William B. Allen Papers
This collection consists of William B. Allen's personal World War II materials and includes photographs, press clippings, as well as commemorative materials from his service. Also available is a photocopy of the third issue of the United States Marines comic book, published in 1943.
Dates
- 1943-1980 April 3, undated
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection consists of William B. Allen's personal World War II materials and includes photographs, press clippings, as well as commemorative materials from his service.
Biographical/Historical Note
William Brooks Allen was born on January 18, 1924, in Chattanooga, TN. With his mother’s consent, he left college at 17 to join the United States Marines in 1942. He received basic training on Parris Island in South Carolina and went to Camp Pendleton to receive maneuver training with the 4th Marine Division. His unit was sent to the Pacific Theatre and Allen participated in four invasions: Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. At the Battle of Iwo Jima, Allen witnessed the iconic raising of the American flag. He was wounded on the 10th day of the invasion and was sent home to Chattanooga to recover. It was while attending church in Chattanooga that he met his future wife Anne McCree. The couple married in November 1945 and had two children: Angela and Terry.
Allen was an engineer for Combustion Engineering for 39 years and, after retirement, was a real estate agent for 15. He was both a deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga as well as an active participant in the Gideon missionary group. He passed away on August 28, 2012. He is buried in the National Cemetery.
Arrangement
This collection consists of four folders arranged by format and content.
Previous Citation
This collection was originally listed as part of MS.2012. It was then listed as CSWS.WWII.3.0006 until receiving its current number.
Acquisition Note
This collection is the property of Special Collections.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository