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Inventory of the Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728-1998 (bulk 1942-1949)

Americans in the Land of Lenin - Duke Digital Collections Digitized Content
Photographs from Siberia, 1918-1919, have been digitized and are available in Americans in the Land of Lenin - Duke Digital Collections.

Collection Overview

The Eichelberger Papers span the period 1728 to 1998, with the bulk of the collection dating between 1942 and 1949. The papers contain diaries, correspondence, military papers, writings and speeches, pictures, scrapbooks, printed material, clippings, memorabilia, and audiovisual material chiefly relating to Eichelberger's military career. Prominently highlighted is his participation as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia (1918-1920); the military campaigns he led in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II (1942-1945); and the post-war period when he commanded all ground occupation troops in Japan (1945-1948). Additionally, there are several photographs of Winston Churchill, who came to Fort Jackson, S.C. in 1942, to view the 77th Army Division commanded by Eichelberger. There are also several photographs of Eleanor Roosevelt, when she came to Australia in 1943 to visit the troops, and several of Douglas MacArthur. The bulk of the personal correspondence (1942-1945) was written by Eichelberger to his wife, Emma Gudger Eichelberger, in which he described the fighting in the Pacific as well as the difficulties of jungle life. In dictations after the war, Eichelberger reflected upon his military career and various people, including Generals Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Robert C. Richardson.

Eichelberger's military career is represented in all series throughout the collection. In particular, the dictations Eichelberger made after the war are located in the Writings and Speeches Series. The extensive Pictures Series documents the events of his career during 1918 to 1920, and during World War II and the post-war period. Eichelberger's memoir, Our Bloody Jungle Road to Tokyo, serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1949, is located in the Oversize Printed Material Series.

Related materials include a microfilm (2 reels) of the 1949 Ph.D. dissertation written at Syracuse University by Duke Professor Ralph Braibanti, The Occupation of Japan, which contains information about Eichelberger while he was commander of the occupation troops in Japan after World War II. This microfilm is located in Perkins Library Microforms Department. The Duke University Special Collections Library also has the papers of Eichelberger's father George M. Eichelberger, a lawyer from Urbana, Ohio. Another related collection is the Westall Family Papers. Mrs. James M. Westall (Virginia Cooper Westall), was Eichelberger's longtime secretary in Asheville, N.C. There are over a hundred letters of Eichelberger's and other related materials in this collection which document the Eichelbergers' business and social affairs from the 1950s until his death.

Other related works include a compilation of Eichelberger's letters to his wife entitled Dear Miss Em: General Eichelberger's War in the Pacific, 1942-1945, (Westpoint, Conn., 1972) edited by Jay Luvaas. Other works about Eichelberger include Forged by Fire: General Robert L. Eichelberger and the Pacific War (Columbia, S.C., 1987) by John F. Shortal, and "A 'Near Great' General: the Life and Career of Robert L. Eichelberger," a Duke University 1991 Ph.D. dissertation, by Paul Chwialkowski.

The addition (acc# 1999-0167) (83 reels; dated 1998) consists of negative microfilm reels of the Japan and America microfilm series, photographed from the Eichelberger Papers.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, 1728-1998 (bulk 1942-1949)
Creator
Eichelberger, Robert L., 1886-1961
Extent
54 Linear Feet, 29,056 items
Repository
Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Location
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language
English.

Series Quick Links

Administrative Information

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warning Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

warning Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in the papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Contents of the Collection

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Arranged in chronological order, with loose papers from individual volumes placed in folders immediately following that particular volume.

1909-1916
Box 1
1942
Box 1
1943
Box 1
1944
(2 volumes)
Box 1
1945-1946
Box 1
1947
Box 1
1940 Nov.-1947
(5 folders)
Box 1
1948
(2 folders)
Box 2
1949
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 2
1950
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 2
1951
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 2
1952
(2 volumes)
Box 2
1953
Box 3
1954
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 3
1955
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 3
1956-1957
(2 volumes)
Box 3
1958
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 3
1959-1960
(2 volumes)
Box 3
1961
Box 4

Contains handwritten notes and letters, typed letters, memoranda, and telegrams. Arranged in chronological order primarily by year and month. Correspondence between 1943 and 1949 has been categorized as either personal or official. Before 1943 and after 1949, the official and personal correspondence is filed together. At the time of processing, the papers were already organized in this manner. A few folders have been divided by correspondent or topic of correspondence.

