World War, 1939-1945
Michigan--History, Military
United States. Army. Signal Photo Company, 166th
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th
Soldiers
Military life
Correspondence
Letter from James W. Ochs to his parents, June 6, 1945. Letter reads: "June 6, 1945. Prachtitz, Czech. Dear Mom & Dad, Being just one year ago that the invasion came off, today was a holiday for us so all I did was take a walk and went swimming twice. Where was the river. Well just a small stream that has a dam across it. It was fairly good swimming with the water just cool. The other time I told you I went swimming was in another small stream back near Aigen, Austria. Today I got two letters from you and last night there were a couple too. Also today I got one Free Press and believe it or not but it was for only nine days ago. It came with the air-mail of the same date. Also thanks Dad for renewing the subscription for another three months. The last four letters I have are dated May 25, 27 & 29 are your Mom and yours Dad of May 19. Also the stamps came as always. You asked about how many points I have. Well I have 49 but with the two campaign stars which I should get it will make it a total of 59. No, not too good but there are worse. I hope that my letters are going through better now than they were when you wrote those letters. By the way did I tell you Dad that the money order came through O.K. Thanks a lot. Today I also got a couple of letters from Mary written the 26 and 28. She didn't have anything special to say except the next week-end she was planning on going to Detroit for a few hours she could have there. The old boats sure bring in the money when they come in. That helps anyway. Now Mom here is a little advise. Don't rent our house. We aren't that hard up at any time and they would probably do more damage in the end that it would be worth. And if I did happen to get home this summer remember I'd like to live in our house. Of course that is just speculating but then you never can tell. I'm glad my box got there O.K. with al the winter things in it. Well what do you think of the German Air Corps Jacket. I hope it got there O.K. I'm waiting to hear if it was underneath when you unpack the box. Prove(?) what Doris wrote you Frank must be making a pretty good housekeeper & cook. But then they both got pretty good bargins. About now the spring house cleaning should be just about now so I guess I can come home now for a few days. I only wish I could. Goodnight & Love, Bill." Amended to the letter is a typescript list of cities and towns Ochs visited in Europe.
Ochs, James W.
James W. Ochs WWII collection, RHC-55
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
United States--History, Military
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Photograph album containing 524 black and white photographic prints (3"x4", 2"x"2", and 4"x4") documenting the European travels of James W. Ochs during and post- World War II. The album contains a portrait photo of Ochs, as well as images of French cities and countryside, buildings, street scenes, nature, soldiers, Ochs' friends and acquaintances, a parade and entertainment show, skiing in the Alps, planes and ships. Content Warning: Some photographs in this album depict mass burials, death, and human remains.
James W. Ochs WWII collection, RHC-54
In Copyright
Grand Valley State University – History
Michigan
Grand Valley State University. University Communications
University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03)
Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives
Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Sermons
A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 16, 1999 entitled "James: The Best of Conservatism", as part of the series "Varieties of Religious Experience", on the occasion of Eastertide VII, Ascension Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 15:1-21, James 2:14-26.
Richard A. Rhem
Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/
Jamie Dahlstrom congratulated by Pres. Lubbers
Grand Valley State University
Allendale (Mich.)
Universities and colleges
Students
Events
Jamie Dahlstrom congratulated by Pres. Lubbers.
In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
Sports
Jamie Hosford. He was a 12 letter winner of National Championship Wrestling, 4 time All-American wrestler, football All-American.
Jamieson, Jimmy (Interview transcript and video), 2025
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States—History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
Vietnam War, 1961-1975—Personal narratives, American
Jimmy Jamieson was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1946. He graduated high school in 1965 and began college classes. He was drafted in the Army in February of 1966 but was allowed to finish the semester before being sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky in July. Shortly after, he was moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for basic training, where he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. After basic, he was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for artillery training and ranger training. He then had 30 days of leave before flying out of Travis Air Force Base to Vietnam. The plane stopped in Guam for a couple hours to refuel, and then landed in Pleiku, Vietnam. Originally assigned to field artillery for the 75th Ranger Battalion, he was instead flown to Camp Alpha near Saigon and assigned to the 8th Battalion, 6th Artillery in Vietnam, 1st Infantry Division. Nearly every night he had fire missions known as harassment and interdiction, where they fired at suspected Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army at random times. After he joined the unit, they moved to Quan Loi Base Camp. There, his main job was to keep the supply line on track, but he also provided the Special Forces with gun support. Being close to the Cambodian border, Jamieson’s unit would sometimes cross into Cambodia. While on deployment, Jamieson visited Hawaii for a week for R&R. In late 1967, he finished his deployment and was processed at Dĩ An, the division’s main base camp, before being flown back to the U.S., stopping in Okinawa to refuel. He arrived in San Bernardino and took another flight to Travis Air Force Base, then another flight to Grand Rapids. After 30 days of leave, he went to Fort Meade, Maryland. Originally assigned to gun battery for the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Jamieson took a shooting test and landed a spot on the 1st Army National Rifle Pistol Team. During the Vietnam protests, his unit patrolled the area surrounding the White House and Capitol. At the end of his service, he decided not to enlist. Instead, he got married and worked several odd jobs before becoming an engineer. He also worked as a training development manager and an air pressure manager. After he retired, he took up volunteer work for LZ Michigan and his son’s high school as well as teaching gun safety for the DNR.
