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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • Service History Note: Marion Gurfein was married to Colonel Joseph I. Gurfein.
  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Military Status: Civilian

View full service history

PERSONAL AD: "Mrs. Marion Gurfein requests the Captain to Please end the war in a hurry and come on home where he belongs!!" The Goofein Journal, May 26, 1943

When Marion Gurfein wrote to her husband Joe during his tours of duty in World War II and Korea, she sent him something more than letters. She created a mock newspaper, The Goofein Journal, which she hand-lettered on card stock. The Journal contained banner headlines, illustrations, photos, and "news" stories recording family events and a "social column" which kept track of their friends' whereabouts. Complementing Marion's view from the home front are Joe Gurfein's memoirs about his 26 years with the Army Corps of Engineers.

More Resources

Marion Reh Gurfein Collection
Interview / Recording

Marion Reh Gurfein Collection
Interview / Recording

Marion Reh Gurfein Collection
"Gurfein's Christmas" recorded in 1951 and "Bayside" recorded 1957

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[ Memoirs: "You Built It- You Drive It Across" ]
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[ Manuscript: "More Bridges Crossed" ]
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[ Card: "This Valentine Went to Paris...", Korea [1951] ]
Transcript: XML

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[ Card: Happy Birthday Again [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "Anniversaries are Such Wonderful Things..." Anniversary, [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "Merry Christmas Three Months Ahead of Time..." [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: If Magic Potions Were in Style..." Christmas, [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "When I First Heard You Weren't Here..." Miss You [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Three Slightly Damaged Goofein Hearts [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "You've seen your share of Arabs …" [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "We've asked you to come home …" [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "I'm a 'Lass and a Lack' Until You Get Back" [n.d.] ]
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[ Valentines Day Card [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: "Congrats To the New C.O." [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Airborne Kisses [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Pin-Up Girl Card [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Gremlin Poem [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Fathers Day "'D'-Day Stands for Daddy Day [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Monkey's Uncle [n.d.] ]
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[ Card: Dear Daddy [n.d.] ]
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[ "Mrs. J. Ingram Goofein Jr. Opens Nylon Exhibit to Public", The Goofein Journal [05/26/43] ]
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[ "Thousands Throng A Station Seeing Hero Off", The Goofein Journal [06/43] ]
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[ "Mrs. Goofein, Noted Butterfly, Signs up for Course in 'Infant Care'", The Goofein Journal [9/43] ]
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[ "All U.S. Breathlessly Awaits Goofein Heir", The Goofein Journal [10/43] ]
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[ "Marjorie and Majority Arrive the Same Month", The Goofein Journal [01/44] ]
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[ "Fashion World in Uproar as Mrs. Goofein Changes Hairstyle", The Goofein Journal [02/44] ]
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[ "Marjorie 'Button Nose' Goofein, Popular Sub-Deb, To Lead Easter Parade", The Goofein Journal [Mar-April 1944] ]
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[ "Popular 'Crowder Crowd' Visits N.Y.", The Goofein Journal [05/44] ]
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[ "Special Anniversary Issue (first in full color)", The Goofein Journal [06/44] ]
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[ "Goofein Heiress Stands at Six Months", The Goofein Journal [07/44] ]
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[ "Foreign Powers Decorate Famous Major - Hero Too Modest to Write Wife", The Goofein Journal [08/44] ]
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[ "Extra! Generals-Cry-For-Him Goofein Quits Italy for France", The Goofein Journal [09/44] ]
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[ "Famous Marine Departs for West Coast", The Goofein Journal [10/44] ]
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[ "Hints That 'Man of Mystery' May Get Transfer", The Goofein Journal [11/44] ]
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[ "Goofein Heiress Reaches First Birthday", The Goofein Journal [12/44] ]
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[ "Margie Goofein Voted 'Most Charming'", The Goofein Journal [02/45] ]
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[ "The 'Amazing Major' Does It Again (So Help Us), The Goofein Journal [03/45] ]
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[ "Major Goofein, on Verge of Beating Own Record, Moves Again!", The Goofein Journal [04/45] ]
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[ "Germany Surrenders!! Gives up soon after the 'Iron Major' arrives", The Goofein Journal [05/45] ]
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[ "'Man Of A Thousand Transfers' Returns to Original Unit", The Goofein Journal [06/45] ]
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[ "Famous Major Allowed to Stay Behind in Europe", The Goofein Journal [07/45] ]
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[ "It's Back! And It's Bigger, Better than Before!", The Goofein Journal (Korea) [08/50] ]
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[ "Man of Destiny Enters Korea! Enemy Flees!", The Goofein Journal [Sept/Oct 1950] ]
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[ "Goofein Journal Appears Twice in One Month!", The Goofein Journal [10/50] ]
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[ "Silver Star Winner Idol of the American Press", The Goofein Journal [02/51] ]
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[ "Nation's Capital in Uproar Over Famous Goofein Family Visit", The Goofein Journal [04/51] ]
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[ "US Senate Demands Reason Why Goofein Didn't Replace MacArthur", The Goofein Journal [05/51] ]
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[ "'Goofy' Goofeins Quit City for Beach", The Goofein Journal [06/51] ]
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[ "National Holiday Declared as Goofein Wins Promotion", The Goofein Journal [07/51] ]
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[ "Col. Goofein Tries for Title 'Last Man Out of Korea!'", The Goofein Journal [10/51] ]
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[ "Last Edition", The Goofein Journal [11/51] ]
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[ Poems: "Just Between Friends" ]
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[ Poem: "The Mail Situation" [1942] ]
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[ Poem: "Goofy Gremlins" ]

About this Item

Title

  • Marion Reh Gurfein Collection

Names

  • Susan Kemph
  • Gurfein, Marion Reh
  • Gurfein, Marion
  • National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
  • Rouse, Sarah

Home State

  • NY

Headings

  • -  Gurfein, Marion Reh
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Female

Status

  • Civilian

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Service History Note: Marion Gurfein was married to Colonel Joseph I. Gurfein.
    • Military Status: Civilian

Materials

  • Manuscript: Correspondence [7 items] -- (collected 1951)
  • Photograph: Original photographic print [2 items] -- Photograph (collected 1951)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [3 items] -- (collected 1950)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [6 items] -- (collected 1945)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [3 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Other Manuscript Material [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- (collected 06/14/1990)
  • Manuscript: Other Manuscript Material [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [8 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [4 items] -- (collected 1943)
  • Manuscript: Scrapbooks [1 item] -- (collected 1950 - 1951)
  • Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Other Manuscript Material [1 item] -- (collected 2001)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [11 items] -- (collected 1944)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 05/16/2002)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [8 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [6 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Creative works [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1942)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Audio correspondence (collected 1951)
  • Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected 05/16/2002)
  • Audio: DAT [2 items] -- Radio broadcast (collected 09/08/2003)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 12/2010)
  • Video: Digital File [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected 1951)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/799

Cite as

  • Marion Reh Gurfein Collection (AFC/2001/001/799), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Wars & Conflicts

Gender

Highest Rank

Discharge Status

Interviewee

Interviewer

Organization/Affiliation

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Susan Kemph, Marion Reh Gurfein, Marion Gurfein, National Court Reporters Association, and Sarah Rouse. Marion Reh Gurfein Collection. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00799/.

APA citation style:

Susan Kemph, Gurfein, M. R., Gurfein, M., National Court Reporters Association & Rouse, S. Marion Reh Gurfein Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00799/.

MLA citation style:

Susan Kemph, et al. Marion Reh Gurfein Collection. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00799/>.