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ARTHUR O. TROSVIK. World War II Papers; 1939-1946, 1953. .85 cu. ft.
Arthur O. Trosvik, from Rothsay, Minnesota, served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. He received his initial military training at the Signal Corp Replacement Training Center at Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey. Trosvik served with the Alaska Communication System in Alaska in 1944 to 1945. Among the places in Alaska where he served were Nome, Adak, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and various locations along the Alaska Railroad.
The collection consists of papers and photographs of Arthur O. Trosvik concerning his military service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. The papers consist of incoming correspondence to Trosvik from friends and relatives during his training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and later in Seattle, Washington, in 1942; a letter from Trosvik, in Anchorage, to his mother in 1945; items from the period of his training at the Signal Corps Replacement Center at Fort Monmouth, in 1942; items from the period of his service in Alaska, in 1944 to 1945; military publications, 1940-1946; other miscellaneous publications and items from his period of military service; military service medals, ribbons, and pins; and photographs. The photographs from Alaska include views of the Alaska Railroad, Seward, Moose Pass, Portage Glacier, Girdwood, Cook Inlet, Eklutna, Palmer and the Matanuska Colony, McKinley National Park, Nenana, Fairbanks, Circle Hot Springs, and Circle City. Many of the photographs concern signal corps crews erecting telephone poles and stringing wires along the Alaska Railroad.
The collection was acquired by the archives in 2001.
HMC-0503
JAS (2/2001)
Box and Folder List:
Box 1
Series 1. Incoming Correspondence (Arranged alphabetically);
n.d., 1942.
1. Arthur M. Amundson: Company H, 2nd Quartermaster Training
Regiment, Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming; Feb. 22, 1942 (1 letter)
.
2. Ole Amundson: Rothsay, Minnesota; Feb. 9, Mar. 15,
1942 (2 letters).
3. Lorene E. Christopherson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota;
Jan. 30, Feb. 23, Mar. 27, May 14, 1942. (4 letters).
4. Arnold E. Haarstad: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota: Jan.
29, Feb. 12, 24, Apr. 2, 18, 1942 (4 letters and 1 greeting card).
5. Raymond B. Haarstad: Neosho, Missouri; Feb. 14, 1942
(1 letter).
6. Seolin A. Haarstad: Battery D 423, Coast Artillery,
Bermuda: Mar. 15, 1942 (1 letter).
7. Charles Haugrud: Barnesville, Minnesota; Feb. 6, Mar.
9, 20, 1943 (3 letters).
8. Ernest M. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota; Feb.
2, Mar. 29, 1942 (2 letters).
9. Lavaine E. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota; Apr.
5, Apr. 16, 26, May 9, 1942 (4 letters).
10. Florence Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota; Jan.
22, 24, 29, Feb. 6, Mar. 6, 17, Apr. 10, 24, May 13, 1942 (9
letters and 1 greeting card).
11. Gladys Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota); Feb.
11, Mar. 1, May 9, 1942 (3 letters).
12. Mrs. Lars Trosvik (mother): Rothsay, Minnesota; n.d.,
Jan. 25, Feb. 3, Mar. 10, 29, Apr. 15, 1942 (5 letters and 2
greeting cards).
13. Margaret Trosvik (sister): Fergus Falls, Minnesota;
Jan. 25, 30, Feb. 2, 16, 22, Mar. 4, 9, 25, 31, Apr. 4, 7, 20,
1942 (12 letters).
14. Melvin Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota; n.d.,
Feb. 5, 20, Mar. 13, 25, Apr. 12, 1945 (6 letters).
15. Orville M. Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota;
Feb. 20, 1942 (1 letter).
16. Rose Jean Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota; Mar.
31, 1942 (1 letter).
17. Other correspondents; Jan.-Apr. 1942 (6 letters, 2
post cards, and 2 greeting cards).
Series 2. Outgoing Correspondence; 1945.
1. Arthur O. Trosvik: T.S.U. Signal Corps, A.C.S., Anchorage,
Alaska; July 9, 1945 (1
letter to mother, Mrs. Lars Trosvik).
Series 3. Items from Signal Corps Replacement Training
Center, Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey; n.d., 1941-1942.
