Processed by
Paul Brockman
29 July 2003
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
2 document cases |
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COLLECTION |
1943–48 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Charles Apfelbaum Rare Manuscripts, Watchung, New Jersey, 21 October 2002 |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
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RELATED |
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ACCESSION |
2003.0019 |
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NOTES: |
Russell Vernon Hammel (b. ca. 1913) was from Morocco, Newton County, Indiana. He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II, 1943–45, serving most of his time aboard the battleship USS Washington. Russell Hammel and his wife Dolores (b. 1912) were married in 1927 and had two children, Sonny and Roseamond (Rose).
Sources:
Information in collection.
The major part of the collection consists of correspondence between Russell V. Hammel, F 1/c, serving in the U. S. Navy during World War II and his wife, Dolores, in Morocco, Newton County, Indiana, January 1944–October 1945. There are 212 letters from Russell to Dolores and 44 from Dolores to Russell. The letters begin with Russell’s basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois, in January–February 1944; Shoemaker, California (near Oakland) and Bremerton, Washington, awaiting orders March–April 1944; on combat duty with the USS Washington in the Pacific Theater, May 1944–March 1945; and returning to California then back to non-combat duty in the Pacific, May–October 1945.
Most of the letters discuss family and personal business including the daily operation and finances of the household. Some of the subjects include house repairs, school activities of the children, and their life after the war, including going into the appliance business in Morocco with his brother, Maynard (“Ike”), who was then working for John Hancock Life Insurance in Chicago. Other letters of interest include one uncensored one written from a shipmate of Russell’s who was on leave in San Francisco stating he was safe, 26 August 1944. A letter written by Russell to Dolores on 18 May 1945 talks of the rape of a WAVE by a sailor. Russell Hammel’s letters after V.E. Day are more despondent in nature. He wanted to return home and was upset that others were returning while those in the Pacific Theater had to continue fighting. He also complains of the Navy’s method of issuing “Points” being less fair than the Army’s deciding who gets to return home based on time served and nature of duty.
Other items in the collection includes several letters from Maynard “Ike” Hammel (b. 1917) in Chicago to his brother pertaining to family and business matters; cards from Rose Hammel to her parents, 1944–48; high school graduation program and announcement for Rose Hammel, 1946; receipts and bills for the Hammel family’s household, 1944–45; and general printed materials sent to the Hammels from the U. S. Navy, 1943–45
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Correspondence, January 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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Correspondence, February 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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Correspondence, March 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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Correspondence, April 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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Correspondence, May 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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Correspondence, June 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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Correspondence, July 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
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Correspondence, August 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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Correspondence, Sept.–Oct. 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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Correspondence, Nov.–Dec. 1944 |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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Correspondence, Jan.–March 1945 |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
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Correspondence, May 1–10 1945 |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
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Correspondence, May 11–18 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
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Correspondence, May 19–30 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
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Correspondence, June 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 3 |
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Correspondence, July 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
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Correspondence, Aug. 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
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Correspondence, Sept. 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
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Correspondence, Oct. 1945 |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
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Family Greeting Cards and Printed Items, 1944–48 |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
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Navy Printed Materials, 1943–45 |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
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Financial Records and Home Maintenance, 1944–45 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://157.91.92.2/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0799).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.