Cyril Buzek, Sr. Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 00077

Staff Only
No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

154 letters, 2 postcards, and a photograph, 1945–1946. The letters are from Cyril Buzek to his parents and sisters in Lane City, Texas. Buzek came to Camp Peary, near Williamsburg, Virginia, in January 1945 for basic training in the Navy. After short stints in Norfolk and Newport News, he was sent to Panama in July 1945, where he was posted at various sites. The nearly continuous stream of letters ended in late December 1945, but there were two additional ones from Panama written in May 1946, shortly before he was expecting to be discharged.

There are 71 letters from Camp Peary, January 23 – June 7, 1945; 8 letters from Norfolk, Virginia, June 9 – June 22, 1945; 4 letters from Newport News, Virginia, June 25 – July 4, 1945; 2 letters from New York City, July 7 and 8, 1945; and 69 letters from Panama, July 20, 1945 – May 30, 1946. Buzek wrote to his family frequently, sometimes more than once on the same day.

Dates

Creation: 1945-1946

Creator

Buzek, Cyril, Sr., 1922-1958 (Person)

Language of Materials

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.

Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Biographical Information:

Cyril Buzek was born on July 5, 1922, in Ellinger, Fayette County, Texas. His parents were Joe and Celia Shimek Buzek. Celia’s parents were born in Czechoslovakia. Cyril had younger sisters Judith and Leona, also called Babs. His family lived on a farm near Lane City, Texas.

Cyril enlisted in the U. S. Navy on January 18, 1945, and attended boot camp at Camp Peary, near Williamsburg, Virginia. He was shipped out to Panama in July 1945, where he was stationed at various sites until his discharge in July 1946. He trained as a tinsmith in Panama and eventually attained the rank of Metal Smith Third Class.

Back in Texas, Cyril worked as a laborer in the carpentry business. He married Averill Hoffman, and they had three children in the mid-1950s, Averill, Cyril, and Joe George. Cyril Sr. suffered a coronary occlusion and died on October 19, 1958, at his home near Wharton, Texas. His family had an official military marker placed at his gravesite in the Wharton City Cemetery.

Extent

0.20 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement of Materials:

The letters are arranged in chronological order.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 2011.701 was received by the SCRC in November 2011.

Processing Information:

Accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in January 2012. Further processed by Del Moore, SCRC volunteer, October-December 2014. The letters originally were housed in plastic sleeves in three-ring binders. They were removed from the sleeves and binders for preservation purposes.