1872-1919 Sept.
(6 folders)
Box 5
1919 Oct.-1942 Sept.
(6 folders)
Box 6
1942 Oct.-Dec.
(3 folders)
Box 7
1943 Jan.-May
(3 folders)
Box 7
1943 June-1944 June
(6 folders)
Box 8
1944 July-1945 Apr.
(7 folders)
Box 9
1945 May-Dec.
(8 folders)
Box 10
1946-1947
(8 folders)
Box 11
1948 Jan-Oct.
(14 folders)
Box 12
1948 Nov.-1949 Apr.
(8 folders)
Box 13
1949 May-Aug.
(5 folders)
Box 14
1949 Sept.-Dec., undated
(7 folders)
Box 15
1943-1947
(7 folders)
Box 16
1948-1949, undated
(4 folders)
Box 17
1950
(7 folders)
Box 17
1951-1953
(8 folders)
Box 18
1954
(3 folders)
Box 19
1955
(2 folders)
Box 19
1956 Jan.-Aug.
(2 folders)
Box 19
1956 Sept.-1958 Jan.
(9 folders)
Box 20
1958 Feb.-Dec.
(6 folders)
Box 21
1959
(7 folders)
Box 22
1960-1961 Apr.
(8 folders)
Box 23
1961 May-1971 undated
(6 folders)
Box 24
Algase, Gertrude, 1946-1950 Mar.
(4 folders)
Box 25
Asheville Chamber of Commerce Review Board, 1955-1958
(2 folders)
Box 25
North Carolina State Ports Authority, 1959-1960
(2 folders)
Box 25
1961 Sept. 26-Oct. 12
(9 folders)
Box 26
1961 Oct. 13-1962 Apr., undated
(6 folders)
Box 27

Subdivided into five subseries: Siberian Expedition, World War II, World War II: Japan, Japan: Occupation, and Miscellaneous. The sequence reflects the order in which these events occurred.

Includes maps, typed letters, handwritten notes, intelligence summaries, memoranda, reports, and leaflets. Arranged in chronological order, then alphabetically by topic where applicable.

1917-1918
(4 folders)
Box 28
1918, Cole, Frank L., Notes on Siberian Expedition
Box 28
1918-1919
Box 28
1919
(5 folders)
Box 29
Land Defense of Vladivostok, Siberia, Aug.
Box 29
Packard, Laurence B., The Czecho-Slovaks in Russia: Aug. 1914-Feb. 1919
Box 29
Phillip, Karl
Box 29
Reports, 1919 Jan. 3-Feb. 7
Box 29
1919 Jan. 3-Oct. 10, Reports
(5 folders)
Box 30
1919 Oct. 11-1920, Reports
(4 folders)
Box 31
1920 Jan.-1924
(2 folders)
Box 31
1920, summary, American and Allied Intervention
Box 31
1920, Trupp, Eugene, Leaflets from the History of the Civil War in Russia
Box 31
1921-1922
Box 31
Miscellaneous, undated
Box 31

Includes administrative and field orders, notes on various campaigns, maps, intelligence reports, military strategic studies, operations instructions, reports, letters, staff studies, statistics, and historical reports. Chiefly arranged in alphabetical order by topic, then chronologically. The Campaigns topic is further subdivided by name of individual campaigns.

Activation of the 77th Division, 1942 Jan-July
Box 32
Administrative Orders, 1945 Jan.-June
(2 volumes)
Box 32
Biak, Schouten Islands, 1944
(4 folders)
Box 33
Buna, New Guinea, 1942-1948, undated
(5 folders, 1 volume)
Box 33
Hollandia, New Guinea, 1943-1944
(6 folders)
Box 34
Leyte-Samar, P.I., 1944-1946
(5 folders)
Box 35
Lingayen, P.I., 1944
Box 35
Luzon, P.I., 1944, Nov.
Box 35
Luzon, P.I., 1944-1945
(6 folders)
Box 36
Luzon, P.I., 1945
(2 folders)
Box 37
Maps, 1949
Box 37
Mindanao, P.I., 1945, undated
(3 folders, 2 volumes)
Box 37
Mindoro-Marindugue, P.I., 1945
Box 38
Nasugbu, P.I., 1944
Box 38
Palawan, Zamboanga and Jolo, P.I., 1945
(6 folders, 1 volume)
Box 38
Panay, Negros, and Cebu, P.I., 1945, undated
(4 folders)
Box 38
Panay, Negros, and Cebu, P.I., 1945
(1 volume)
Box 39
Field orders, 1944 Oct.-1945 June
(2 volumes)
Box 40
Naval Intelligence report: Prominent Persons in Japan and Japanese Dominated Areas, 1945 Aug.
Box 41
Office of Chief of Military History: Leyte: Return to the Philippines, undated
(2 volumes)
Box 41
Office of Military History: The U.S. Army in World War II, The Approach to the Philippines, 1951
Box 42
Operations Instructions, 1944 Dec.-1945 Sept.
(3 volumes)
Box 43
Operations Instructions, 1945 July-Dec.
(2 volumes)
Box 44
Operations of the Intelligence Service in the Southwest Pacific Area, 1948 July
Box 44
1944
Box 45
Report of Army Pearl Harbor Board, 1944
(2 volumes)
Box 45
Report (Biennial): The Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 1943 July-1945 June
Box 46
Report: The Supreme Commander to the Combined Chief of Staff, 1944 June-1945 May
Box 46
Training Directives, 1944 Oct.-1945 Nov.
Box 46
Miscellaneous, 1942-1945
Box 46

Contains information relating to the invasion of Japan, code name Operation Coronet. Includes numerous intelligence studies and reports about Japan, military proposals, and maps.

