345

Albums of a naval lieutenant in Guam.

Various places, 1943-1946 and undated
Approximately 220 photographs, 100 manuscripts and memoranda, and additional ephemera and clippings, many mounted on album leaves and neatly sleeved in two binders; generally minimal wear. 

Lieutenant John Edward Munson (1921-1998) of Vulcan, MI served with the 249th Signal Radar Maintenance Unit from 1943 to 1946, and was active in the Pacific Theater from October 1944 onward. 

These two albums were neatly compiled well after the war by Munson's wife Mary Verwoert Munson. They document two stories in parallel: his military service in Guam, the Marianas and elsewhere, along with his courtship and marriage to Mary while she studied at Cornell and the University of California at Berkeley. 

Two copies of the mimeographed Pacific Courant issued in Guam on 11 and 15 August 1945 each include columns on the atomic bombs recently used in Japan, as well as Japan's negotiation of surrender terms. Also included are 2 early reprints of the 7 December 1941 Honolulu Star Bulletin;  and an early copy print of the Rosenthal photo of the Iwo Jima flag raising, without photographer markings. The courtship angle is well documented with letters, postcards, and wedding materials.

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