A Guide to the Harold O. Lee Papers, 1930-1997

Biographical Note

Harold O. Lee enlisted in the armed forces after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was scheduled to depart for training 3 days after his 21st birthday on December 31, 1941. After his initial training at Dodd Field, Fort Sam Houston, and Sheperd Field, near Wichita Falls, Lee was sent to Scott Field, Illinois for his Air Corps training. It was there that he went to school to train for the Air Corps. After his schooling he was sent to England, arriving in Liverpool on August 1, 1942. It was here that he began to service radio equipment for the P-38's. In October of 1942 he was sent to North Africa aboard the USS Uruguay. During this time, Lee suffered a gasoline burn during a bombing raid, on Maisson Carrie near Algiers. He was severely burned, but after his recovery he continued his service. Lee finally achieved his goal of flight duty on May 27, 1943. After several months' duty, Lee's plane was shot down over Italy on August 19, 1943. He was sent to the Stalag 17B P.O.W. camp in Germany. Lee remained there until the Germans evacuated due to the Russian advance. The rear echelon of Patton's army rescued him shortly thereafter. Lee was released from the Air Corps on October 26, 1945, and he returned to Texas.

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Scope and Content Note

The collection spans the years 1930 through 1997 and contains correspondence to and from Harold Lee, his parents, friends, and the War Department, as well as an autobiographical reminiscence, and a few photographs and newspaper clippings. The letters date from 1930 to 1990. The majority of the correspondence ranges from 1942 to 1945, consisting of Harold's letters to his parents chronicling his adventures, and misadventures. The correspondence reflects on his time in the service and in the P.O.W. camp. The letters from his parents are either written to him, or returned to sender due to his P.O.W. status. The War Department correspondence is made up of order forms for tobacco, food, and clothes, or informing Mr. and Mrs. Lee of their son's situation. There are several letters responding to Mrs. Lee's pleas for her son's safety, or knowledge of his whereabouts after his capture. There are also newspaper clippings and photographs. The newspaper clipping is on his return home. The photos are of him and his friends at home, or in the service.

The collection also contains small amount of materials from Harold's life before WWII. There are several report cards from school, and tax returns. There is a certificate for participation in an accountant's program. Finally, the collection contains a Reminiscence written by Harold Lee in March of 1997. This recounts Harold's story in more detail than the letters provide. He adds personal experiences with war buddies, in addition to an account of his precise movements during the war.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Tax returns containing sensitive information have been removed to restricted materials.

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Harold O. Lee Papers must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Harold O. Lee Papers, MS 136, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Lesli Hicks in 2005 (Acc. 2005-038).

Processing Information

Processed by Megan A. Robida, June 2005.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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