Operation Coronet (Invasion of Japan), 1944-1945 May
(4 volumes)
Box 47
Operation Coronet (Invasion of Japan), 1945 May-1945
(1 folder, 4 volumes)
Box 48

Contains numerous studies regarding the economic, educational, social, and political restructuring of Japan during its occupation after World War II. Includes intelligence reports, monthly military summaries, correspondence between the Japanese government and the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), war trial reports, monthly non-military summaries, Eighth Army reports, United States Army occupational reports, letters, and notes. Arranged in alphabetical order by type or title of material, then chronologically.

Administrative Orders, 1945-1946
(4 volumes)
Box 49
Civil Intelligence Section: Occupational Trends: Japan and Korea, 1945 Dec.-1946 Apr.
(2 folders)
Box 49
Civil Intelligence Section: Occupational Trends: Japan and Korea, 1946 May-June
Box 50
Civil Intelligence Section: Occupational Trends: Japan, Korea, Philippines, 1946 July
Box 50
Economics, 1945-1949, undated
(3 folders)
Box 50
Editors and Publishers Tour of Kobe, Japan, 1947
Box 51
Education, 1948 May-July
(1 folder, 2 volumes)
Box 51
Eighth Army Field Orders, 1945
Box 51
Eighth Army in Japan, 1945 Aug.-1946 May, undated
Box 51
1945-1948, undated
Box 52
Special Study of the Yokahama War Crimes Trials, 1945 Dec.-1947 Sept.
Box 52
Food, 1948, undated
Box 52
Memoranda to Imperial Japanese Government from SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers), 1945 Sept.-Dec.
(1 folder, 1 volume)
Box 52
Memoranda to Imperial Japanese Government from SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers), 1945 Nov. -1946 Jan.
(2 folders, 1 volume)
Box 53
Military Government Reports, 1945-1951, undated
(3 folders)
Box 53
Monthly Military Summaries, 1946 July-1947 July
(1 folder)
Box 54
Monthly Military Summaries in Korea 1946 March-July
(5 volumes)
Box 54
Monthly Military Summaries in Korea, 1946 Aug.-Sept.
(2 volumes)
Box 55
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1945 Sept.-Nov.
(2 volumes)
Box 55
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1945 Dec.-1946 Feb.
(3 volumes)
Box 56
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1946 March-June
(4 volumes)
Box 57
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1946 July-Nov.
(5 volumes)
Box 58
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1946 Dec.-1947 July
(6 volumes)
Box 59
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1947 Aug.-Dec.
(5 volumes)
Box 60
Monthly Non-Military Summaries, 1948 Jan.-May
(5 volumes)
Box 61
Occupation Plans, 1945 July-1949 May, undated
(1 volume, 4 folders)
Box 62
Occupation Plans: Directives, 1945 Sept.-1948 Apr., undated
(2 folders)
Box 63
Political Reorganization of Japan, 1947 Aug.-1949 Oct.
Box 63
Public Health and Welfare Reports, 1945-1949
Box 63
Report on Industrial Reparations, 1948 Feb.
(2 folders)
Box 63
Special Staff Study of the Repatriation of German Nationals from Japan, 1947 May
(2 folders)
Box 63
Sugayomo Prison: A Special Study, 1945 Nov.-1947 Jan.
Box 64
Two Years of Occupation by SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) and Far East Command, 1947 Aug.
Box 64
Miscellaneous, 1945-1949, undated
(3 folders)
Box 64

Contains various letters, reports, memoranda, newspaper articles, dictation, and notes. Arranged in alphabetical order by topic then chronologically.

Eisenhower's Inspection of Kobe Base, 1946 May 14
Box 65
Klein, Juluis, Brigadier General, 1949
Box 65
Sorge Spy Reports, 1947 Dec.-1949 Feb.
Box 65
1912-1960, undated
(3 folders, 1 volume)
Box 65

Chiefly material about Eichelberger's army service. Arranged into subseries: Chronological, Subject, Press Releases, Dictation, and Published Works.

1920-1950
(7 folders)
Box 66
1951-1959
(7 folders)
Box 67
1960-1961, undated
(3 folders)
Box 68
Australia, 1948
Box 68
Biak, Schouten Islands; Buna, Hollandia Campaigns; Formation of Eighth Army, 1948 Mar. 18-1949 Feb. 12
Box 68
Buna, New Guinea, 1948
Box 68
Documents regarding the Eighth Army, undated
Box 68
Glider Infantry, 187th, undated
Box 68
Hollandia, New Guinea, 1948
Box 68
Japan, Future of, 1947-1952, undated
Box 68
Occupation of, 1948-1955, undated
Box 69
War criminals, 1948, undated
Box 69
Korean War, 1953 June 25
Box 69
MacArthur, Douglas, undated
Box 69
Philippines, 1945-1948
Box 69
Siberia, 1946-1947, undated
Box 69
Press Releases, 1938-1984, undated
(4 folders)
Box 69

This subseries is RESTRICTED. Patrons must sign a waiver form concerning privacy rights before viewing dictation notebooks, index to the typed dictation, and typed dictation transferred from the dictation notebooks found in Boxes 70-74. Contact Research Services.