1. Items from training center; n.d., 1941-1942.
1. Information Booklet; n.d. (36 pages).
2. Basic Signal Communication, Basic Training School (2
similar booklets); n.d., Dec.1941 (14 pages each).
3. General Orders; n.d. (1 page).
4. The EE-8A Telephone (description of portable field
telephone); n.d. (1 page with handwritten notes on reverse).
5. Phonetic Alphabet; n.d. (1 card).
6. Fort Monmouth Post Exchange coupon book; n.d. (book
with 2 remaining coupons).
7. Consolidated Timetable, Asbury Park-New York Trasit
Corp. (Bus timetable); Feb. 10, 1942.
Series 4. Items from U.S. Army Signal Corps Service in Alaska;
n.d., 1944-1945.
1. Items from service in Alaska; n.d., 1944-1945.
1. Special Orders No. 234, 9427 TSU-SIG C, ALS COM SYSTEM,
Seattle Wash: Orders including those for T/4 Arthur O. Trosvik,
for station at Adak, Alaska; Aug. 22, 1945 (1 page, 5 copies).
2. Information to Enlisted Men, Fort Richardson Intransit
Company, Fort Richardson, Alaska; By Albert A. Erickson, Captain,
Commanding Officer; n.d. (1 page, 2 sides).
3. Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Nome, Alaska: pass issued
to A.C.S. member Arthur O. Trosvik for official business only
in Nome; Oct. 29, 1944.
4. Meal Ticket, Troop Mess, U.S.S. Grant, for Pvt. Arthur
Trosvik, 1st Signal Service Company, Designation: Seward, Alaska;
n.d.
5. ACS News Bulletin; Sep. 1944.
6. ACS New Bulletin; Apr. 1945.
7. Photo post card with 12 views of the USO Building in
Anchorage; n.d.
8. Anchorage Cocktail Lounge, Anchorage, Alaska (4 paper
napkins); n.d.
Series 5. Military Publications; n.d. 1940, 1941, 1944-1946.
1. Basic Field Manual, Soldier's Handbook, FM 21-100;
July 23, 1941 (251 pages).
2. Army Life, War Department Pamphlet 21-13; Aug.
10, 1944 (182 pages).
3. This is Your New Regular Army, U.S. Army, Recruiting
Publicity Bureau; May 17, 1946 with July 10, 1946 insert (47
pages).
4. Information for Soldiers Going Back to Civilian
Life, War Department Pamphlet No. 21-4; Nov. 1944 (58 pages).
5. Continuance of National Service Life Insurance:
Information for Veterans of World War II, Veterans Administration,
Insurance Form 1535; Oct. 1945 (41 pages).
6. Two Down and One to Go, War Department Pamphlet
No. 21-31; Apr. 28, 1945 (26 pages).
7. Sex Hygiene and Venerial Disease, War Department
Pamphlet; 1940 (16 pages).
8. Army Hit Kit, Special Services Division, Army
Services Forces, U.S. Army (song lyrics); June, Oct., and O issue,
1944 (3 issues, 6 pages each).
Series 6. Other Publications and Items from Military Service;
n.d., 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953.
1. New Testament Psalms, The Gideons; 1941 (123 pages).
2. Training Camps and Insignia, American Express; n.d.
(4 pages).
3. United States Defense Savings Bonds pamphlet, Treasury
Department; 1942.
4. Little Folks (Sunday school paper); Aug. 11,
1946 (4 pages).
5. Babysan: A Private Look at the Japanese Occupation;
By Bill Hume; Kasuga Boeki K.K., Tokyo Japan; 1953 (127 pages).
6. When We Get Back Home from Japan; Cartoons by
Bill Hume, Commentary by John Annarino; Kyoyo Company, Ltd.,
Tokyo, Japan; 1953 (117 pages).
7. Kodak Indoor Exposure Guide, Eastman Kodak Company;
1939.
8. Baggage tags and receipt; n.d. (7 items).
9. Page from Radio News magazine; Nov. 1942.
Series 7. Military Service Medals, Ribbons, and Pins; n.d.,
1943.
1. Good Conduct Medal; July 24, 1943.
2. U.S. brass pin; n.d.
3. Signal Corps brass pin; n.d.
4. Marksman riflery medal; n.d.
5. U.S.A. with attached sergeant's insignia pins; n.d.
(2 pins).
