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Thomas Green Photograph Album

 File — Box: Small Collections Oversize Box 5, Folder: 1
Identifier: id314644

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Photograph album created by Thomas "Tommy" Matthew William Green, Jr. who served in the United States Army during World War II.  He was a second generation African American soldier, his father, Thomas M. W. Green was a Sergeant - Cavalry Detachment in the Army and is buried at West Point Military Academy Cemetery.  Green was part of a segregated unit and his album features photos of his friends and family along with other soldiers with whom he served.  The photographs along with some of his captions capture many aspects of Green's experience while he was in the Army including a brutal march in boot camp that he claimed "it seems like the skin on the bottom of my feet all came lose [sic]".  There are also photographs of Tommy that show he was injured with a leg wound.  He is shown on a stretcher in an army transport vehicle, being loaded into a military plane, and also in a hospital ward recovering from his wounds. 

After being released from the Army, probably due to his injuries, Tommy worked on merchant ships as part of the mess crew through the 1950's.  There is a newspaper article in the album that reports on the death aboard the ship in which Tommy was attached of John D. Eudy, who passed away while out to sea due to a heart attack.  Tommy married a Philippine woman and a card in the album dated 1951 features the two and reads, Mr. and Mrs. Louise and T. Green.

Dates

  • Creation: 1943-1951

Creator

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

English

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Extent

From the Collection: 0.75 Linear Feet