Notebooks of dictation, 1952 Nov. 24-1956 Feb. 6
(3 folders)
Box 70
Notebooks of dictation, 1956 Feb. 6-1959 Jan. 30
(3 folders)
Box 71
Notebooks of dictation, 1959 Jan. 30-1961 Aug., undated
(4 folders)
Box 72
Index of typed dictation, Nos. 1-3
Box 73
Typed dictation, ca. 1952 Nov.-1961 July
(7 folders)
Box 73
Typed dictation, ca. 1955 July-1961 Sept
(2 folders)
Box 74
Typed Dictation Victory in Papua, 1954-1959
Box 74
Eighth U.S. Army-Up to Now!, 1965 June
Box 75
Engineers of the Southwest Pacific, 1945
Box 75
The Entry of the Soviet Union in to the War Against Japan, 1941-1945
Box 75
History of XI Corps, 1942-1946
Box 75
History of the 3rd Infantry Division in WWII, 1953
Box 75
The Howitzer, 1909 and 1941 (2 volumes)
Box 76
The Howitzer, 1942
Box 77
Under the Southern Cross, 1949
Box 78
United States at War, 1945
Box 78
102nd United States Cavalry, 1941-1942
Box 78
1909 USMA Eleven Years After, 1920
Box 78

Contains photographs chiefly from Eichelberger's army career, including World War II military campaigns, those from the Japanese occupation after World War II, army bases, and ceremonial events, as well as photographs of Eichelberger and his family, including formal portraits and group photographs.The series is subdivided into four subseries: Places and Events, People, Albums, and Miscellaneous.

Australia, 1942-1943, undated
(2 folders)
Box 79
Figi Islands, 1942-1943
Box 79
Fort Jackson, South Carolina, 1942, undated
Box 79
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1920
Box 79
Japan: Surrender of the Japanese on board the USS Missouri, 1945 Sept. 2
Box 79
Japan: Occupation, 1945-1948, undated
(5 folders)
Box 80
Japan: Occupation, 1945-1949, undated
(5 folders)
Box 81
Hotels, 1946, undated
(2 folders)
Box 82
Kiki and Kyoto Governors Office, undated
Box 82
Shrines, 1945-1948, undated
Box 82
Sendai, 1945 Oct. 3
Box 82
Yokohama, 1945-1948, undated
Box 82
New Guinea Campaign, 1942-1945, undated
(5 folders)
Box 83
New Guinea Campaign, 1942-1945
(10 folders)
Box 84
Philippine Campaign, 1942-1945, undated
(6 folders)
Box 85
Philippine Campaign, 1944-1945, undated
(6 folders)
Box 86
Siberia, 1918-1919, undated

Siberia photographs have been digitized and are available in Americans in the Land of Lenin - Duke Digital Collections

