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Charles Harrison Fowler scrapbook
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Charles Harrison Fowler was born on January 26, 1924, in Alton, Illinois to O Fowler and Sadie Mann. Little is known about Fowler's early life, but census records show that he moved to Pasadena, California by the time he was six, in 1930. Ten years later, he was living in Los Angeles, California and had already completed his first year of high school.
Charles enlisted in the Marines in 1943, two years after Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawai'i and the U.S.'s official entry into World War II. As a member of the 52nd Defense Battalion, Fowler served in the Marshall Islands protecting two Marine aircraft groups and native islanders from Japanese Air Force incursions. In April 1946, the Marines Corps honorably discharged Charles, moving him from active-duty status to the Reserves.
By 1950, Fowler had moved to Detroit, Michigan where he found employment in the automobile industry. It is unknown whether he married or had children after the war. Charles Harrison Fowler died on December 4, 1997, in Detroit.
Sources:
Ancestry.com. U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
Nalty, Bernard C. "The Right to Fight: African-American Marines in World War II (The 52d Defense Battalion)." Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums Division, 1995, https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec7.htm.
National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930; Year: 1930; Census Place: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 1218; FHL microfilm: 2339903
National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: 2600; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 85-277
National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940; Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00430; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 60-1243
National Archives in Washington DC; Washington, DC, USA; NAI Title: U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958; NAI Number: Nara Microform Publication T977; Record Group Number: Record Group 127; Record Group Title: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps
Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), created, 1936 - 2007, documenting the period 1936 – 2007. - Record Group 47
Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index 1935-2014, Master File
"The Marine Corps." Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II, The National WWII Museum, Inc., 2015, https://righttofightexhibit.org/during-war/marines.php.
This volume contains 129 photographs, over 40 documents related to Charles Fowler's military service, and ephemera. Charles Harrison Fowler (1924-1997) was one of the first 400 Black American men to join the 52nd Marine Defense Battalion during World War II (Nalty).
*WARNING: Some photographs feature human remains.*
The front cover of the scrapbook is a red, fringed banner with the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) emblem and patches for the all-Black 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions.
There are photographs which document Charles Fowler's personal and professional relationships as a young Marine. One of them features Charles, nicknamed "Chuck" in the caption, in uniform with his arm around a woman named Ada. Other photographs capture the daily life for new Marines at basic training camp and Charles, ranked as a Corporal Officer, with his platoon. He also documented the aftermath of battles between Imperial Japan and the United States in the Mariana and Marshall Islands. Several of these images show human remains of Japanese soldiers.
The Marine Corps documents include Charles Fowler's certificates for "Honorable Satisfactory Service", a USMC Motor Vehicle Operator permit, and Selective Service registration; letters from the American Veterans Committee (AVC), Veterans Administration, and District Rehabilitation officer, W. B. Jackson, offering Charles transitional support back to civilian life; an application from the US Forces Institute for "Credit for Educational Achievement During Military Service" and Fowler's Report of Separation, which details his record of service and future plans for life after active military duty; and membership cards for the USMC and AVC.
Ephemeral materials include a souvenir folder from the Camp LeJeune Marine Base; a love poem entitled, "Darling"; newspaper clippings from Navy News about the war and military athletic competitions; "Indoctrination of Marines for Returning to the US" and "Intelligence Quiz" flyers; Imperial Japanese paper money; pamphlets about veterans' rights and USMC's restricted "Individual Battle Doctrine"; and various keepsakes like a "Navy time and ship's bell" schedule, a pay grade chart, and a timeline that features guns from past U.S. wars.
Sold by Hindman Auctions (Cincinnati, OH), 2023.
Subject
- African Americans
- World War, 1939-1945
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area
- African American officers
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- Alisha Davis
- Finding Aid Date
- 2024 May 20
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.