When the Western Historical Manuscript Collection acquired the papers of Vietnam War correspondent Ann Bryan Mariano McKay in 2003, we also became the archival repository with the largest collection of Overseas Weekly records in the world. In 1970, Curt Daniell, one of the newspaper's former editors, aptly described the alternative news publication as "the only overground-underground paper around." There’s never been a newspaper quite like it before or since.

Founded in Germany in 1950 by Marion von Rospach and four others as an alternative to the official Stars and Stripes published by the military, the Overseas Weekly (OW) was an independent tabloid directed at American enlisted men stationed overseas. Partly sensational and usually humorous, the Overseas Weekly was known as much for sexy pinups as it was for its serious journalism. Always looking out for the little guy, the newspaper covered all aspects of military life and featured news reports ranging from hard-hitting exposés to human interest stories. The Overseas Weekly expanded in 1966 to include a Pacific Edition based in Vietnam and an American Edition was later published in the 1970s. A sister publication, the Overseas Family, was also published in Germany.

Unfortunately, since the Overseas Weekly ended publication in 1975, much of its documentary history has been lost, especially that of the European Edition where the newspaper began. Due to the unique nature of this publication, the Western Historical Manuscript Collection is committed to collecting materials and records relating to the Overseas Weekly.

If you are a former reader or employee, you may be able to help us. We are actively seeking any material pertaining to the Overseas Weekly or the Overseas Family, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Newspapers to fill in any gaps in our collection
• Articles, drafts, and notes for OW news stories
• Photographs
• Correspondence
• Advertising, posters, calendars, and other OW ephemera

To review WHMC-Columbia’s current OW holdings, please see our list of Overseas Weekly publications below.

Additionally, we are also interested in acquiring the personal and professional papers of other former OW staffers, so as to document their lives before and after they worked for the newspaper.

If you have any Overseas Weekly material and are interested in donating it to our collection, please see WHMC-Columbia's Donor Guide for more details or you can contact us through our donor form. We are pleased to preserve the history of this unique publication and we hope you will join us in this effort.

Overseas Weekly Publications Held By WHMC-Columbia

In addition to the above gaps, several of our copies of the Overseas Weekly show signs of damage and wear. We would be interested in acquiring better copies of the following issues:

Other WHMC-Columbia Collecting Areas