Preservation at the National Archives

Remembering Captain Mary Therese Klinker, USAF

Among the records cared for by Preservation Programs in St. Louis are those in the Persons of Exceptional Prominence. These records are prepared by preservation staff, treated if needed, and digitized. These records tend to be in higher demand for reference requests, so digitization allows better preservation by offering a surrogate copy and decreasing handling of the records. Among the records we have treated and digitized is that of Captain Mary Therese Klinker, United States Air Force. 

Indiana native Capt. Klinker joined the Air Force Reserve in 1969 as a flight nurse, instructor, and flight examiner. In 1974, while assigned to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, she volunteered to assist in the inaugural mission of Operation Babylift. The goal of this special mission, ordered by President Gerald Ford, was to evacuate thousands of orphaned babies from South Vietnam to adoptive parents in the US as the Vietnam War was ending.

 After the first plane took off carrying 314 persons and infants, there was an explosion and the cabin lost pressure. The pilots attempted to turn back, but crash landed short of the runway. 138 persons were killed in the crash. As documented in her personnel record, Capt. Klinker “was in the bottom of the aircraft, working with the war orphans right up to the moment of the crash.” First declared missing, Capt. Klinker’s remains were identified and confirmed several days later. 

On this Memorial Day we honor Captain Klinker and all others who gave their lives in service of our country. We are honored to preserve their records of service and ensure for all future generations.

May 1st means its MayDay! Are you ready in case of a disaster? The National Archives offers information on how you can take steps to limit damage before a disaster occurs and how to salvage damaged materials after a disaster has happened. Check it out at: https://www.archives.gov/preservation/records-emergency

Preservation through Poetry:

Tape is Evil

Tape is evil, tape is bad Tape makes Preservation staff really really mad. Scotch, masking, duct or the blue one used by a painter, None of these should be used; you’ll thank us later. Tape is made of two parts: a carrier and the glue One will degrade over time, the other too. The carrier will dry out, crumble and crack, The adhesive will seep out or lose its tack. The glue could ooze onto the photos, you see Or it could fuse the papers, we won’t get them free. Normally tape would be used for attaching fragments and closing rips. But this is not the best archival practice, please take these tips. So what should be used instead, you ask? We have a couple options, depending on the task. First, we could mend it using a wheat starch paste, Which is applied to an archival tissue, with ease, not haste. The tissue with paste is then laid over the fragment or tear, Providing stabilization for the paper from handling and wear. Second, if the page is torn or has fragments abound, We place them in a Mylar sleeve, so later they can be found. The sleeve keeps the loose fragments together with the original sheet, Without all the pieces, this page would be incomplete. The longevity of the papers and photos are what we guarantee, Here in the St. Louis Preservation Lab at the NPRC.

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK IN THE CONSERVATION LAB AT ARCHIVES II

The Conservation Lab at Archives II recently hosted two Alternative Spring Break interns. The interns worked on a rehousing project for lantern slides. Guided by our photo conservators, they helped to treat, sleeve, and box lantern slides from the Army Air Force. And as an added bonus they found some interesting images!

[RG 18 Army Air Forces, lantern slides of aviation history, ca. 1903-1927]

Oh, boy!

This baby book was found by a technician when they were routing a burned file to its requested agency. It seems that the soldier had lied about his age to get into the reserves, but never told his mother! The young man was admitted into the Army, but when he was transferred to a farther base, the soldier’s mother found out and provided proof of his true age by submitting the My Baby Book, his original birth certificate, and even a birth announcement! The soldier was given a minority discharge and sent back home to his mother. This just goes to show, never try and lie to your mother!

These parchment records are being treated for display in the Public Vaults exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Parchment reacts to even slight changes in relative humidity by expanding or contracting, and inks on its surface can be damaged by this flexing. Some of the iron gall ink used to write these documents was flaking and cracking. Conservators consolidated the iron gall ink using gelatin applied with a very small brush, to re-adhere the ink to the parchment.

[RG11, Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress (1789 - 1823 Segment), An Act to regulate the Item collection of the duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandises imported into the United States.]

Tape is Evil—the saga continues

Why is the tape being removed from the back of this map? As tape deteriorates, it often shrinks and pulls on the paper it is attached to. The images of the front of the map show where it is buckled and folded over and information is obscured. These areas correspond to the back of the map where there is tape. Conservation staff removed this tape’s carrier using a warm air tool to soften the adhesive. The tool allows the warm air to be precisely targeted at the tape. The tears will be carefully realigned and mended with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste so the map can be safely digitized.

