J. Clyde Haney Papers and Photographs
1943-1995
WVM Mss 1233
0.4 linear ft. (1 archives box) of papers, 0.1 linear ft. (2 folders) of photographs.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum
(Map)
Papers and photographs documenting the World War II service of J. Clyde Haney (Joseph), a Janesville, Wisconsin resident who served with the 193rd and 194th Glider Infantry Regiments of the 17th Airborne Division, and was killed in action during Operation Varsity on March 24th, 1945. Haney saw action at the Battle of the Bulge, was posthumously awarded two purple hearts and the bronze star, and is buried at Margraten Holland/Netherlands American National Cemetery. All of the manuscripts are photocopies of original documents and include letters, certificates, newspaper articles, and biographical material. The bulk of the manuscripts are letters that were written by Haney to his wife, son, mother, and in-laws during basic training and serving on the European Front. In the letters, he describes his daily military activities, social events, sites in Europe, and his overall welfare. The letters to his wife, Vera, also include a sense of homesickness. He describes in several letters how he missed being with her and their son, Richard. Haney also shows concern for the welfare of his family, often asking how everyone was feeling and making sure that they are eating enough food. After entering combat, his letters also mention the horrors of war without going into detail. In one letter (January 8, 1945), he says, "Sherman was certainly right," and in another (January 18, 1945) he says, "I've seen and been through a lot, but want to forget it as soon as I can." The letters to his in-laws and mother discuss much of the same elements as the letters to Vera, but often they include more details about what he was training for and how dangerous missions would be when he entered combat. One letter (March 7, 1944) to his mother describes his role as a combat intelligence and reconnaissance soldier, but tells her not to discuss the dangerous aspects of this role with Vera because he didn't want her to worry. Haney devised a code system with his family and would occasionally include coded messages within his letters. These codes generally relay his location in Europe and missions he was about to partake. His son, Richard, explains the code system his father developed in more detail in his book "When is Daddy coming home?" There is also a collection of letters written to Haney from Vera that were returned after he was killed in combat. In them, Vera describes how she and Richard are doing, events and happenings in Wisconsin, and life once the war is over and the family is back together. They also include descriptions of her concern for Haney's safety and how it was affecting her. In one letter (February 28, 1945) she states that she was relieved to hear that he was not seriously wounded after she had received a telegram stating that he was and that the stress had been causing her to have headaches. The collection also includes letters written to Vera from the War Department and commanding officers expressing sympathy for her loss, and documents discussing the determent of his remains. Vera eventually decided to keep his remains interned in Europe. The newspaper clippings are of Richard in a preschool class, the announcement of Haney's death, an account of Vera's first trip to visit his grave in Europe, and Richard's account of his father's service in three separate articles. The biographical information includes a list and brief family biography and guide to the codes that were hidden within them. He also included copies of two articles about the history of the 17th Airborne Division and the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment as it made its assault during Operation Varsity, and certificates for his purple hearts and bronze star. The photographs are reproductions of the originals and include images of Haney with his family before being drafted, during his training, before leaving for Europe, and in uniform right before his death. There are also images of Vera and Richard at his gravesite during three different visits to Europe.
English
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