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Malcolm Stilson, Scott Field, Illinois (1943).

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
  • Location of Service: Scott Field, Illinois; Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin; Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina; Kelly Field, Texas; Calcutta, India
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2056

View full service history

"Brother mine, when we get back together again, I think we will be a lot closer than we ever have before. When I was younger, I made a mistake in not teaming up with you more often. Together we could have done lots more than we ever did singly." World War II As Seen Through the Letters of Malcolm and Warren Stilson, page 139

Like his father Frederick, a World War I veteran and the subject of another Veterans History Project story, Malcolm Stilson enlisted to fight in World War II. After two years of being shifted from base to base in the States, Mac shipped out to India, where his ability to play the piano landed him a job with the Entertainment Production Unit. His memoirs contain letters to and from his younger brother Warren, an infantryman, and to their parents. Warren was killed during the Battle of the Bulge, and one month later, Mac left for India.

Malcolm Harvey Stilson Collection
Interview / Recording

More Resources

View 41 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 110 images in sequence.
[ Memoirs: "Thik Hai, Sahib: Reminiscences of World War II in India, March 10, 1945-March 23, 1946" ]
View 228 images in sequence.
[ WWII As Seen Through The Letters of Malcolm & Warren Stilson ]
View 51 images in sequence.
[ Appendix 1: Correspondence Relating To The Death Of Warren Stilson 12/18/44 to 5/30/62 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Malcolm Harvey Stilson Collection

Names

  • Stilson, Malcolm Harvey

Home State

  • Washington (State)

Headings

  • -  Stilson, Malcolm Harvey
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Location of Service: Scott Field, Illinois; Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin; Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina; Kelly Field, Texas; Calcutta, India
    • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1946
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Stilson served as a clerk in Aircraft Erection in India and then switched over to playing piano for the Entertainment Production Unit.

Materials

  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-04-06; 1994-12-31)
  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-04-06; 1994-12-31)
  • Audio: CD [ item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-11-09; 2006-11-09)
  • Audio: MiniDisc [2 items] -- Oral history interview (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoir [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Photograph: Photocopy of Photographic Print [88 items] -- Photographs (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/2056

Online Format

  • audio
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

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

Recording:

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

Photograph:

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

Computer file:

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

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), 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:

Stilson, Malcolm Harvey. Malcolm Harvey Stilson Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02056/.

APA citation style:

Stilson, M. H. (1942) Malcolm Harvey Stilson Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02056/.

MLA citation style:

Stilson, Malcolm Harvey. Malcolm Harvey Stilson Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02056/>.