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Robert E. Alexander Papers

Dates

1940-1997 (Bulk: 1940-1945)

Creator

Alexander, Robert E.

Summary/Abstract

The Robert E. Alexander Papers document the military career of Robert Alexander, a Bedford County native who worked in photographic intelligence. The bulk of these papers is comprised of correspondence which relate to Alexander’s training and military experience during World War II. Other materials, such as diaries and photographs, relate Alexander’s experiences during training and active service, including time in Calcutta, India. Alexander’s autobiography It Happened Sorta…Like This documents this period, as well as Alexander’s experiences in the Korean War.

Quantity/Physical Description

Less than 1 linear foot

Language(s)

English

Repository

Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, (615) 898-2632

Restrictions on Access

None

Copyright

It is presumed that corporate and individual copyrights in manuscripts, photographs, and other materials have been retained by the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions apply. Users of materials should seek necessary permissions from the copyright hold

Preferred Citation

(Box Number, Folder Number), Collection Name, Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Acquisition

Donated by Robert E. Alexander, 2003

Processed By

Original processor undetermined

Arrangement

These papers are arranged by series according to the donor’s original order. Materials in Series 1, Correspondence, are arranged chronologically. Materials in Series 2, Personal, are arranged by type. Materials in Series 3, Publications, are arranged al

Biographical Note

Robert E. Alexander, Jr., was born on December 20, 1918, to Robert Edgar Alexander and Daisie Marks Alexander. He worked on a family farm in Bedford County, Tennessee, for most of his childhood. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Alexander attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. While there, he majored in finance and played in the UT Band. During the summers of his college years, he was able to work in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. The work consisted of checking farms for compliance with the allotted amount of corn, beans, cotton, tobacco, and other agricultural products. Aerial photographs were used to determine acreage and other related issues.

 

In June of 1942, Alexander joined the Army and was stationed at training facilities in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia; Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi; and Isaac Delgado Trade School near New Orleans, Louisiana.  After Delgado, Alexander’s next assignment was with the Vultee Aircraft Corporation in Nashville, Tennessee. While there, he was trained on the A31 Dive Bomber that was being manufactured at that location. Subsequently, Alexander was assigned to the Officer Candidate School in Miami Beach, Florida. On March 2, 1943, Alexander was assigned to enter the Photo Intelligence School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  In April of 1943, Alexander was assigned to Will Rogers Field near Oklahoma City. On May 14, 1943, he arrived at the Army air base near Birmingham, Alabama, and was assigned to the headquarters of the 42nd Bomb Wing. On July 21, 1943, he was released from duty with the 42nd  Bomb Wing and assigned to Shipment AK705 at the Port of Embarkation in Los Angeles, California. On October 9, 1943, Alexander, along with other photo intelligence officers, went to Calcutta, India. While in Calcutta, Alexander took many photographs and wrote about his experiences and observations.

 

In addition to Calcutta, Alexander and other photographers visited Tibet, New Delhi, Simla, Raniket, and Nainital, India. In 1945, Alexander returned home to the United States. During the Korean War, he and other officers who had been photo interpreters during World War II were recalled to active duty. Alexander was assigned to Lawson Air Force Base at Ft. Benning, Georgia. On December 13, 1951, Alexander was transferred from the 117th Photo Recon Tech Squad at Ft. Benning to the 118th Photo Recon Tech Squad at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. On June 20, 1952, Alexander was discharged from the Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base.  After he was discharged, Alexander held jobs at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Scope and Content

The Robert E. Alexander Papers span the years 1940 to 1997.  Documents relating to Alexander's training experiences and his work in photograph intelligence in India during World War II comprise the majority of the .75 linear foot collection.  It includes correspondence from 1940-1945 between Alexander and his parents, sister, and brother-in-law; two personal diaries from the 1940s; and publications such as his autobiography, entitled It Happened Sorta… Like This.  The papers are organized into three series:  1) Correspondence, 2) Personal, and 3) Publications.  All photographs, primarily of India and Alexander’s family, are housed with the Albert Gore Research Center’s photographs.

Associated Materials

None

Related Collections

Middle Tennessee Oral History Collection, MT159 Alexander

Subject Terms

Persons/Families

Alexander, Robert E.

Organizations/Corporate Names

Places

Bedford County Tennessee Nashville, Tennesse Miami Beach, Florida Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Los Angeles, California Calcutta, India Tibet New Delhi, India Simla, India Raniket, India Nainital, India Fort Benning, Georgia Sumter, Sou

Subjects (General)

World War II, Photographs, Military intelligence, Autobiographies, Military training

Occupations

Material Types

Correspondence, Diaries, Programs, Books, Booklets, Ephemera, Photographs

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Albert Gore Research Center

P. O. Box 193, 1301 E. Main St.
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132

Main: 615-898-2632
University Archives: 615-898-5202
Director: 615-898-2633

Location

Todd Hall Suite 128

Hours

Monday - Friday
9:00AM - 4:00PM

Or by appointment

Summer Hours
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Friday
Closed

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