Jamieson, Jimmy
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401.
Jamison, Dwight Carson (Interview outline and video), 2015
Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American
United States. Army
Dwight Jamison was born in Big Rapids, Michigan on February 15, 1928. He served in the Michigan National Guard as a teenager and enlisted in the Army in 1946. He received his basic training at Camp Polk, Louisiana and after that was deployed to Japan. He served at a hospital in Japan during the Korean War, helping with supplies and bringing wounded soldiers from a nearby airstrip to the hospital for treatment. He was also sent to an area near Pusan, Korea to help establish a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. In 1951 he returned to the United States after four and a half years in Japan and served at Camp Stoneman, California.
Jamison, Dwight Carson
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Jamros, Edwin Francis (Interview outline and video), 2009
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
United States. Coast Guard
Edwin Jamros joined the US Coast Guard in 1940 because he knew the United States was going to war. After going to Ellis Island for basic training, he was assigned to the USS Joseph Dickman as an electrician's apprentice. While on the Dickman, he traveled to Africa, Australia, Italy and Scotland. His ship participated in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. Edwin was discharged as an Electrician's Mate, First Class on May 22nd, 1945.
Jamros, Edwin Francis
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Outdoor recreation
Children
Black and white photograph of Jan and Geoff in the shade of a 3-sided beach tent.
Brigham, D.
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Copyright Undetermined
Sepia-toned photograph of Jan sitting in the shade of a tent on a beach towel with son Geoff running into the sand. Circa 1990s
Dutch
Portrait photographs
Unknown
Adriana B. and Peter N. Termaat collection (RHC-144)
Faculty
Jandernoa, Donald (Interview transcript and video), 2006
Donald Jandernoa served in the Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945. He trained as a B-24 pilot and flew missions for the 15th Air Force, based in Italy, in the later stages of the war. He describes the training process and his combat experiences in detail, including a mission on which he and his crew had to bail out along the Yugoslav coast and were rescued by local villagers. He also discusses the role of the Tuskegee airmen in protecting his unit.
Jandernoa, Donald
Jane Osman (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Douglas (Mich.)
Waitresses
Audio recordings
Jane discusses working as a waitress in the Saugatuck Douglas area at the Frosted Mug and, later, the Red Wood. She discusses her relationship with the restaurants' owners and the atmosphere of working as a server at that time
Osman, Jane
Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Jane Underwood (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Holland (Mich.)
Sailing
Jane Underwood's grandparents and father came to Saugatuck during the summertime. They stayed in a hotel in Macatawa before buying property in Saugatuck. In this interview, Jane reflects on her own experiences summering and sailing in the area and then moving to Saugatuck during her retirement.
Underwood, Jane
Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University
Janell Hobson: Historical Consciousness and the Black Feminist Imagination
Women's studies
African Americans--Study and teaching
Feminist theory
Flyer of the talk, including the location and time.
Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department
Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department
Portraits
Black and white photograph of Janet on horseback in Fultonville, New York.
Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955
Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222)
Janicki, Steve (Interview transcript and video), 2007
Steve Janicki served in the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division, during WW II. His history includes some colorful accounts of his joining the guard and going through basic training (he was 16 at the time, and not even shaving yet). He covers the trip to Australia by ocean liner, additional training in Australia, and the difficulties of fighting in the jungle. Illness took him out of action at Buna in New Guinea, but he rejoined his unit for some of the later battles, and tells of seeing MacArthur on Leyte in the Philippines. His history was featured in the documentary Nightmare in New Guinea.
Janicki, Steve
Ian, Janis
Folk singers
Black-and-white photography
Black and white photograph of Janis Ian at a piano in a recording studio, wearing sunglasses and holding hands with a man at an organ. Photograph taken in August 1967 by Douglas R. Gilbert. Scanned from the negative.
Gilbert, Douglas R.
Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)
Black and white photograph of Janis Ian taken in August 1967 by Douglas R. Gilbert for LIFE magazine. Scanned from the negative.
Black and white photograph of Janis Ian standing in front of a shop window filled with circus posters. Photograph taken in August 1967 by Douglas R. Gilbert for LIFE magazine. Scanned form the negative.