(3 folders)
Box 87
West Point, 1931-1940's, undated
(3 folders)
Box 87
World Tour, 1946, undated
Box 88
Formal Portraits Index
Box 88
Formal portraits, 1940-1949, undated
(4 folders)
Box 88
Formal portraits, 1940-1949, undated
Box 89
In groups, 1939-1948, undated
(3 folders)
Box 89
With religious leaders, 1946-1953, undated
Box 90
Ceremonies at retirement, 1947-1949, undated
(2 folders, one phase box)
Box 90
After retirement, 1949-1960, undated
Box 90
General and Mrs. Eichelberger at public events, parties, receptions, 1947-1951, undated
Box 90a
Eichelberger family, 1872-1956, undated
(2 folders)
Box 90a
Unidentified, 1943-1948, undated
(4 folders)
Box 90a
Unidentified, 1943-1948, undated
Box 91
Miscellaneous, 1940-1948, undated
(1 folder, 1 phase box)
Box 91
Participants at Eichelberger's induction into the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame, 1984
Box 91
(Abbot and Costello, undated; Prince Akihito, 1947 Sept.; Prince Masahito, 1947 Sept.; Barbey, Daniel Edwards (see Northcott, John), undated; Blamey, Thomas Albert, 1943-1953, undated; Brown, Joe E., 1945 April, undated; Byers, Clovis Ethelbert, 1942-1947, undated)
Box 92
Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer, at Fort Jackson, S.C., 1942 June
Box 92
(Collins, Joseph Lawton, undated; Clark, Mark Wayne, undated; Cook, J. A., undated; Cooper, Gary, 1944 Jan., undated; Creel, George, undated; Draper, William H., 1947; Dunn, Floyd, undated; Edwards, Daniel Kramer, undated; Eisenhower, Dwight D., 1946 May; Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain, 1953; Emigh, Harry, undated; Gruenther, Alfred Maximilian, 1955; Halsey, William Frederick, 1949 Sept.; Hatfield, Lansing, undated; Herring, Edmund Francis, 1943; Hoover, Herbert, 1946, May; Howard, Roy, 1947 Feb.; Krueger, Walter, 1943 Nov., undated)
Box 92
MacArthur, Douglas 1943-1948, undated
(2 folders)
Box 92
(Maloney (of Chicago Tribune) 1947 Sept.; McCloy, John J., 1945 Oct.; McKinley, Jim, undated; Merkel, Una, undated)
Box 92
(Northcott, John and Barbey, Daniel Edwards, undated; Pechkoff, M. Zenovi, undated; Robertson, Horace, 1947; Rogers, Gordon, undated; Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 1934-1943)
Box 92
Roosevelt, Eleanor: Visit to Australia, 1943
Box 92
(Sherman, Frederick C., 1946; Stimson, Henry L., 1940, undated; Van Oyen, Ludolf Henrik, 1943, undated; Wainwright, Jonathan Mayhew, 1945, undated)
Box 92
Volume I, 1910-1918, Panama and Cuba
(1 volume, 1 folder)
Box 93
Volume II, 1918, Sept.11-1921, Jan. 21, Siberia
Box 93
Volume III, 1918-1921, Siberia
Box 93
Volume IV, [see Oversize Materials]
Box 93
Volume V, [see Oversize Materials]
Box 93
Volume VI [see Oversize Materials]
Box 93
Volume VII, 1945 Apr. 30-1946 Apr. 25, Occupation of Japan, Early Period
Box 93
Volume VIII, 1945 Aug. 30-1948 June 29, Occupation of Japan
Box 93
Volume VIII, 1945 Aug. 30-1948 June 29, Occupation of Japan
(2 folders)
Box 94
Volume IX, 1945 Sept. 1-1946 Sept. 26, Occupation of Japan and Japanese Surrender
(2 folders)
Box 94
Volume X, 1945 Aug. 30-Sept. 4, Japanese Surrender and Japan
(1 folder, 1 volume)
Box 94
Volume XI, 1946 March-Aug. 30, Occupation of Japan
Box 94
Volume XII, 1946 Sept. 4-Dec. 21 Occupation of Japan
(3 folders)
Box 95
Volume XIII, 1946 Occupation of Japan
Box 95
Volume XIV, [see Oversize Materials]
Box 95
Volume XV, 1947 Jan. 10-June 27 Occupation of Japan
(4 folders)
Box 95
Volume XV, 1947 Jan. 10-June 27 Occupation of Japan
(2 folders)
Box 96
Volume XVI, 1947 April 7 Occupation of Japan
Box 96
Volume XVII, 1947 May Occupation of Japan and Souvenir Pictures
Box 96
Volume XVIII, 1947 July 4-Dec. 31 Occupation of Japan and Autographs of Dignitaries
(3 folders)
Box 96
Volume XIX, 1948 Jan. 7-July 21 Occupation of Japan
(8 folders)
Box 97
Volume XX, 1948 July 4 Appreciation Day Festival During Occupation of Japan
Box 97
Volume XXI, 1948 Aug. 3-10 Occupation of Japan and Ceremonies at General Eichelberger's Retirement
(1 folder, 1 volume)
Box 98
Volume XXII, [see Oversize Materials]
Box 98
Volume XXIII, 1952 April 26-28 Visit of General and Mrs. Eichelberger to Australia
Box 98
Volume XXIV, 1952 April 26- May 8 Visit of General and Mrs. Eichelberger to Australia
Box 98
Volume XXV, undated The Artillery Center, Fort Sills, Oklahoma
(1 folder, 1 volume)
Box 98
1943-1959, undated
(6 folders)
Box 99

Contains books, including comic books, magazines and other material, chiefly relating to Eichelberger's military career. Arranged in chronological order. See also Writings and Speeches Series.

1893-1952
(6 folders)
Box 100
1952-1962, undated
(4 folders)
Box 101

Includes clippings chiefly relating to Eichelberger's military career. Arranged in chronological order.

1918-1947
(11 folders)
Box 102
1948-1951
(7 folders)
Box 103
1952-1984, undated
(10 folders)
Box 104

Includes financial, audiovisual, biographical materials, and memorabilia. Documents Eichelberger's involvement in various organizations and contains information pertaining to his military career. Arranged into six subseries: Subject, Chronological, Guest Book, Audiovisual, Memorabilia, and Scrapbooks. Memorabilia and some audiovisual material are located in the Oversize Materials section.

