Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Champaign County Historical Archives Compiled by: Thomas Kuipers Creator/Corporate name: Chanute Air Force Base Inclusive Dates: 1917-2000s Physical Description: 8 boxes, 7.5 linear feet Provenance: The Chanute Air Force Base 75-year pictorial history records were donated to the Champaign County Historical Archives from the defunct Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum upon their closure in 2016. The records in this collection were originally curated and arranged by Donald O. Weckhorst. Access: The records are accessible to the public within applicable copyright restrictions and limited to use at the Champaign County Historical Archives of The Urbana Free Library. Historical Note: In 1983, Commanding Officer Major General J.D. Moore hired Chief Master Sergeant and Chanute alum Donald O. Weckhorst to be the Chanute Air Force Base historian. Moore tasked Weckhorst with creating a pictorial history book of the base. From 1983-1992, Weckhorst contacted former and active Chanute students, instructors, civilians, and more from throughout the entirety of the base’s history seeking sources for the book. This collection contains the donations, correspondence, and other personal records Weckhorst received from more than 300 former Chanute airmen, which were used for the creation of the 1992 publication 75 Year Pictorial History: Chanute Air Force Base. Scope and Content Note: This collection spans nearly the entire history of CAFB as an active military institution from 1917-1993. The bulk of the materials come from Chanute service people that served from the 1910s-1950s. The collection includes considerable correspondence between former service people and base historian Donald Weckhorst. There are also photographs that can and cannot be found within the 75 Year Pictorial History book. In addition, there is also numerous types of military records, such as orders, assignments, pamphlets, menus, histories of service, and more, as well as newspaper clippings and some publications. Arrangement: Files are arranged by last name. Each file typically starts with correspondence and ends with ephemera and newspaper clippings. Most photographs lack metadata, so they are typically listed simply as ‘photographs’. Item level description was implemented for many files throughout the collection to provide more in-depth description. Subject Terms: Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.) Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.) – History Page 1 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.) – Pictorial Works Chanute Field (Ill.) – History Chanute Field (Ill.) – Pictorial Works Air bases – Rantoul – History Rantoul (Ill.) Military Air Pilots Airplanes, Military United States. Air Force—Airmen Military History Military History, Modern—20th Century Aeronautics, Military—Study and teaching Container List: Box 1 Folder 1: Adams, James W., ca. 1940 Correspondence Newspaper Clipping Folder 2: Ahrens, E.E., ca. 1966-1970 Correspondence Personnel Action Request Special Order Retirement Order Folder 3: Airgood, Roger L, ca. 1939-1942 Correspondence Brief Autobiography “My Buddy George S. “Sammy” Lightman by Roger L. Airgood Photographs Report Card CAFB Christmas Menu, 1939 Ephemera Negatives Folder 4: Alcorn, Ruth F., ca. 1941 Correspondence Sixty Quotes on First Experiences at CAFB Chanute Menus Chanute Field Gradation Pamphlet Negatives Newspaper Clipping Correspondence Copy of The Called Me Dixie Book Cover and First Pages Pilot’s Log, 1941-44 Photograph Ephemera Page 2 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Folder 6: Alstrand, Gary T., ca. 1988 Correspondence Photographs (Uniforms) Request Forms Ephemera Newspaper Clippings Negatives Folder 7: Andrew, James, (1902-1993) Correspondence Biographic Sketch Newsletter, 88’ Newspaper Clippings Ephemera Folders 8-13: Andrew, James, (1903-1993) – Photographs 1920s 1940s 1950s 1980s Unidentified Negatives Folder 14: Arbuckle, Wayne W., ca. 1939-1953 Photographs Newspaper Clippings Folder 15: Aurand, Lee E., ca. 1941 Correspondence Photographs Thanksgiving Menu, 1940 Ephemera Negatives Folders 16-20: Avner, Sim N., ca. 1930-1957 Photograph Complete Military Record Folder 21: Babington, Walter T., ca. 1940 Correspondence Diploma Photographs Pin Folder 22: Balbach, Nyle J. (1893-1968) Correspondence Folder 23: Barlow, William S., ca. 1940-42 Correspondence Folder 24: Barnes, Melvin, ca. 1973 Correspondence Photograph Page 3 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Folder 25: Becchetti, Fred A., ca. 1920s Correspondence Publication Photographs Schoolwork Certificates Folder 26: Bennett, William J., ca. 1980s Correspondence