6. Service ribbons on pins; n.d. (6 ribbons on 4 pins).
7. Service ribbon tie tack; n.d.
Box 2 (Album 1)
Series 8. Photographs (Primarily by lot number); ca. 1941,
1942, 1944-1945 (581 b&w prints; 8 b&w negatives).
1. No. 1 (Black): Soldiers at army camp in woods with quonset
huts and tents; Chena River and downtown Fairbanks during breakup;
view of passenger train at Nenana Station; n.d. (8 b&w prints,
2.75 X 4.5 inch; 8 b&w negatives, 2.75 X
4.5 inch).
2. No. 8 (Black): Soldiers in barracks; portraits of soldiers
standing in snowy field; soldiers standing in waste-deep snow;
soldiers standing in gap in ice of frozen waterfall; moose and
dog on frozen lake; winter work crew of 15 soldiers working on
telephone line; n.d. (25 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
3. No. 14 (Black): Mountain goat on rocky hillside; winter
views of hotel at McKinley National Park from train station;
soldiers erecting telephone poles next to railroad; winter scenes
from Alaska Railroad; and signal corps crew at work on telephone
lines; n.d. (36 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
4. No. 17 (Black): Views of placer mining area reached
by airplane, including dredges, thawing points, buildings, tailings
ponds, and aerial photos; downtown Fairbanks; scenery; and structure
burnt to the ground; n.d. (33 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
5. No.18 (Black): Signal corps work crew laying telephone
wire next to railroad on Cook Inlet; and scenery; n.d. (7 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
6. No. 19 (Black): Signal corps work crew mounting telephone
wire on poles next to railroad;
views of the Girdwood area (?); and scenery; n.d. (23 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
7. No. 24 (Black): Man with bull moose trophy; dogs and
moose on frozen lake; telephone poles and wire in deep snow next
to railroad; and train and winter scenes along railroad; n.d.
(20 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
8. No. 29 (Black): Church and A.R.R. Engine No. 1 in Fairbanks;
men working on frozen Chena River; and building along Alaska
Railroad near McKinley National Park; n.d. (3 b&w prints,
2.75 X 4.5 inch).
9. No. 32 (Black): Railroad maintenance crew; and Eklutna
village (?); n.d. (5 b&w prints, 3.25 X 5 inch).
10. No. 40 (Black): Signal corps crew erecting telephone
poles; Moose Pass; Alaska Nellie's cabin; winter scenery along
railroad; Portage Glacier; and two girls next to railroad train;
(22 b&w prints: 21-2.75 X 4.5 inch, 1-2.5
X 3.5 inch).
11. No. 54 (Black): Railroad car unloading poles; railroad
station house; glacier and other scenery along railroad; bison
and camel at zoo; and houses on street; n.d. (13 b&w prints,
3.25 X 5 inch).
12. No. 64 (Black): Three views of the aftermath of the
fire on Fourth Avenue in Seward; and dog and puppies; n.d., ca.
Nov. 24, 1941 (4 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
13. No. 460U (Black): Washington, D.C. scenes (?) of soldiers
statue, diner, plaza, and plane at air field; n.d. (4 b&w
prints, 3 X 4.75 inch).
14. No. 751 (Black): Circle Hot Springs Lodge and outbuildings;
buildings at Circle City; Yukon River; scenery; and houses on
street; n.d. (14 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
15. No. D70 (Black): Matanuska Colony buildings in Palmer;
band and crowd in front of school building; workmen with drilling
rig (?); and Palmer from across railroad tracks; n.d. (13 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
Box 3 (Album 2)
16. No. 1 (Red): Portage Glacier and lake; outdoor
latrine; and homestead; n.d. (5 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
17. No. 2 (Red): Arthur Trosvik and fellow soldiers at
Portage Glacier; railroad maintenance crew; railroad tunnel;
Arthur Trosvik in dress uniform; scenery; and views of ships
and boats in Cook Inlet; n.d. (33 b&w prints, 2.75 X
4.5 inch).