Army Mutual Aid Association, 1949 Apr.-1950 Mar., undated
Box 105
Biographical materials about General and Mrs. Eichelberger, 1942-1948, undated
Box 105
Camouflage material, 1952
Box 105
Deaths of Robert L. and Emma Eichelberger, 1961-1972
Box 105
Documents pertaining to Helen Felder, 1943-1947
Box 105
Financial papers, 1911-1959, undated
(3 folders)
Box 105
Health Research Foundation, 1957-1960, undated
(2 folders)
Box 106
List of Eichelberger's letters and papers, 1952-1961, undated
Box 106
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, 1949 Sept.
Box 106
North Carolina Ports Authority, 1957-1960, undated
(2 folders)
Box 106
War monument controversy (Urbana, Ohio), 1947 Apr., undated
Box 106
1905-1962, undated
(6 folders)
Box 107
1946-1958
Box 108

Arranged in order by size of film canister.

a. Silent color film of official residences of General Eichelberger in Tokyo, undated
Box 109
b. Silent black and white film of General Eichelberger addressing a safety group, undated
Box 109
a. Gathering of generals and their ladies at the official residence of eneral Eichelberger in Tokyo, undated
Box 109
b. Official residence, undated
Box 109
c. Military review, undated
Box 109
a. Pearls, undated
Box 109
b. Marriage ceremony, undated
Box 109
c. Military review, undated
Box 109
4. Japan: Military review, undated
Box 109
5. Japan: Military review, undated
Box 109
6. Army football, 1948
Box 109
7. Japan: Eisenhower visits, 1946?
Box 109
Phonograph Records

See Oversize Materials

Box 109
Memorabilia Subseries

See Oversize Materials

Box 109
Volume I, 1728-1940
(4 folders)
Box 110
Volume II, 1936-1945
(2 folders)
Box 110
Volume III, 1942-1947
(4 folders)
Box 110
Volume IV, 1945
(2 folders)
Box 111
Volume V, 1945-1949
Box 111
Volume VI, 1945-1946, Japan
(2 folders)
Box 111
Volume VII, 1945-1946, Newspaper Clippings and Mementos
(2 folders)
Box 111
Volume VIII, 1948
(4 folders)
Box 111
Volume IX, 1948-1954
(2 folders)
Box 111
Volume X, 1949
(3 folders)
Box 112
Volume Xa, 1949 Sept. 2, Dedication of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
(3 folders)
Box 112
Volume XI [see Oversize Materials]
Box 112
Volume XII, 1954, Fort Jackson, South Carolina
(2 folders)
Box 112
Volume XIII [see Oversize Materials]
Box 112
1945-1949
Box 126
1952-1954
Oversize Folder 4
1961
Oversize Folder 4
1918-1920, undated
Box 126
1919
Oversize Folder 2
Leyte-Samar, P.I., 1944-1945
Oversize Folder 5
Luzon, P.I., 1944-1945
Oversize Folder 5
Mindanao, P.I., 1945
Oversize Folder 5
Palawan, Zamboanga and Jolo, P.I., 1945
Oversize Folder 5
Buna, New Guinea, 1942-1943
Box 126
Leyte-Samar, P.I., 1944-1945
Box 126
Luzon, P.I., 1944-1945, undated
Box 126
Mindanao, P.I., 1942-1945
Box 126
Mindoro, P.I., 1944, undated
Box 126
Nasugbu, P.I., 1944
Box 126
Palawan, Zamboanga and Jolo, P.I., 1944-1947, undated
Box 126
Panay, Negros and Cebu, P.I., 1945
Box 126
Instruments and other materials of the Japanese surrender, 1945, undated
Box 126
Maps: Japan, 1945, undated
Box 126
Maps, 1940s
Oversize Folder 3
Maps: Philippine Islands, 1938-1946, undated
Oversize Folder 1
1936-1948, undated
Oversize Folder 2
1944-1946, undated
Ovsz. Box 120
1945
Box 126
Australia, 1952
Ovsz. Box 115
Japan: Occupation 1945, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
New Guinea Campaign 1943, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Philippine Campaign, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
West Point, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Eichelberger 1948, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Eichelberger and Family: 1948, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Eichelberger: Formal Portraits 1941-1944, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Eichelberger: Miscellaneous, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Eichelberger: Commission of Robert L. Eichelberger as Major General, 1946
Box 126
Miscellaneous, 1938-1949, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Volume IV, 1939, 30th U.S. Infantry, San Francisco, Calif.
Oversize Cabinet OC:IV:1
Volume V, 1941 Oct.-Nov. First Army Maneuvers
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume VI, 1944 April 28-1945 March 30 New Guinea, Philippine Islands, Negros Islands
(2 folders)
Ovsz. Box 120
Volume VII, 1945 April 30-1946 April 25 Occupation of Japan, Early Period
Ovsz. Box 120
Volume VIII, 1945 Aug. 30-1948 June 29 Occupation of Japan
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume XI, 1946 March-Aug. 30 Occupation of Japan
Ovsz. Box 121
Volume XII, 1946 Sept. 4-Dec. 21 Occupation of Japan
Ovsz. Box 118
One volume and one folder
Ovsz. Box 121
Volume XIV, 1946 Nov. Visit to Japan of General Thomas T. Handy
Ovsz. Box 122
Volume XV, 1947 Jan. 10-June 27 Occupation of Japan
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume XVII, 1947 May Occupation of Japan and Souvenir Pictures
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume XVIII, 1947 July 4-Dec. 31 Occupation of Japan and Autographs of Dignitaries
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume XIX, 1948 Jan. 7-July 2 Occupation of Japan
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume XXII, 1952 April 26-May 8 Souvenir of the Visit of General and Mrs. Eichelberger to Australia
Ovsz. Box 122
1920-1940s, undated
Box 126
1938
Ovsz. Box 115
1940s, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
Japanese drawings, undated
Ovsz. Box 115
1943-1960, undated
Ovsz. Box 116
1947, undated
Oversize Cabinet OC:III:8
1949, Saturday Evening Post, Our Bloody Jungle Road to Tokyo
Ovsz. Box 116
1918-1948
Box 126
1943-1948, undated
Ovsz. Box 120
Land grant from James Monroe to George Handy, 1823, June 24
Ovsz. Box 118
Maps: 1942-1946, undated
Oversize Cabinet OC:II:3
North Carolina State Ports Authority, 1959
Oversize Cabinet OC:III:8
1937-1957
Ovsz. Box 120
1945-1947
Box 126
The Eighth Army Shield of the Free World
Box 2 (Ovsz. Film Box)
1. Army Day Address, 1948 Apr. 6
Ovsz. Box 113
2. BBC War reporting unit, undated
Ovsz. Box 113
3-8. Commemorative banquet given for Eichelberger, Asheville, N.C., undated
Ovsz. Box 113
9. GHQSWPA Recording of General Eichelberger, undated
Ovsz. Box 113
10. Memorial Day speech, Yokohama, Japan, 1947 May 23
Ovsz. Box 113
11. Memorial Day speech, 1948 May 31
Ovsz. Box 113
12. Merry Christmas 1945: Frazier Hunt, 1945 Dec. 20
Ovsz. Box 113
13. NBC radio broadcast of interview with Eichelberger upon his return to the U.S. for Christmas, 1945 Dec. 7
Ovsz. Box 113
14. Pyle-Eichelberger Interview, 1945 Aug. 31
Ovsz. Box 113
15. Radio 2UW Sydney: General Eichelberger interviewed by Lieutenant Colonel James Prentice in Sydney,Australia, 1952 May 2

