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Florence Bevins and Phyllis Jung Collection

 Collection
Identifier: WV 0671

Content Description

The collection includes 15 letters addressed to Shirlie Montgomery from her friends, Bevins and Jung, who both served in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II, 24 March 1943-26 April 1945. Jung's letters discuss her work and social life with the 151st WAAC Tech Company and later with WAC recruitment in Washington, D.C. Bevins letters begin with her completion of basic training at Daytona Beach, then describing WAC life, K.P. duty, being nicknamed the "Queen of the Latrine" at Camp Polk, and more.

Dates

  • 1943 March-1945 April

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical / Historical

Florence Bevins did her basic training at Daytona Beach, Florida, and was first assigned Fort Polk Louisiana. She was later transferred to the 74 WAAC Headquarters Company, 2nd separate WAAC Battalion at the 4th WAAC Training Center in Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In 1944, she was attached to the 305th General Hospital in France, and then finally transferred to the Philippines in late 1945. Phyllis Jung was stationed with the 151st WAAC Tech Company and later with WAC recruiting in Washington, D.C.

Shirlie Montgomery was a professional photographer who lived in San Jose, California her entire life. The letters mention Montgomery sending pictures or developing negatives, and a few mention her desire to join the WAC. As she was unable to pass a physical, she never entered the service. Montgomery got her start in the 1930s at the DeAnza Hotel, producing prints for the hotel's photographer. When that photographer quit, she took over the position, ultimately becoming known for her wrestling photography. She also did freelance work for the San Francisco Examiner and the Mercury News.

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet (2 folders )

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

  • License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

Condition Description

The condition is fair.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Matthew McCarthy.

Title
Florence Bevins and Phyllis Jung Collection
Status
In Progress
Author
Matthew McCarthy
Date
2022 December
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246