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Start Over Collection J. Russell Major papers Date range 1945 Subjects Notes

J. Russell Major papers 2 cubic feet

Major, J. Russell (James Russell), 1921-1998

This collection consists of J. Russell Major's World War II papers, including:

  • Correspondence to his parents (dated 1942-1945). The early letters cover his training as a field artillery officer at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma (1942-1944) and other United States bases, including Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base (Glider School) and Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Letters from July 1944 to May 1945 date from his service as a forward artillery observer in France and Germany.
  • Military orders (1942-1945)
  • Papers relating to his awards (Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart).
  • Service record
  • Notes relating to his United States Army career.
  • Four volumes of the United States Army official history (European Theater), with one volume annotated by Major.
Major's World War II reminiscences, based in part on the correspondence in this collection, were published in 1999 under the title "The Memoirs of an Artillery Forward Observer, 1944-1945." This book is in Preston Library's rare book collection.

  1. Virginia Military Institute Archives

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