This recording is badly damaged. Technical Services staff needs to format for use copy.

Ovsz. Box 113
16. Recording of a portion of Frazier Hunt's broadcast about General Eichelberger, 1945?
Ovsz. Box 113
17. We the people, General Eichelberger / Jerome Edelberg, 1950 Aug. 18
Ovsz. Box 113
18. WFBC General Eichelberger 1949 Apr. 25 #1
Ovsz. Box 113
19. WFBC General Eichelberger 1949 Apr. 25 #2
Ovsz. Box 113
20. WFBC General Eichelberger 1949 Apr. 25 #3
Ovsz. Box 113
21. WFBC General Eichelberger 1949 Apr. 25 #4
Ovsz. Box 113
22. World Today, 1945 Dec. 24
Ovsz. Box 113
23. ARC Program- General Eichelberger, Colonel Stoval, Colonel Gray, Colonel Erkenbeck, Colonel Beans, Mr. Christensen (Announcer), Lieutenant Busbey, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
24. Armed Forces Radio Service Japan, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
25. a. Army Day Ceremonies-Speech by Eichelberger, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
25. b. Speech on deactivation of 77th Division, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
25. c. Army Day Speech for all troops in Japan (Armed Forces Radio Service), undated
Ovsz. Box 114
26. Description of Parade, Urbana, Ohio, and Eichelberger Address, 1947 Oct. 18, #1
Ovsz. Box 114
27. Description of Parade, Urbana, Ohio, and Eichelberger Address, 1947 Oct. 18, #2
Ovsz. Box 114
28. Description of Parade, Urbana, Ohio, and Eichelberger Address, 1947 Oct. 18, #3
Ovsz. Box 114
29. Eichelberger address: Opening baseball game Yokohama, Japan, 1946 May 4
Ovsz. Box 114
30. Eichelberger: Memorial Day Speech, WVTR, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
31. Hugh Sanders with General Eichelberger: Interview at Urbana Homecomeing, undated
Ovsz. Box 114
Cloth calendars (2), 1962
Ovsz. Box 117
Decorations (21), undated
Ovsz. Box 117
Australian medal, undated
Ovsz. Box 117
Merit plaque, n.d
Ovsz. Box 117
Japan photo album (decorated mother of pearl, no contents), n.d
Ovsz. Box 117
Japan Today: A Portfolio of Sketches, Tokyo-Yokohama Area, 1945-1946
Ovsz. Box 119
Engineers of the Eighth U.S. Army in Action: A Portfolio of Sketches Tokyo-Yokohama Area, 1945-1946
Ovsz. Box 119
Japanese Prints, undated
Ovsz. Box 119
Bust of General Eichelberger by Gozo Kawamura, 1946 Aug. 30
room344A
Oil portrait of General Eichelberger and General George Catlett Marshall, undated
Carrel3023
Pair of Cloisonne vases (Gift to the Eichelbergers from the Emperor and Empress of Japan), undated
Ovsz. Box 119
Satsuma ware vase, undated
Ovsz. Box 119
Samurai soldier doll in glass and wooden case, undated
Ovsz. Box 119
Totem stick from New Guinea, undated
Oversize Cabinet OC:IV on top
Volume I, 1728-1940
(1 volume, 2 folders)
Ovsz. Box 123 and 126
Volume II, 1936-1945
Ovsz. Box 118
Volume III, 1942-1947
(2 folders)
Ovsz. Box 123 and 126
Volume V, 1945-1949
Ovsz. Box 119
Volume VI, 1945-1946
Ovsz. Box 124
Volume VII, 1945-1946 Newspaper Clippings and Mementos
Ovsz. Box 124
One volume and one folder
Ovsz. Box 123
Volume IX, 1948-1954
Ovsz. Box 125
Volume XI, 1952
Ovsz. Box 125
Volume XIII, 1961
Ovsz. Box 125

