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Bob Bindig, Camp Upton, NY [January 1944]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Service Unit/Ship: Psychological Warfare Detachment, Armed Forces, Pacific Theater of Operations; Fitzsimmons General Hospital; Winters General Hospital
  • Location of Service: Camp Grant, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas; Manila (Philippines); Korea
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/32475

View full service history

"I was warned never to volunteer for anything in the army but I ignored this advice and when they asked was anyone an artist I raised my hand for I was a commercial artist in civilian life." (Memoir, page 2)

Bob Bindig didn't embark for the Pacific Theater until the spring of 1945 and was in Manila when World War II ended. But his two prior years in service afforded him opportunities to practice drawing skills learned as an ad agency artist. He illustrated various military manuals and publications, and he drew a mural on the wall of a service club in Ft. Lewis, Washington. His letters home were housed in envelopes that wittily depicted his current preoccupations or state of mind. In postwar Korea, Bindig helped produce publications that would bring a sense of normalcy back to a once-occupied country. For Korean children aching for diversion, he drew a dialogue-free comic strip about twin bears with a penchant for mischief.

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[ Photo Album ]

More Resources

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[ Honorable Discharge, Robert K. Bindig [3/30/1946] ]
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[ Enlisted Record and Report of Separation [3/30/1946] ]
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[ Separation Qualification Record ]
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[ The War Years, 1943-1946 ]
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[ Letter from Bob Bindig to Sarah Rouse [undated] ]
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[ Eight comic strips drawn by Bindig of "The Mischievous Twins Bears," or "Mischievous Twins," which appeared for eight weeks in the children's section of two newspapers published for Koreans by the US ]

Show more resources (109)

