Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary
- Date
- 1941-1945 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Lance, Ray M., Jr, 1917-1993
- Extent
- 0.04 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Divorce -- United States
- Domestic relations.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0243: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary, 1941-1945, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Roy M. Lance, Jr. (1917-1993) was born in Akron, Ohio to Roy O. Lance (1890-1967) and Myrtle Grace (1894-1967). In February 1941, Lance, Jr. married Della Springer (b. 1920) and in March, he enlisted in the US Army for what was originally supposed to be a year's service. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor he decided to extend his service to the end of the war. He was assigned to an ordinance battalion, trained in Aberdeen, Maryland and Fort Bliss, Texas; and deployed overseas to Australia in early 1942 where he was stationed in Geelong. Lance, Jr. was discharged from the army in September 1945, and eventually moved to California where he spent the remainder of his life.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary (dated 1941-1945; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one diary that documents the experiences of US Army soldier Ray M. Lance, Jr. while stationed in Australia during World War II. The entries mainly describe Lance's training, movement to different bases, courses taken, and work completed while serving in the US Army. He also writes about receiving letters from his wife regularly, her asking for a divorce, going on dates with Australian women, reconciliation with his wife while home on a furlough, and breaking off relationships with the Australian women. At the end of the diary, there are a few entries that describe his thoughts on victory in Europe day and the surrender of the Japanese, along with his excitement at returning home to his wife and being discharged from the Army.
- The Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Ray M. Lance, Jr. World War II diary, 1941-1941
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
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Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
