Charles Harrison Fowler scrapbook.

Format:

Other

Author/Creator:

Fowler, Charles H. (Charles Harrison) Corporal, 1924-1997, creator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Marine Corps.

United States.

United States. Marine Corps. Defense Battalion, 52nd.

United States. Marine Corps. Defense Battalion, 51st.

African American officers.

African Americans.

World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Area.

Genre:

Albums (Books)

Gelatin silver prints

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Hindman Auctions (Cincinnati, OH), 2023.

Physical Description:

1 volume (65 pages) ; 7 x 22 cm

Production:

[United States] : 1943-1946.

Biography/History:

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 he moved to Pasadena, California by the time he was six, in 1930. Ten years later, according to the 1940 census, 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. Before 1942, Black American men were not allowed to join the U.S. Marines, thus Charles was one of nearly 20,000 Black men to serve their country. 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.

Summary:

This volume contains 129 photographs, over 40 documents related to Charles Fowler’s military service, and ephemera. 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 wars.

Notes:

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.

Cited as:

Charles Harrison Fowler Scrapbook, 1943-1946, (Ms. Coll 1588). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1436897701