Guide to the James S. Thomas Family Papers, RG 284
Listed by: Catherine Conner
Date: 10/28/99
Date Span: 1939 - 1946
Size of Collection: ca. 250 letters
Biographical Sketch: James Thomas left college in March of 1941 to enter the army as an aviation cadet. By August 1945, he was a corporal in Squadron “C” in the 554th Army Air Force Unit. Throughout his army career, James held various positions such as a truck driver, auto mechanic, airplane mechanic, and finally as an aerial engineer. He lived on numerous U.S. bases such as Fort Warren, Wyoming; Santa Ana, California; Fort Stockton, Texas; Bakersfield, California; Fort Sumner, New Mexico; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Memphis, Tennessee.
Scope / Content: Contains over 250 letters written by James and Anita Thomas to their parents, Allen and Anna Thomas of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, from the University of Wyoming (1939-1941) and from military bases (1941-1946). Anita majored in English literature and worked for local radio stations. In February 1942, James passed the Air Corps test, and entered the army as an aviation cadet in Squadron 44 of the U.S. Army Air Corps. His letters contain knowledgeable detail about how airplanes work, what he did during flight, and life on U.S. Army bases during World War II.
Box 1
1. James to parents, September – December 1939
2.
James and Anita to parents, 1939
3.
Letters to James from Jeanne Wilkins, 1939
4.
Letter to James, 1939
5.
James to parents, January 1940
6.
James to parents, February – April, 1940
7.
James to parents, May 1940
8.
James to parents, June – October, 1940
9.
Anita to parents, 1940
10.
James and Anita to parents, 1940
11.
James to parents, January – February 1941
12.
James to parents, March – April 1941
13.
Anita to parents, 1941
14.
James to parents, January – March 1942
15.
James to parents, April 1942
16.
James to parents, May 1942
17.
James to parents, June 1942
18.
James to parents, July 1942
19.
James to parents, August 1942
20.
James to parents, September 1942
21.
James to parents, October 1942
22.
James to parents, November 1942
23.
James to parents, December 1942
24.
Anita to James, 1942
25.
Anita to parents, 1942
26.
James to parents, January 1943
27.
James to parents, February 1943
28.
James to parents, March 1943
29.
James to parents, April 1943
30. James to parents, May 1943
Box 2
31. James to parents, June 1943
32. James to parents, July 1943
33. James to parents, August 1943
34. James to parents, September 1943
35. James to parents, October 1943
36. James to parents, November 1943
37. James to parents, December 1943
38. James to Anita, 1943
39. Letters to James, 1943
40. Anita to parents, 1943
41. James to parents, January 1944
42. James to parents and Anita, March 1944
43. James to parents and Anita, April 1944
44. James to parents and Anita, May 1944
45. James to father, June 1944
46. James to father and Anita, July 1944
47. James to father and Anita, August 1944
48. James to father, September 1944
49. James to father and Anita, October 1944
50. James to parents, November 1944
51. James to father, December 1944
52. James to Anita, 1944
53. Letter to Allen Thomas from N.M. Turner, 1944
54. James to father and Anita, January 1945
55. James to father, February 1945
56. James to father, March 1945
57. James to father, April 1945
58. James to father, June – July 1945
59. James to father, August 1945
60. James to father, September 1945
61. James to father, October 1945
62. James to father, November 1945
63. James to Anita, 1945
64. James to father, 1946
65. Letter to James from Corporal Calvin Speck, 1946
66. James to parents, undated
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