[John Vitola and Another Soldier]

Photograph of John Vitola and another soldier standing together in front of the plywood wall of a quarters. The men are wearing U.S. Army uniforms and garrison caps. Vitola drapes his left arm over the other man's shoulder.
Date: June 6, 1944
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, February 6, 1942] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, February 6, 1942]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on February 6, 1942. He asks after the farm, and tells them to keep sending him clippings from the Waco newspapers.
Date: February 6, 1942
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, February 6, 1943] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, February 6, 1943]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on February 6, 1943. He tells them he has received the family pictures they sent, and asks if his watch is working. He tells his mother she can take it with her into town if she wants.
Date: February 6, 1943
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, August 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, August 6, 1944]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on August 6, 1944. He mentions a friend, Charles S., who has come to visit, whom he and another friend have taken in. Charles S. is homesick, but John, Jr. believes they will all come home soon. He expresses excitement at getting a rare half day at work, and details all the things he likes to do with his time off. He tells a story of a fellow soldier who fell and broke several ribs, and whom John, Jr. plans to visit in the hospital later. He asks for a new fountain pen in a postscript.
Date: August 6, 1944
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, July 6, 1943] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, July 6, 1943]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on July 6, 1943. He asks to be sent a dollar pocket watch, and mentions he is going to have another tooth filled soon.
Date: July 6, 1943
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, April 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, April 6, 1944]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on April 6, 1944. He had a get together with Wilbur Crawford and some soldiers from his outfit, and he comments on the weather.
Date: April 6, 1944
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to Sallie L. Willis, December 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to Sallie L. Willis, December 6, 1944]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to Sallie L. Willis, on December 6, 1944, thanking her for the Christmas box she sent him. He talks about the weather, and says that the food is getting bad because it's all canned, so her box is very welcome. He expresses hope that a relative made it safely to France.
Date: December 6, 1944
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, December 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his Parents, December 6, 1944]

Letter from John Todd Willis, Jr. to his parents Clara and John T. Willis, Sr. on December 6, 1944, saying he hasn't gotten any of their letters, but he has gotten a few boxes in the mail. He says he's got some pictures he'll send to them in his next air mail letter. He also mentions a friend who's been stationed nearby and is going to come to the club that night.
Date: December 6, 1944
Creator: Willis, John Todd, Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Certificate of Pilot Trainees Eliminated in March 1943] (open access)

[Certificate of Pilot Trainees Eliminated in March 1943]

Text certifying that three women have been eliminated from the training program at Avenger Field (the 318th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment) on March 31, 1943. It includes name, date eliminated, and reason for each person.
Date: April 6, 1943
Creator: United States. Army Air Forces.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Certificate of Elimination, April 1943] (open access)

[Certificate of Elimination, April 1943]

Text certifying that five women have been eliminated from the training program at Avenger Field (the 318th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment) in March and April 1943. It includes name, date eliminated, and reason for each person; one name has been stricken from the list with a handwritten note.
Date: April 6, 1943
Creator: McConnell, Landon E.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from I. H. to Cecile Kempner, February 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from I. H. to Cecile Kempner, February 6, 1944]

Letter to Cecile from her father about a dinner he had in a military base, him wanting to go to Washington. Mentions US troop deployment overseas.
Date: February 6, 1944
Creator: Kempner, Isaac H. (Isaac Herbert), 1873-1967
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from I. H. to Cecile Kempner, May 6, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from I. H. to Cecile Kempner, May 6, 1945]

Letter to Cecile from her father about his dental health and the war.
Date: May 6, 1945
Creator: Kempner, Isaac H. (Isaac Herbert), 1873-1967
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 1] (open access)

[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 1]

Special Order from Sid C. Pinskton listing the names of women who completed the Women's Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) training program and are authorized to fly military aircraft.
Date: November 6, 1944
Creator: 2536D Army Air Forces Base Unit
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Individual Flight Record for Catherine Parker #2] (open access)

[Individual Flight Record for Catherine Parker #2]

Chart listing the flight times of Catherine Parker during day and night, as well hours worked on instrument flying and in the LINK trainer, ain Sweetwater, Texas. A statement on the chart also notes the date she received her instrument flying certification.
Date: November 6, 1944
Creator: Arnold, Hugh G. & Nance, Walter L.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Catherine Parker WASP Promotion] (open access)

[Catherine Parker WASP Promotion]

Photocopy of a notice of personnel action from the War Department promoting Catherine Parker from WASP Trainee to Women's Army Service Pilot with new pay-grade.
Date: November 6, 1944
Creator: United States. War Department. & Ahlgrimm, James A.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 1] (open access)

[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 1]

Special orders extract authorizing a list of Women Airforce Service Pilots to fly military aircraft. Eleanor McLernon's name can be seen underlined in red on the list.
Date: November 6, 1944
Creator: 2536D Army Air Forces Base Unit
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Lt. Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon, March 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Lt. Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon, March 6, 1944]

Letter from Lieutenant Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon making conversation and briefly mentioning his graduation from cadet school.
Date: March 6, 1944
Creator: Drew, Edward Allen
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Lt. Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon, September 6, 1943] (open access)

[Letter from Lt. Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon, September 6, 1943]

Letter from Lt. Edward Drew to Mickey McLernon discussing past correspondence and the Officers' Club.
Date: September 6, 1943
Creator: Drew, Edward Allen
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 3 & 2] (open access)

[Special Orders Number 99, Extract 3 & 2]

Special orders to a list of Women Airforce Service Pilots for reassignment and pay change.
Date: November 6, 1944
Creator: United States. Army Air Forces. Base Unit, 2563rd.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Charles A. Prince to Victor J. Nelson, June 6, 1942] (open access)

[Letter from Charles A. Prince to Victor J. Nelson, June 6, 1942]

Copy of a letter from Charles A. Prince to Victor J. Nelson requesting the completed plans for the construction of Avenger Field.
Date: June 6, 1942
Creator: Prince, Charles A.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Plosser-Prince Memorandum of Meeting] (open access)

[Plosser-Prince Memorandum of Meeting]

Minutes from a meeting at the office of Plosser-Prince Air Academy between several parties discussing faults in construction of Avenger Field and the Wilson Glider School and the possibility of the contractor, Victor J. Nelson, correcting the issues.
Date: November 6, 1942
Creator: Hughes, J.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - June 6, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the events of his day trip into Honolulu, including buying a house coat to gift to Catherine, not drinking because the beer joints close early, and a packed bus ride back to the barracks,
Date: June 6, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - July 6, 1944] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - July 6, 1944]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing the mail service, celebrating Holquin's birthday, and playing a game of baseball.
Date: July 6, 1944
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - February 6, 1945] (open access)

[Letter from Joe Davis to Catherine Davis - February 6, 1945]

Letter from Joe to his wife Catherine discussing being tired from working a lot the night before, the mail service, discouraging Catherine from doing yardwork, and the heavy rain in Luling.
Date: February 6, 1945
Creator: Davis, Joseph Emmett
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History