Browse Items (149 total)
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Mac & Japanese/American Interpreter From Italian Campaign.
Oversized - WWII Drawings.
Pencil sketch of two men playing chess. One is a Japanese/American interpreter and smoking a cigarette. The title underneath reads, "Mac & Japanese/American Interpreter From Italian Campaign."
Maurice explained that the Japanese American soldiers were first sent to Europe until the war ended there. Just before the war ended in the Pacific the American Army finally trusted the Japanese Americans and brought them to Manila to use them as interpreters with the prisoners of war.
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14th AA Command Recognizes the Japanese Surrender
Soldiers celebrate as they hear of the news of the Japanese surrender being accepted by the 14th AA Command. One soldier shoots a gun in the air, two others dance in a circle with each other, and two on the left smile while pointing to the board. The board behind them reads "14th AA Command accepts Jap Surrender!! All men will turn in field equipment and small arms. 28 October 45." -
A Short Course on Rotation from SWPA to USA
Ship Returning - WWII Drawings.
An application for "A Short Course on Rotation from SWPA to USA" with a description of the course and purpose of the two week course on readjustment to the gentler life in the United States. Color illustrations on either side of the title and one of a ship crossing under the Golden Gate bridge.
Maurice explained that when the war was over they wanted men to re-enlist so they offered them news they could go home for a 3 month leave and them go back into the Army. Most of us wanted to get out of the SWPA (Southwest Pacific Area). When they went back home for their three month visit they had to be a gentleman. Maurice created the illustrations for this Manual of Behavior while someone else did the writing.
Page 1: Application and Introduction
Page 2: Lessons 1-3; women, sleeping, and breakfast
Page 3: Lessons 4-6; bathrooms, belching, and dinner
Page 4: Lessons 7-9; alcohol, language, misplaced belongings
Page 5: Lessons 10-12; movies, civilian, using toilets
Page 6: Lessons 13-15; opening bottles, drinking, meeting a lady
Maurice.1028 -
A.P.O. 711
WWII-Services/New Guinea.
Ink drawing of a truck filled with a large load of mail bags and soldiers on top, labeled "A.P.O. 711."
Verso: "Nov. 14, 1944. Scene just outside APO #711 while some mail was being brought in and while I was waiting for this truck to leave so ours could pull in and I could load our mail on. For all my labors I got one v-mail letter but also got the satisfaction of not doing any training (asinine stuff that it is)."
Maurice explained that APO stands for Army Post Office and each had a regional number. V-mail was single sheet with a place to write the address on one side and the letter on the other; it would fold up so that it created it's own envelope for mailing.
Maurice.1689 -
Animals - Light and Shadow
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Three stylized ink drawings of animals, matted: a boar, kangaroo, and water buffalo. Bold use of light and shadow; stark use of line and space.
Maurice.1066
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Barber Day
Herman sits in a barber shop, getting his hair trimmed short by a Filipino barber as a way to pass the time. In the background are two other soldiers waiting their turn, and then one other Filipino barber. -
Baseball
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Four ink sketches of men playing baseball each emphasizing stances and movement.
Verso: "Summer 1945."
Maurice commented that the Filipinos were real big on American baseball.
Maurice.1666
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Baseball-2
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Four ink sketches showing side view of men watching or playing baseball. Two sketches are complete and detailed, the other two show the shape and form of the player in motion.
Verso: "Spring 1945."
Maurice.1653
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Basking Under the Warm Pacific Sun
Oversized - WWII Drawings.
A cartoon style drawing by Maurice & Weiss of three men sitting, shivering together on board ship as icicles have formed on the ropes above them. The caption below reads, "Basking under the warm Pacific sun, fanned by the gentle trade winds, happy soldiers relax as their ship speeds homeward."
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Beach Club
WWII-New Guinea Entertainment.
Ink drawing of building with an American flag among jungle trees/foliage. An additional structure is in the distance.
Maurice explained this was the officers building. It was drawn from far away because as an enlisted soldier he was not allowed to be in the building. There was no mingling of enlisted and officers.
Maurice.1628 -
Break!!!
WWII-Soldiering/New Guinea.
Ink drawing of soldiers standing and squatting on an open field. Mountains are in the far background.
Verso: "Nov 7, 1944. Scene during break at drill grounds. Two latrines are shown just to the rear of the furthest groups of men. The 269th R/CO is in the near background while beyond that is the jungle and mountains."
Maurice noted that R/CO stands for Replacement Company.
Maurice.1692 -
Briefing Room Cartoon
14th NAA Command - WWII Drawings.
