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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: 91st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Army
  • Location of Service: Africa; Sicily, Italy
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant

View full service history

"I'm proud of one thing…I didn't lose any lives." (Audio Interview, Part 2, 16:02)

Joseph Acsai came by his commission as a 1st Lieutenant the hard way: on the battlefield. From the time he joined his platoon as a Sergeant, Acsai earned the respect of his men through his confidence and his occasional disregard of authority. When a new officer was assigned to Acsai's platoon, it was Sgt. Acsai to whom he turned for competent advice. Eventually, Acsai himself was promoted and placed in charge of his fellow soldiers. Having fought with them through Africa, Sicily, Anzio, Rome, and beyond, keeping every one of them alive, he inspired loyalty that would long outlast the war.

Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection
Interview / Recording

More Resources

Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection
Interview / Recording

View 6 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 91 images in sequence.
[ Unit History: 91st Reconnaissance Sqaudron ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Citation from the French Republic [February 20, 1986] ]

About this Item

Title

  • Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection

Names

  • Daughters of the American Revolution, Captain Nathan Watkins Chapter
  • Montgomery, Arlene
  • Acsai, Joseph Stephen

State of Birth

  • IN

Home State

  • AR

Headings

  • -  Acsai, Joseph Stephen
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: 91st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Army
    • Location of Service: Africa; Sicily, Italy
    • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1945
    • Military Status: Veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Unit histories [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Audio: Microcassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 02/17/2003)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 06/21/1945)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [6 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
  • Audio: CD [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 02/17/2003)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/11543

Cite as

  • Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection (AFC/2001/001/11543), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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/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:

Daughters Of The American Revolution, Captain Nathan Watkins Chapter, Arlene Montgomery, and Joseph Stephen Acsai. Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11543/.

APA citation style:

Daughters Of The American Revolution, C. N. W. C., Montgomery, A. & Acsai, J. S. (1941) Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11543/.

MLA citation style:

Daughters Of The American Revolution, Captain Nathan Watkins Chapter, Arlene Montgomery, and Joseph Stephen Acsai. Joseph Stephen Acsai Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11543/>.