This addition consists of 83 reels of negative microfilm made from the collection in 1998 as a part of the Japan and America, c1930-1955: The Pacific War and the Occupation of Japan microfilm series. A bound guide to this microfilm collection may be obtained from Research Services. Positive reels may be obtained from Perkins Library Microforms Department.

Microfilm Negatives - Reels 1A-16
Box 1
Microfilm Negatives - Reels 17-33
Box 2
Microfilm Negatives - Reels 34-48
Box 3
Microfilm Negatives - Reels 49A-65
Box 4
Microfilm Negatives - Reels 66-83
Box 5

Historical Note

DateEvent(s)
1886 March 9Born Urbana, Ohio
1903-1905Attended Ohio State University
1909Graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point
1913Married Emma Gudger
1918-1920Served in Siberia as Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations Division, and Chief Intelligence Officer with the American Expeditionary Forces
1920-1921Served in Japan, China, and the Philippines in connection with military intelligence activities
1921-1924Served in the Military Intelligence Division, War Department General Staff in Washington, D.C.
1925-1929Student and instructor at the Command and General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
1930Graduated from Army War College in Washington, D.C.
1939-1940Assumed command of the 30th Infantry, Presidio of San Francisco
1940-1942Appointed Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1942 Jan.Designated Commander of the Seventy-seventh Army Division, organized at Fort Jackson, S.C.
1942 Dec.-1943 Jan.Participated in the Buna and Sanananda, New Guinea campaigns
1943 Sept.Promoted to Brigadier General
1944 AprilCommanded task force which captured Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea
1944 JuneCommanded Biak Task Force which retook land from the Japanese
1944 Sept.Became commanding general, Eighth Army
1945 Jan-Aug.Eighth Army under Eichelberger's command fought on every occupied island of the Philippine Archipelago
1945 Aug 30Participated in the occupation of Japan by landing at Atsugi Air Field in Honshu with the Eighth Army and a detachment from the 11th Airborne Division
1946 Jan. 1Assumed control of all ground occupation troops in Japan
1948 Dec. 31Retired from the Army
1949Eichelberger's memoir, Our Bloody Jungle Road to Tokyo, was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post
1954Promoted to the rank of four star general by an Act of Congress
1961 Sept. 26Died, buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Eichelberger received the following medals and honors: Distinguished Service Cross with one oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Service Medal with three clusters, Combat Infantry Badge, Distinguished Service Medal (Navy), Silver Star with two clusters, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation with one cluster, Honorary Knight Commander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau with swords (Holland), Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor (France), Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium, the Croix de Guerre with palm (Belgium), and Order of ABDON Calderon First Class (Ecuador). He was granted the Distinguished Service Star, the Liberation Medal, and the Legion of Honor by the Republic of the Philippines. He also received the decoration, Grand Officer of the Military Order of Italy.

Subject Headings

Related Material

Related Material

For the guide to the microfilm in accession # 1999-0167, see Japan and America, c1930-1955: The Pacific War and the Occupation of Japan in the Duke University Libraries online catalog.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Robert L. Eichelberger Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Eichelberger Papers were donated to the Special Collections Library in several installments from 1955 to 1999.

Processing Information

Processed by Janie Morris, assisted by Denise Dolan

Completed October 28, 1999

Addition minimally processed at box level by Lisa Stark

Last updated June 4, 1999

The current arrangement of the Robert L. Eichelberger Papers is primarily the same as before the collection was reprocessed. However, some papers were grouped to form the following series: Correspondence, Military Papers, and Writings and Speeches. In addition, deteriorating picture albums and scrapbooks were dismantled and placed into folders.

Encoded by Robin LaPasha; Stephen Douglas Miller; Walt Evans; Cat Saleeby

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.