Pencil cartoon drawing showing multiple men sitting in chairs around a leader with a diagram board under a lamp. The caption states, "H-Hour is 0800. It is now 0743. Synchronize your watches, G-2 will handle this hot spot near the incinerators. G-3 will cover the left plank thoroughly. In the meantime -- ."
Maurice explained it was commonly thought that the brass were still playing war even though the war was over. They planned 'activities' to keep the men busy, such as the most popular task of cleaning the area of all debris including cigarette butts and gum wrappers.
Maurice.1622
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Calesa
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Ink sketch of Calesa (a two large wheeled horse drawn carriage) with two men (driver and passenger) sitting inside carriage.
Maurice explained that the locals had two-wheeled carriages for carrying goods or people around. The family would pile goods and people into the small carriage and the horse would be lifted up so the hooves would hardly be touching the ground.
Verso: "Summer 1945."
Maurice.1630
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Casino
WWII-New Guinea Entertainment.
Rough pencil sketch of people spending free time sitting at tables, standing around, talking, drinking, dancing, etc. in a casino.
Verso: "Summer 1945."
Maurice explained there was a cadre of permanently staged soldiers at the replacement depot. Soldiers coming from the States were sent there first to replace those deployed in the South Pacific. This depicts the Soldiers Casino run by a dealer from Las Vegas. The Army had problem with local gambling clubs (a very popular activity) that would take money from the recruits using marked cards. The dealer from Las Vegas guaranteed independent gambling and got his new unmarked cards directly from Las Vegas. It was the dealer who could afford to create the put-putting motor boats made from repurposed aircraft gasoline tanks. At the replacement depot, many soldiers were opening businesses and to make money on the side. One business was with the Australians who had bully beef (corned beef). The mess sergeants would sell the real meat issued by the US to the Australians and get equal amounts of the bully beef they would serve in the mess.
Maurice.1641 -
Chapel
WWII-Services/New Guinea.
Ink drawing of a large building with a cross over the front door, labeled, "Chapel." Two jeeps parked on the left side and an airplane flying overhead.
Verso: "Spring 1945."
Maurice remembered there were just three designations for dog tags for religion. You were either Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish. At the time he entered the military, he no longer consider himself as catholic so they put him down as Protestant.
Maurice.1699 -
Chapel
WWII-Services/New Guinea.
Ink drawing labeled, "Chapel." A flag, large building with a steeple on one end with a cross, a flag with a cross at the other end and an aircraft flying overhead.
Verso: "Chapel and Chaplain's office at 5th Replacement Depot. Chaplain's flag flying from staff. Jungle in background with tent city between Chapel and Jungle. C 47 in air. Chapel is most sturdily constructed building around."
Maurice.1695 -
Chapel
Oversized - WWII Drawings.
Ink landscape drawing of a long building with open wall sides and a cross above a porch at one end. Additional smaller tents like structures can bee seen in the background through the building and to the left. A jeep is parked on the left and there is a seated person inside the building. Dense tree foliage is in the far background.
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Church and School -- Recess
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Pencil and ink sketch of the front view of a large Spanish style church and school at recess with several children in front.
Verso: "Summer 1945."
Maurice explained that when the Philippines were defeated by Spain in the Spanish American War, the society took on the Spanish influence including bringing Catholicism to the islands. Many Filipinos consider themselves Spanish.
Maurice.1645
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Conflicting Messages Coming from State-Side and the Army
Herman sits on a cot while doing a "double-take" of the radio and of the newspaper. A fellow soldier sits across from him reading the Daily Pacifican titled "90 Pointers Still Here". He does this double take because of the rumors coming from the news of the states of how fast they are shipping all of the soldiers home. -
Construction Crew
WWII-Work Assignments/New Guinea.
Ink drawing of several men sitting or standing, watching while one man is digging. Jungle foliage is the background.
Verso: "3 Jan. 45. This afternoon we had no class. Instead we dug oursleves a nice new latrine and elevated it. The figure with arms akimbo is our instructor Lt. Dismore ['eu' is crossed out and replaced with an 'i', a note, states 'correction by censor']. Note the activity, two men working instead of the usual one. It was quite a job but was fairly well done."
Maurice.1678 -
Crowd at Cockfight
Manila, Philippines - WWII Drawings.
Two ink drawings of a Filipino men (incomplete heads) near top of the page, and an ink drawing of a crowd of Filipinos watching a cockfight with the text: "Part of a croud [sic] at cock fight."
Verso: "Summer 1945."
Maurice. 1060