For more information on Enumeration District Maps:

https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2016/06/08/snapshot-usa-1950-census-enumeration-district-maps/

These documents belonged to Army Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, a Japanese American soldier who fought with the acclaimed 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Nakamura enlisted in the Army from Camp Rohwer, a Japanese internment camp in Arkansas. Nakamura fought with distinction in World War II, and later paid the ultimate sacrifice for his heroic efforts in Korea. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his bravery under fire.

Nakamura’s military personnel record is among those that were damaged and salvaged after the 1973 fire in St. Louis. After the dirt and debris from the fire were cleaned from these documents, technicians placed these pages in protective polyester sleeves. Not all burned damaged pages require sleeving. But these examples from Nakamura’s file have sustained severe losses to the pages themselves, leaving fragile and ragged edges that need protection when handled so that further damage and loss is prevented.

As we look back on the executive order that forced many Japanese Americans into internment camps, it is important to recognize the heroism and sacrifice given by servicemen like Private Wataru Narkamura. Rest in peace soldier.

Oswald’s Radio

When Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy, the contents of his house were removed by law enforcement. This radio, known as FBI Exhibit A2, was one of the items seized. It was recently in the conservation lab for a new custom box that will permanently house it and associated items. The inner compartments are lined with Ethafoam for cushioning, and the radio and its case can be safely removed using the included tabs and supports.RG 272, FBI Exhibit A2

Sometimes when our preservation technicians are working through World War II records, they come across newspaper clippings sent to the government from the families of the servicemen. Keeping track of loved ones through newspaper articles was a common practice, and while many of these clippings were kept in scrapbooks by the families, some were sent to the military and placed in the personnel files.

One newspaper clipping found last week left quite a few of us feeling heartbroken. These twin brothers, James A. Norton and Edward Norton, were both bomber pilots that flew together on missions in Europe. While coming back from a bombing mission in Holland, the plane was presumably struck down, crashing into the North Sea. James A. Norton was killed and later found by German forces, but Edward Norton was never found. Included in the images is the newspaper clipping of the twins, as well as an excerpt from a letter from their father to General “Hap” Arnold.

Unfortunately, newspapers of this era were made from lower quality materials which became acidic as it degraded over time. Newspaper produced in the early twentieth century was made from wood pulp, a cheaper alternative to making paper rather than from cotton rags as was previously done. The wood pulp also contained lignin, which was beneficial to the living tree, but would give off acid as it deteriorated. To prevent damage to other documents in the record, the technician will separate the clippings from other papers to prevent the migration of acid, which will cause damage to the paper the clippings touch. In this case, the newspaper clipping was placed in a polyester sleeve in which users can easily view or photo copy the clipping. In other instances, an archive may select to place the acidic clippings into an acid-free paper sleeve, or even to photocopy the article on acid free paper to create a more permanent reproduction of the original.

This Presidential Pardon signed by Abraham Lincoln was treated to stabilize it before digitization. The document had been stored folded at some point in the past, and was torn along these fold lines. Conservation staff gently flattened it under weight, then mended along the fold lines with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste. The pardon was then digitized. Finally, a custom portfolio housing was made to provide rigid support so the document can be safely stored flat.

[RG 21 Abraham Lincoln pardon, Case 7000, General Case Files (LA), pardon of Charles Boland, June 18, 1863]

Treaty of Fort Pitt- realigning the record on a light table and lining the document with Japanese paper.

[RG 11, Ratified Indian Treaty #8]

Ratified Indian Treaty #8, more commonly referred to at the Treaty of Fort Pitt was recently treated in the Conservation Laboratory.  Signed in what is present-day Pittsburgh in 1778, it is the first treaty negotiated between a Native American tribe and the United States after its independence. This fragile record had been laminated between sheets of thin tissue and cellulose acetate film, probably in the mid-20th century.  The red resin seals at the bottom right had been cut from the record before lamination and reattached afterwards. Prior to lamination a number of pieces of pressure-sensitive tape had been used to repair tears.  Conservation treatment included reducing the lamination through immersion in a series of acetone baths to dissolve the cellulose acetate and release the tissue layers.  The pressure sensitive tapes were removed after delamination.  Next, the record was immersed in a series of deionized water baths to reduce discoloration and acidity.   Remaining treatment steps included realigning the record which was in a number of pieces after delamination; lining the document with Japanese mulberry paper adhered with wheat starch paste, infilling losses with cotton and linen paper pulp, toning the infills with watercolors, and reattaching the resin seals. [RG 11, Ratifed Indian Treaty #8]

The Problem of Plastic

Plastic, like all organic materials, can deteriorate in a variety of ways. This degradation can cause changes to its appearance and physical properties. Deteriorating plastics are found occasionally in the Official Military Personnel Files held in St. Louis when plasticized identification cards were kept with the record. Some plastics, like this Navy ID card, shrink as they age. The photo inside the plastic has been forced into a severely confined space over the years as its plastic housing has contracted. Although physically distorted, the photograph itself is chemically stable. Once free of the plastic, the photo ID only needs to be relaxed with gentle humidification to become flat again.

