Dewitt, Al (Interview outline and video), 2008
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Video recordings
United States. Army. Air Corps
Al Dewitt was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. Al was assigned to be a glider pilot and received his glider wings. He then trained as a fighter pilot but remained based in the US. He became a farmer after the war, but was called back into duty for 21 months during the Korean War. He was first a test pilot for the AT-6 and then was put on a B-36 crew. They did training runs and went over Russia at high altitudes, and Al survived a particularly dangerous crash landing.
Dewitt, Al
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
DeWitt, Arthur (Interview outline and video), 2008
United States. Army
Arthur DeWitt was born in Lapeer, Michigan in 1921, and grew up in Kalamazoo. While a senior in high school, DeWitt joined the Michigan National Guard, and his unit, Company C of the 126th Infantry Regiment, was called up soon afterward, causing him to miss most of his senior year. His unit was sent to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana for training, and he became a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) gunner. In the spring of 1942, his division was sent first to Boston, then to San Francisco, and from there to Australia. They were shipped to New Guinea in September, and participating in the fighting around Buna. One of the few men in his company to get through Buna unscathed and healthy, he came down with malaria soon after returning to Australia, and was reassigned to the 41st Division. He served with the 41st on Biak, and then on Mindanao in the Philippines, and was rotated home shortly before the end of the war.
DeWitt, Arthur
DeWitt, Jake (Interview outline and video), 2010
United States. Navy
Jake DeWitt served during the Second World War as a Gunner's Mate on the USS Roper, a destroyer from WWI. The Roper patrolled the Virginia coast where it sunk its first German submarine, then travelled to the Straits of Gibraltar for convoy duty. She was eventually struck near Okinawa when a Japanese fighter plane crashed into the side of the ship injuring DeWitt. Dewitt was eventually discharged after recovering from his arm injury.
DeWitt, Jake
Michigan--History
Local histories
Memoirs
Oral histories (document genre)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Personal narratives
Heritage Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Emma Howe Foote was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 3, 1885, the daughter of Elijah Hedding Foote and Frances Amelia Howe. She lived at the corner of Lyon and College, and attended Junior College. Emma was married to Clarence S. Dexter, prominent Grand Rapids furniture manufacturer and financier in Grand Rapids on January 16, 1908. She was the president of Art Gallery on Fulton (Old Pike's home) and a regent of the Michigan Daughters of the American Revolution. She died January 5, 1983 in Grand Rapids and was interred at Graceland Mausoleum.
Dexter, Emma Foote
Grand Rapids oral history collection (RHC-23)
Grand Valley State University – History
College teachers
Universities and colleges – Faculty
Michigan
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
DeYoung, Nelson (Interview outline and video), 2014
World War, 1939-1945--Personal Narratives, American
Nelson DeYoung is a World War II veteran who was born on November 11, 1924. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was drafted on March 4, 1943. He started off training to go into the Medical Corps until he became a cook in the Army. He served at Camp Bradley, Texas
and in Florida. At the end of the war he was sent to India to aid with the removal of American wounded from India out of Karachi. He was discharged in 1946.
DeYoung, Nelson
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
DeYoung, Ralph (Interview outline and video), 2014
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
Hank DeYoung born in 1928 in Spring Lake, Michigan. He left high school in the tenth grade and worked with his father in his father's construction business as a business partner. In the summer of 1950 he received his draft notice and on December 15, 1950 he reported for basic training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. After completing his basic training he got married to his wife on February 6, 1951 and was also in Cook School training to be an Army cook at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He served with the Headquarters Battery of the 194th Field Artillery Battalion of the Iowa National Guard back at Camp McCoy. In July 1951 he was deployed to Germany with the 194th Field Artillery Battalion and served at Wurzburg. From Wurzburg he was reassigned to the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion at Nauheim and then went into the field with them patrolling the East/West German border. In November 1952 he returned to the United States and was discharged.
DeYoung, Ralph
Military education
World War, 1939-1945
Slides
Airplanes, Military--Recognition
Great Britain
DH 110 British all weather fighter, September 1, 1952.
Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)
No Copyright - United States
Lantern slides
Canals
Locks (Hydraulic engineering)
Drawings
Black and white lantern slide of a hand-drawn sketch diagram of canal lock systems.
Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955
Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222)
Grand Valley State University
Allendale (Mich.)
Universities and colleges
In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
Dialogorum libri quattuor [German] Das buch der zwaÿer red mit einander [folium 197]
Incunabula
Printing 1450-1500
One leaf from Dialogorum libri quattuor [German], Das buch der zwaÿer red mit ainander, by Pont. Max. Gregorius I and edited by Johannes von Speyer. Printed in Augsburg by Johann Bämler at the Monastery of SS. Ulrich and Afra in 1473. [GW 11405; ISTC ig00408000]
Gregory I, Pope, approximately 540-604
Seidman Rare Books Collection
Warships--Recognition
France
Diane class French SS (submarine), September 1, 1948.
Diane class French SS (submarine), April 1, 1953.
World War, 1914-1918
Diary kept by Camelia Alten, daughter of artist Mathias Alten, during her senior year at Central High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan from January 1, 1917 through July 2, 1917. In it she chronicles the details of her school, family, and social life. Camelia discusses the sentiments and activities in Grand Rapids during the days before and after World War I was declared.
Alten, Camelia
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
Diary of Earl Dennis (Outline, transcription and scan)
Army Air Corps
Military life
Soldiers
Diaries
Diary kept by Earl L. Dennis grew up outside of Coopersville, Michigan. He was drafted into the Army in April, 1942, at the age of 29. He trained at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, and was then stationed in Groton, Connecticut, where he became a cook for a fighter squadron 65th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, 9th Army Air Force. He shipped out from New York and sailed around Africa to Egypt, where his unit supported the British 8th Army from the Second Battle of El Alamein through the conquest of Tunisia. They then went to Malta and supported the invasion of Sicily, and then went on to bases on Sicily. His diary covers his time in the service through the Sicilian campaign. Both the scanned version of the diary and a transcription are provided, with an outline acting as a table of contents.
Dennis, Earl
Veterans History Project Interviews, (RHC-27)
Book covers
Covers (Illustration)
Graphic arts
Publishers and publishing
Cover of Dichtung und Weisheit, by Zhuangzi, published by Insel-Verlag, 1936. Insel-Bücherei Nr. 499
Seidman Rare Books. Insel-Bücherei. Z315.I5 B83 no.499
Dick Gregory, and Mort Sahl, October 9 and October 10, 1972
Grand Valley State College
Universities & colleges--Michigan
Events
Posters
Funky Funnies presents comedians Dick Gregory and Mort Sahl, in the Calder Fine Arts Center Louis Armstrong Theatre, October 9 and October 10, 1972
Student Services concerts, events, and posters files, (GV028-06)
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 1 of 6), 1991
China--History, Military
China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi discusses his time instructing in the Navy prior to being recruited with the American Volunteer Group, in addition to their journey overseas from San Francisco aboard the Boschfontein.
Rossi, John Richard "Dick"
Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 2 of 6), 1991
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi describes his first recollections of the AVG's arrival in Rangoon and later in Toungoo by train, in addition to his first meeting with CAMCO and General Chennault.
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 3 of 6), 1991
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi discusses his reaction to the news of Pearl Harbor and the following days being on alert. He also goes into detail on his first battle with the Japanese and how Chennault's training was put into practice.
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 4 of 6), 1991
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi describes the conditions in the air when the AVG pilots were engaging with the enemy, in addition to the hectic fighting that was taking place during the final days of the AVG and around the time of General Bissell's arrival.
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 5 of 6), 1991
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi describes his own feelings in the final days of the AVG and their difficulties in returning to the United States, in addition to his overall thoughts on the group's success and place in history.
Dick Rossi interview (video and transcript, 6 of 6), 1991
Interview of John Richard "Dick" Rossi by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Dick Rossi served in the American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a Flight Leader for the 1st Squadron, "Adam and Eves." He joined the AVG in 1941 after being discharged from service in the US Navy, where he had been assigned as a flight instructor at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He arrived in Burma in November 1941 and began training on the P-40 airplanes, but had not yet completed his training when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though officially attached to the 1st Squadron, he was also temporarily assigned to both the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons. In this tape, Rossi describes his main motivation for joining the American Volunteer Group and his reaction to experiencing loss among the group. He also goes into detail on the fall of Rangoon and the attitudes of the Japanese as pilots.