George C. Herring, Sr., papers

Abstract

The George C. Herring, Sr., papers (.18 cubic feet, 32 items; dated 1918-1919) comprise digital scans of 31 letters and a diary written by George Herring during his service in WWI.

Descriptive Summary

Title
George C. Herring, Sr., papers
Date
1918-1919
Creator
Herring, George C., Sr., 1894-1971
Extent
0.18 Cubic feet
Subjects
Letters.
Soldiers--United States.
World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives, American.
World War, 1914-1918.
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Andrew McGraw
Preferred Citation
2010ms049 : [identification of item], George C. Herring, Sr., papers, 1918-1919, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
George C. Herring, Sr., was born February 18, 1894, in Creston, Iowa, into a German-American farm family. He had three brothers and three sisters. After finishing high school in Creston, he studied for a year at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and then transferred to Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa. While a student at Iowa State, he received his draft notice, and he entered the U.S. Army in April 28, 1918. After training in Des Moines, Iowa, and San Antonio, Texas, he sailed to France with the 90th Division. He fought in the major battles of St. Michel and the Meuse-Argonne in the fall of 1918. Following the armistice on November 11, 1918, he served in the U.S. occupation army and was station in Gerolstein, Germany. He was discharged from the Army on June 14, 1919.
After finishing his degree at Iowa State, Herring took a position in the animal husbandry department at Virginia Polytechnic Institution in Blacksburg, Virginia. In his first years at V.P.I., he also coached the wrestling team. The served that institution in various capacities until his retirement in 1962. At that time, he was associate director of the Virginia Agricultural Extension Service.
In 1927, he married Gordon Saunders of Chase City, Virginia. The couple had two children, Anne Gordon, born January 13, 1929, and George C., Jr., born May 23, 1936, and six grandchildren.
Herring died December 7, 1971.
Scope and Content
The George C. Herring, Sr., papers (.18 cubic feet, 32 items; dated 1918-1919) comprise digital scans of 31 letters and a diary written by George Herring during his service in WWI. Herring wrote many of the letters while serving in the U.S. Infantry. The letters reference the Battle of St. Michel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Additionally, Herring wrote 19 letters following armistice, while serving in the army of occupation stationed in Gerolstein, Germany. The papers also contain a diary written by Herring during his service and given to him by his sister Gertrude. The first entries are on page 36 of the diary in the September section. The entries continue through December before starting over on page one in January 1919. He received the diary on September 23, 1918 (page 37). The entries last until his discharge in June 1919.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers.
Use Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.

Contents of the Collection

George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 April 28

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George C. Herring letter to sisters, 1918 May 17

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 May 24

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 May 28

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 June 14-18

George C. Herring letter to mother, 1918 July 13

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George C. Herring letter to mother, 1918 August 15

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 September 2

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 October 1

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 October 4

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 October 15

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 October 16

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1918 November 13

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George C. Herring Christmas card to parents, 1918 November 24

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George C. Herring letter to "Teech", 1918 December 25

George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 January 1

George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 January 26

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 February 4

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George C. Herring letter to sisters, 1919 February 9

George C. Herring letter to Tim, 1919 February 24

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George C. Herring letter to sister, Gertrude, 1919 March 9

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 March 20

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George C. Herring letter to sister, Gertrude, 1919 March 23

George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 February 12

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George C. Herring letter to Mae Herring, 1919 February 18

George C. Herring letter to sister, Gertrude, 1919 March 25

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 March 28

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George C. Herring letter to parents, 1919 April 20

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George C. Herring letter to mother, 1919 May 11

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George C. Herring letter to Tim, 1919

George C. Herring letter to sister, Gertrude, 1919 April 26

The Soldiers Diary and Notebook, 1918 September-1919 June

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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.

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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.