18. No. 3 (Red, large print): Cargo truck near railroad
tracks; moose near road; scenery; and glacier; n.d. (4 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
19. No. 3 (Red, small print): Passenger train at railroad
siding; man near porcupine next to railroad tracks; and two men
with salmon catch; n.d. (8 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
20. No. 4 (Red): Signal corps crew with railroad cars
and vehicles; soldier at Alaska Nellie's cabin; soldier at the
top of telephone pole; and soldiers at glacier; n.d. (12 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
21. No. 5 (Red): Portage Glacier and lake scenes; soldiers
with black bear head and at outdoor latrine; mess table; salmon
in stream; and scenery from railroad; n.d. (15 b&w prints,
2.5 X 3.5 inch).
22. No. 6 (Red): Portage Glacier and lake; views along
railroad; and explosion in wetlands; n.d. (11 b&w prints,
2.5 X 3.5 inch).
23. No. 7 (Red): Alaska Nellie Lawing in doorway of her
cabin; divide marker next to railroad track; views along railroad;
Kenai Lake; and glacier; n.d. (8 b&w prints, 2.5 X
3.5 inch).
24. No. 8 (Red): Soldiers at Portage Glacier; soldiers
fishing; and scenery; n.d. (18 b&w prints, 2.5 X 3.5
inch).
25. No. 9 (Red): Railroad maintenance crew; signal corps
with railroad car moving poles; soldier sitting inside outhouse
on railroad vehicle; and scenery; n.d. (8 b&w prints: 2-2.5
X 3.5 inch, 6-2 X 2.75 inch).
26. No. 13 (Red): Soldiers in dress uniforms at Fort Monmouth,
Red Bank, New Jersey (?); and board walk at Atlantic City (?);
ca. 1942 (5 b&w prints; 3 X 4.25 inch).
27. No. 14 (Red): Glacier; scenery from railroad; and
signal corps work crew beside railroad tracks; n.d. (7 b&w
prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
28. No. 26 (Red): Telephone poles laid down below railroad
bed; and scenery; n.d. (7 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
29. No. 91 (Red): Portraits of soldiers; group photos
of signal corps work crew on railroad tracks; soldiers at work
with shovels (?); men at mess table; cargo truck; men standing
waste deep in snow; and scenery; n.d. (42 b&w prints: 21-2.75
X 4.5 inch, 21- 2 X 2.75 inch).
30. No. A3 (Red): Poles laid out next to road toward Portage
Glacier; Ice in Portage Lake; glacier; scenery; and bridge in
Puget Sound area; n.d. (6 b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5
inch).
31. No. A10 (Red): Portage Glacier and lake and other
scenery; n.d. (9 b&w prints, 2 X 2.75 inch).
32. No. A11 (Red): Scenes of signal corps soldiers on
time off duty; soldiers at Portage Glacier; signal corps work
crew on railroad car hauling poles; man with black bear hide;
single and group portraits of soldiers; mess hall; railroad maintenance
crew; and scenery; n.d. (37 b&w prints: 16-2.75 X 4.5
inch, 7-2.5 X 3.5 inch; 14-2 X 2.5 inch).
33. Portraits of Arthur Trosvik; n.d. (5 b&w prints,
2.75 X 4.5 inch).
34. Miscellaneous portraits of other soldiers; n.d. (8
b&w prints, 2.75 X 4.5 inch).
35. Prints without lot numbers: Signal corps work crew
with truck; jeep; man climbing tall pole; soldiers at barracks
in woods; soldiers in Fairbanks; soldiers in parade in Fairbanks;
tractor broken through ice on Chena River; dog sled team on street;
gold dredge; Ptarmigan hunting party; explosion in wetlands;
moose and dogs on frozen lake; and other miscellaneous scenes;
n.d. (84 b&w prints: 2-5 X 7 inch; 39-2.75 X 4.5
inch, 37-2.5 X 3.5 inch, 6-2 X 2.75 inch).
36. Miscellaneous reprints (No. 99-Red): Portage Glacier
and lake; and other scenery; n.d. (16 b&w prints, 2.75
X 4.5 inch).
37. Miscellaneous studio portraits: Man in Army Signal
Corps dress uniform with hat; 3 small children (Leaf Studio,
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota); small boy, Rodney DuWayne (Leaf Studio,
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota); n.d. (3 b&w prints: 1-3.5
X 5.5 inch, 2-5.5 X 8 inch mounted studio portraits).