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Private Frederick Levis, Jr. Papers

5 folders (0.1 linear feet)

(1943 – 1946)

bulk 1945-1946

Edward H. Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury, University, Salisbury, Maryland

Identifier SC2021.007
Creator(s) Levis, Frederick, Jr.
Acquisition

Acquired by Dr. Beatriz Hardy (Dean of SU Libraries and Instructional Resources) in 2020.
Language(s) English
Use Records are open for research. Copyright, including literary rights, belongs to the author(s) or their legal heirs. Permission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Nabb Research Center which extends beyond "fair use."
Preferred Citation "Item, collection title and identifier, box # and folder # (if applicable), Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland."
Attribution Finding aid written by Jennifer Piegols, July 2021.
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Separated Materials See Nabb Center Staff
Abstract

The Private Frederick Levis, Jr. papers document Frederick "Sonny" Levis' experience while serving in the United States Marine Corps in China during the Second World War. The materials date from 1943 to 1946 and include letters from Levis to his parents, grandparents, and friends, as well as two copies of a photograph of a newly wedded couple, some correspondence related to Levis, and two issues of The North China Marine newspaper, printed in Tientsin, China.

Biographical History

Frederick Hemsley Levis, Jr. was born on June 29, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Frederick Levis, Sr., and Louise Butterworth Levis. He graduated from Phillips Andover and joined the United States Marine Corps on July 9, 1945. For the next five months, Levis trained at the USMC boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, then San Diego, California. On January 11, 1946, Levis was shipped first to Guam then to Tientsin, China. After serving abroad for 10 months, Levis returned home in October 1946 and was discharged in November. He eventually married Mercedes Zoller and had three children. Frederick Levis, Jr. lived in Pennsylvania until he passed away on October 26, 2009.

Scope and Content Note

The Private Frederick Levis, Jr. papers document Frederick "Sonny" Levis' experience while serving in the United States Marine Corps in China during the Second World War. The materials date from 1943 to 1946 and include letters from Levis to his parents, grandparents, and friends, as well as two copies of a photograph of a newly wedded couple, some correspondence related to Levis, and two issues of The North China Marine newspaper, printed in Tientsin, China. Levis's letters reflect on his time serving at the USMC camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, and San Diego, California and his service abroad in Guam and Tientsin, China. Throughout his letters, he comments on the Marines interactions with the local population of Guam, the political climate of China, and criticizes the behavior of American soldiers.  He also describes his trip to Peking, China, and his overall dissatisfaction for China and the war. A digital scan of the photograph can be accessed here.

Arrangement Statement See Nabb Center Staff

Subject Terms

  • Topical Terms
    • Newspapers
    • Personal correspondence
    • World War II Veterans
    • World War, 1939-1945
  • Location Terms
    • California
    • China
    • Pennsylvania
    • South Carolina

Inventory List

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  1. Letters from Pvt. Frederick Levis, Jr., 1945
  2. Letters from Pvt. Frederick Levis, Jr., 1946
  3. Photographs, undated
  4. Correspondence, 1943-1946
  5. The North China Marine newspaper, 1946

Artifacts

See Nabb Center Staff

Attachments

None