Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource Preston Earl Bagent Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 149th Engineer Combat Battalion
- Location of Service: Camp McCain, Mississippi; Camp Pickett, Virginia; Normandy, France; Belgium; Germany; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/46886
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Staff Sergeant Preston Earl Bagent worked as a draftsman and artist before joining the Army in 1943. The military made good use of his engineering skills, assigning him to the newly-created 149th Engineer Combat Battalion. After his transfer overseas and training in England, he got his "first taste of combat" on June 6, 1944. Bagent later documented his harrowing journey from his landing craft to Omaha Beach in an evocative series of drawings and letters to his wife. Following D-Day, his unit traveled from France to Belgium, Holland, and Germany, fixing roads and building bridges.
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About this Item
Title
- Preston Earl Bagent Collection
Names
- Bagent, Robert Preston
- Bagent, Preston Earl
Home State
- Illinois
Headings
- - Bagent, Preston Earl
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 149th Engineer Combat Battalion
- Location of Service: Camp McCain, Mississippi; Camp Pickett, Virginia; Normandy, France; Belgium; Germany; European Theater
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1943-1945
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Manuscript: Correspondence [17 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1944-1945)
- Manuscript: Creative works [15 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1943-1945)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1945-12-08)
- Photograph: Digital print [60 items] -- Photograph (collected 1943-1945)
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 1943-1945; 2005-11-29)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/46886
Cite as
- Preston Earl Bagent Collection (AFC/2001/001/46886), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image