Another ID card issued to a Marine was laminated in a plastic that became sticky over time and oozed out of the card making the edges sticky. At some point, it was placed into a plastic zip bag used by the Navy as a “document envelope” in order to contain the sticky deterioration. This plastic envelope also deteriorated, yellowing and contracting. Inside, the entire bag became one sticky mess. The original plastic laminated card has been removed from the plastic envelope and is now housed in a polyester sleeve meeting archival specifications. Unlike the “document envelope” we found the card in, this sleeve is stable. (Those plastic sleeves you buy at the office supply store may also be polyester, but they contain additives and slip agents that make them more attractive products so that they are clear and paper can slide in easily—but can deteriorate over time.)

For laminated paper, additional conservation treatment are available but are time-consuming. Although readable as it is, the paper has become translucent due to the laminate’s adhesives and will continue to deteriorate inside the laminate card. Since we do not have the resources to do further treatment for this ID, we have made a preservation photocopy for the file and will keep the original card in its new sleeve in the record. 

Meeting a Hero

Have you ever dreamed of meeting your own celebrity hero? Two of our Preservation Technicians in St. Louis, Marie Taylor and Sean Derrick, know that feeling. They jumped at the chance to drive to Kansas City, Missouri, and meet their own personal hero, Dick Cole. Lieutenant Colonel Richard “Dick” E. Cole, USAF (ret.) is the last surviving Doolittle Raider. Plus, he is also known for his time as a Hump pilot in the China-Burma-India theater and as an Air Commando during the war. It’s not every day that you get to meet a legend!

Marie, Sean, and Archivist Michael Tarabulski presented Mr. Cole with a scanned copy of his personnel file after the ceremony. This special opportunity was made possible by the staff at the National Archives-Kansas City, who presented Mr. Cole with a copy of his draft registration card during the ceremony.

Happy Holidays from Preservation Programs at the U.S. National Archives!

Remembering the USS Oklahoma

Throughout this week we have been highlighting artifacts from the USS Arizona, one the battleships attacked in Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. Today, we would like honor the sacrifice of those who perished from the attack on the USS Oklahoma, which also took place at Pearl Harbor.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has been working hard in our St. Louis facility to gather information that will help identify service persons’ remains found at the burial site of the USS Oklahoma, many of whom died during the Pearl Harbor attack. Our preservation and archives staff work hard to make these records accessible to DPAA, as these records were affected by the 1973 fire, and require special treatment.

The U.S. Senate’s copy of President Roosevelt’s “a date that will live in infamy” speech is the Featured Document on exhibit in the East Rotunda Gallery at the National Archives in Washington D.C. through January 4, 2017. The document was in the conservation lab recently to be prepared for this display.  These photos show the tab mounting process and the finished product ready for exhibit.

https://www.archives.gov/museum/visit/featured-documents.html

For more info on the speech:

https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/day-of-infamy

https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2014/12/07/crafting-the-day-of-infamy-speech/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRYqLtg6LU

[RG 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 – 2015, Messages, Reports, and Communications Tabled or Read, 1875 – 1968; President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Day of Infamy Speech, 12/8/1941]

A Date That Will Live in Infamy

Archival Research Room Supervisor Eric Kilgore from the National Archives-St. Louis traveled to Hawaii this week to present copies of original service records to the families of Clarendon Hetrick and John Anderson. Hetrick and Anderson were both crewmen on board the USS Arizona when it was attacked on this day, 75 years ago.

John Anderson and his brother Delbert were both servicemen on board the ship, but Delbert Anderson perished during the attack. Both John Anderson and Clarendon Hetrick passed away earlier this year, and their ashes will be placed within the USS Arizona Memorial in a ceremony today. This is a page from John Anderson’s service record. It was digitized from microfilm to by a preservation specialist within the St. Louis Preservation Department

Rest in peace, gentlemen, and thank you for your service.

During the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japanese planes bombed and strafed Hickam Field to prevent U.S. planes from following them back to their aircraft carriers. This photographic reproduction of a map of Hickam Field, by the Joint Committee to investigate Pearl Harbor, was treated in the conservation lab to stabilize it for display at the Congressional Visitors Center. Losses in the emulsion were consolidated and the document was encapsulated and mounted for exhibit. [RG 128, Map of Hickam Field by the Joint Committee to Investigate Pearl Harbor]