Roanoke, S
Box 19 Folder 6
Roanoke, T-Z
Box 20 Folder 1
South Norfolk
Box 20 Folder 2
Staunton, A-H
Box 20 Folder 3
Staunton, J-R
Box 20 Folder 4
Staunton, S-W
Box 20 Folder 5
Suffolk
Box 20 Folder 6
Williamsburg
Box 20 Folder 7
Winchester, A-H
Box 20 Folder 8
Winchester, J-W