Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Theodore R. Cummings Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
- Location of Service: United States; Australia; New Zealand; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands); Solomon Islands; New Britain Island (Bismarck Archipelago); New Guinea; Milne Bay
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/78232
In late 1941, Theodore R. Cummings was stationed in Chicago, setting up a metalsmithing school. But with the outbreak of war, he immediately requested a transfer and was soon trained to operate a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). After landing on Tulagi with the 1st Marine Division, he watched the Battle of Savo Island, describing it as a "huge, just satanic kind of fire on the ocean." He later learned that his brother Edwin's ship, the USS Vincennes, had sunk during the battle and assumed Edwin had been lost. Meanwhile Edwin also believed his brother had been killed in action, and it would be more than four months before a chance encounter reunited the two in Australia.
Interview / Recording
Transcript
Share
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Theodore R. Cummings Collection
Names
- Central Connecticut State University
- Cummings, Theodore R.
- Hurst, Eileen M.
- McGuckin, Briana
Home State
- Connecticut
Headings
- - Cummings, Theodore R.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Marine Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
- Location of Service: United States; Australia; New Zealand; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands); Solomon Islands; New Britain Island (Bismarck Archipelago); New Guinea; Milne Bay
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Dates of Service: 1941-1945
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [3 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2010-08-27-2010-09-22)
- Photograph: Digital print [3 items] -- Photograph (collected 2010-08-27)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [39 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1941-07-22)
- Video: DVD [3 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2010-08-27-2010-09-22; 2010-08-27-2010-09-22)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2012-05-07)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/78232
Cite as
- Theodore R. Cummings Collection (AFC/2001/001/78232), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- online text
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Australia
- Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
- Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands)
- Milne Bay
- New Britain Island (Bismarck Archipelago)
- New Guinea
- New Zealand
- Solomon Islands
- United States