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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I'll walk alone" [10/9/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Wow! Two a day, that's love!" [10/9/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Mail!" [10/10/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Hurrah it's mailin'" [10/10/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "We moved agin!" [10/11/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Please fellas!" [10/12/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "No letter today" [10/13/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Friday 13 October" [10/13/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, G.I. counting his pay [10/15/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, An officer behind a desk talking to a G.I. ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Joyce Kilmer was wrong" [10/17/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Sittin' on a log / Workin' like a dog / Feelin' oh so blue" [10/18/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, Artist painting the address on the envelope [10/20/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, Artist polishing apples [10/21/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, Artist cutting paper doll [10/23/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Sort of giving me the needle, hey Doc!" [10/24/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, While the artist sleeps, a beautiful woman comes to him in a dream [10/24/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, The artist combs his hair, "This is Part I" [10/30/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, The artist on the rear platform of a train waves goodbye to a woman "Part II" [10/30/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, G.I. wearing a gas mask teases a skunk [10/31/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Pay Day" [11/1/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "A new low in the field of art" [11/3/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Why are you so happy?" [11/4/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, The artist depicted as an angel, emptying the latrine ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Snailing! Snailing! Over the bounding state!" [11/11/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Bindig, he crossed Washington" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Should be getting' outta Montana any day now!" [11/11/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "That's it gal!" [11/12/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "She's comin'! She isn't!" [11/13/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I'll find one that comes out right yet" [11/13/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "School days, school days" [11/14/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "School daze, school daze" [11/15/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I studied for the anatomy class" [11/20/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Inpsection" [11/20/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Dr. Einstein I presume" [11/21/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Oh we'll all go to meet her" [11/22/1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I'm lonesome I guess that's all" [1/13/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Please sir! I'll even give you a pack of cigarettes!" [1/16/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "We looked everywhere for a place to live." [1/17/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "On the move again" [2/26/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Welcome back to Ft. Lewis, Son!" [2/26/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I gotta inside job" [2/27/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I'll walk alone" [2/28/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "More red tape" [3/1/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "...And Paperwork" [3/2/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "They say a guard should keep cool--WOW!" [3/4/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Mail at last!" [3/5/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Beginning to look like rain again" [3/8/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Self portrait: Gold Brick" [3/9/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I'm not on guard" [3/10/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "All dress in brown and going to town" [3/12/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I should have joined the Navy" [3/13/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Ft. Lewis, Washington: Bob Bindig swept here!" [3/14/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Glad to see you, you old bag!" [3/15/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "This job just doesn't appeal to me!" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Sure and it's the wearing o' the green" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "This is a lonely way to spend a Sunday" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Tonite I had a date with lot'sa girls!" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Spring, It's Wonderful" [3/21/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I dare someone to call me Gravel Gertie" [3/22/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "At dawn's early light!" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Gee, you draw real good!" [3/24/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I dream of you" [3/26/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Hi ya Bud!" [3/27/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "That there mail call is quite the thin" [3/28/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Gulp!" [3/30/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Ah! You scent such nice letters." [3/31/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Natural Looking Huh?" [4/6/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Bivouac yes! Bivouac no!" ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Why so low, Mac?" [4/8/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I gotta take a furlough!" [4/9/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Who's excited about a furlough?" [4/10/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Artist admiring photo of his newborn son" [4/11/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Great to be back, ain't it?" [5/7/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Life without you is an incomplete thing" [5/8/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "California here I come" [5/9/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Something wrong, Sir?" [5/12/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "So this is a California sunshine bath!" [5/13/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Look it, Gal! I'm a dog gone paratropper!" [5/14/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "I don't remember the name but the face is familiar!" [5/15/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Smile pretty!" [5/16/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Eenie, Meanie, Mynie, Moe, I wonder just where I will go!" [5/17/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Do you get the point, Soldier?" [5/18/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "This is a lovely day to have a furlough!" [5/19/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Waiting to clear the table" [5/22/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp along the Highway!" [5/23/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Scram! I tell you I'm going to make this hike." [5/24/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Eager beaver!" [5/25/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "Oh if I had the wings of an angel" [5/26/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing on envelope, "As you can see this scarlet fever quarantine doesn't bother me at all" [5/27/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "After a week on the ocean" [6/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "On the Pacific Ocean" [6/10/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "Still on the Pacific" [6/14/1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "Way up there in the blue, I'll bet you're lonely too," Manila, Philippines [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "You like my pineapples, Joe!" Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "Proper Gander!" Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "Huba! Huba! Joe!" Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing and explanatory text, "Chewing gum, Joe!" ]
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[ Collage of illustrations from veterans' letters ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "Buffalo Boy Makes Good," Camp Grant, IL [circa. 1943-1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "Wish I could wrap myself up like that and send me home to you!" Camp Grant, IL [circa. 1943-1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "No letters today" Camp Grant, IL. [circa. 1943-1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, Artist with music notes swirling around his head, Camp Grant, IL [circa. 1943-1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "I've a kitten back home that likes petting, too!" Camp Grant, IL [circa. 1943-1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "The light that never failed!" Camp Grant, IL [circa. 1943-1944] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "It's really nothing sir!" Manila, Philippines [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "Hey! You guys are reading that sign wrong!" Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, "Ya got me wrong Sarg!" Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]
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[ Colored pencil drawing, The artist with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Manila, Philippines. [1945] ]

About this Item

Title

  • Robert K. Bindig Collection

Names

  • Bindig, Robert K.

Home State

  • New York (State)

Headings

  • -  Bindig, Robert K.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Service Unit/Ship: Psychological Warfare Detachment, Armed Forces, Pacific Theater of Operations; Fitzsimmons General Hospital; Winters General Hospital
    • Location of Service: Camp Grant, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas; Manila (Philippines); Korea
    • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1946
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran drew material for various propaganda leaflets, and served as cartoonist for two weekly newspapers. He drew sketches, did lettering, drew maps, and created an original comic strip for the newspapers.

Materials

  • Manuscript: Military Papers [3 items] -- (collected 1946-03-30)
  • Manuscript: Creative works [121 items] -- (collected 1943-1945)
  • Manuscript: Memoir [1 item] -- (collected 2004)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/32475

Online Format

  • 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:

Bindig, Robert K. Robert K. Bindig Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.32475/.

APA citation style:

Bindig, R. K. (1943) Robert K. Bindig Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.32475/.

MLA citation style:

Bindig, Robert K. Robert K. Bindig Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.32475/>.