Envelope, USED Newspaper Clipping Folder 27: Biondo, Michael, ca. 1950-59 Correspondence Folder 28: Black, Floyd M., ca. 1942 Correspondence Photograph Wings, March 15, 1941 (First Issue) Ephemera Folder 29: Blake, Gordon, ca. 1935-1939 Correspondence Copied Photograph Folder 30: Blakeslee, A. G., ca. 1936 Correspondence Photographs Life of the Soldier and the Airman, 1951 Folder 31: Bomba, Ed, ca. 1954-55 Correspondence Photographs Folder 32: Boulware, Hardin M., ca. 1918 Donor Correspondence Certificates Photographs Ephemera Folder 33: Bowers, Peter M., ca. 1936, 1942-43 Correspondence List of Planes with Chanute Field Insignia Folder 34: Braun Family, ca. 1920s-1970s Correspondence Military Service Birth Certificates Publications Training Guide Newspaper Clippings Folder 35: Braun Family, ca. 1920s-1970s – Photographs 1920s Page 4 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 1940s 1950s 1970 Unidentified Folder 36: Bridis, Rich, ca. 1979 Correspondence Newspaper Clippings Folder 37: Brown, David J., ca. 1940-41 Correspondence Folder 38: Brucker, Mae M., ca. 1948 Correspondence Folder 39: Brundage, Theodore T., ca. 1941-44 Correspondence Letters to Home, July 1941-July 1942 Photograph Ephemera Folder 40: Bryant, Charles E., ca. 1948 Correspondence Newspaper Clippings Folder 41: Buck, Donald O., ca. 1945 Correspondence Folder 42: Buckley, E.F., ca. 1941 Correspondence Folder 43: Campbell, F.W., ca. 1941 Correspondence Photographs Aviation Cadet Class 41-1 50th Anniversary Pamphlet, 1991 Negatives Box 2 Folder 44: Canney, Ladd L., ca. 1939 Correspondence Hand Animated Envelopes Official Chanute Field “History, Photo, and Insignia” Pamphlet Photographs Negatives Folder 45: Carlz, Ralph E., ca. 1941 Correspondence Photographs Negatives Newspaper Clippings Folder 46: Carrigan, Joe B., ca. 1917 Correspondence, 1985 Page 5 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Folder 47: Carter, Thomas E., ca, 1941-1984 Correspondence Civilian Award, 1984 Photographs Biographic Records Negatives Newspaper Clipping Folder 48: Caruso, Rocco P., ca. 1958-1983 Correspondence Certificates Special Orders Personnel Action Memos Homework Assignments Travel Voucher, 1962 Occupancy Orders, 1959 Allotment Authorization, 1950 Identification Data Sheets Ephemera Folder 49: Cazel, Ralph S., ca. 1941 Correspondence Folder 50: Chach, William, ca. 1951 Correspondence Special Orders Folder 51: Chapman, Robert C., ca. 1960-67 Correspondence Photographs Postcards, USED Certificates Homework Assignments Special Orders Personnel Action Memos Official Military Forms Official Military Reports Furstenfeldbruck Air Force Base Mess Hall Menu Roster OCAM Donation Form Cloth Patch Aircraft Plotter Folder 52: Clair, Charles R., ca. 1940 Correspondence Folder 53: Clavette, Edmond J., ca. 1971 Correspondence Folder 54: Clemens, Mary R. (1910-1992) Correspondence Page 6 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Newspaper Clippings Folder 55: Clemens, Mary R. (1910-1992) – Photographs 1930s 1940 1950s Unidentified Folder 56: Clemens, Ray C., ca. 1920s-1940s – Photographs 1920s 1930s 1940s Negatives Folder 57: Coffin, Joseph B., ca. 1920s-1960s Correspondence 210th Aero Squadron Rosters Photographs Negatives Ephemera Folder 58: Collison, Thomas (Aviation Writer) Correspondence Newspaper Clippings Pictorial History Progress Report Folder 59: Commanday, Maurice, ca. 1941-42 Correspondence Photographs “Aviation Engineering Cadet Program”, by Maurice Commanday “Aviation Engineering Cadet Training” 41-4 Cadet Class Rosters Ephemera Newspaper Clipping (More in CAFB A/V Collection) Folder 60: Connelly, R.E., ca. 1941 Correspondence Photographs Envelope Folder 61: Conrad, Zane L., ca. 1948-1959 Correspondence Special Orders Used Envelope Folder 62: Cooper, Billy N., ca. 1980s Correspondence “Chanute Air Force Base” Poem Poems by a Patriot by Billy N. Cooper Folder 63: Copeland, Joan (Cameo Antiques, Rantoul, IL) Pvt. Alfred Lantis Records Correspondence Page 7 of 39 Chanute Air Force Base: 75 Year Pictorial History COLLECTION 200.004 Postcard Photograph Used Envelopes Base Map, 1924 Ephemera Proposal to the Board of Trustees Junior College District 505 Folder 64: Cornett, James G., ca. 1955 Correspondence History at CAFB Folder 65: Cover, John C., ca. 1935-1942 Correspondence Autobiography of time at CAFB Photographs Folder 66: Cox, Robert B., ca. 1947-1950 Correspondence Folder 67: Coxey, Robert F., ca. 1939-1940 (PRESERVATION CONCERN*) Correspondence Historic Correspondence (1779)* Negatives Folder 68: Craven, Fred, ca. 1937 Correspondence Photographs Photographic Metadata Envelope, USED Folder 69: Cullen, Kevin (Reporter for The Commercial-News) Correspondence Folder 70: Curfman, Ralph D., ca.