Hanson, Wilson O. (1913-1974), Papers, 1945-1946 (C4010)
.4 linear feet
INTRODUCTION
The collection contains the World War II correspondence of Wilson O. Hanson to his wife and family in Webb City, Missouri. Hanson served with the 21st Ordnance Company (Medium Maintenance) as part of the American occupation forces in Japan.
DONOR INFORMATION
The Hanson Papers were donated to the University of Missouri by Richard Hanson on 24 September 2004 (Accession No. 6062).
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Wilson O. Hanson Papers consist almost entirely of correspondence written to his wife and family in Webb City, Missouri. Hanson began his U.S. Army basic training in May 1945 at Camp Hood, Texas. In October, he travelled by train to Ft. Riley, Kansas, Ft. Ord, California, and then Seattle, Washington, where he departed for Japan aboard the General W.G. Haan. While at sea, Hanson kept a detailed log, in the form of a letter to his family, documenting the three week passage across the Pacific.
The ship anchored briefly in the Nagasaki harbor before docking in Nayoga, Japan. Hanson was then assigned to the 21st Ordnance Company (Medium Maintenance) in Osaka, Japan, where he served from December 1945 to August 1946. His almost daily letters home describe the routine of the U.S. Army occupation forces, the countryside, and the Japanese people and culture.
The miscellaneous material is comprised of photographs, a War Department Japanese Phrase Book, and shaving kit.
FOLDER LIST
| f. 1 | Correspondence, May 1945 |
| f. 2 | Correspondence, June 1945 |
| f. 3 | Correspondence, July 1945 |
| f. 4 | Correspondence, August 1945 |
| f. 5 | Correspondence, August 1945 |
| f. 6 | Correspondence, September 1945 |
| f. 7 | Correspondence, October 1945 |
| f. 8 | Correspondence, November 1945 |
| f. 9 | Correspondence, December 1945 |
| f. 10 | Correspondence, January 1946 |
| f. 11 | Correspondence, February 1946 |
| f. 12 | Correspondence, March 1946 |
| f. 13 | Correspondence, April 1946 |
| f. 14 | Correspondence, May 1946 |
| f. 15 | Correspondence, June 1946 |
| f. 16 | Correspondence, July 1946 |
| f. 17 | Correspondence, August 1946 |
| f. 18 | Photographs |
| f. 19 | Miscellaneous |
INDEX TERMS
These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff
| Fort Ord, California, 1945 | f. 7 |
| Fort Riley, Kansas, 1945 | f. 7 |
| General W.G. Haan (Transport) | f. 8 |
| General W.G. Haan (Transport) | f. 8 (pictorial image) |
| Hanson, Wilson O. (1913-1974) | f. 1-19 |
| Hanson, Wilson O. (1913-1974) | f. 3, 18 (pictorial image) |
| Japan, Nagasaki, 1945 | f. 8 |
| Japan, Nagoya, 1945 | f. 8 |
| Japan, Osaka, 1945-1946 | f. 8-17 |
| Japan--Allied occupation | f. 9-17 |
| Menus, 1945-1946 | f. 10, 11 |
| "The Specialist," Camp Hood Newspaper, 1945 | f. 1 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Christmas, 1945 | f. 9 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Correspondence | f. 1-17 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Menus | f. 10, 11 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Occupied Territories | f. 8-17 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Texas, Camp Hood | f. 1-6 |
| World War, 1939-1945--Thanksgiving, 1945 | f. 8 |
| World War, 1939-1945--U.S. Army, Training | f. 1-6 |
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