Search

Start Over Collection George B. Ward Jr. letters, 1936/1937 Level File
College of William and Mary

George B. Ward Jr. letters, 1936/1937

.42 Linear Feet 1 Hollinger box

Collection contains letters documenting the life of Seaman First Class George B. Ward Jr. (1915-2008) of Phenix City, Alabama. The letters primarily document Ward's life while he was assigned to the USS Chicago and the Aerology School at Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The collection also includes letters from Hawaii after Ward graduated from Aerology School.A multi page first hand account from Ward of the Hindenburg airship explosion in New Jersey to his mother is also contained in the collection. The Hindenburg, named for German president, Paul von Hindenburg, was the largest German rigid airship, LZ 129. It was designed to provide luxurious transatlantic travel between Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was also used as a propaganda tool for the Nazis as it contained the Swastika on its tail. The airship became engulfed in flames and was destroyed on May 6, 1937, while attempting to land at Lakehurst Naval Station in New Jersey. The fire killed 36 people and marked the end of transatlantic commercial airship travel. Ward was involved in rescuing people from the wreckage, which he described in the letter. Ward was discharged from the Navy in 1939 and later worked as a U.S. Navy civilian employee helping to salvage ships at Pearl Harbor. George Ward passed away in 2008.

2 results

Correspondence, 1937 Box 1, Binder 2

Binder contains letter from George Ward to his mother, Mrs. M.P. Ward, detailing the destruction and subsequent rescue of the Hindenburg airship dated May 6, 1937.

  1. Series I. Letters, 1936/1937

Content Warning

ARVAS is an aggregator of archival resources. ARVAS does not have control of the descriptive language used in our members’ finding aids.

Finding aids may contain historical terms and phrases, reflecting the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected, but are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical or mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many institutions and organizations are in the process of reviewing and revising their descriptive language, with the intent to describe materials in more humanizing, inclusive, and harm-reductive ways. As members revise their descriptive language, their changes will eventually be reflected in their ARVAS finding aids.

Limit your search

  • George B. Ward Jr. letters, 1936/1937 2