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Wilfred Savoie, Jr. Collection

Collection 476

Savoie, Wilfred, Jr. (1925–2011). Collection, 1939–1947

5 inches

Wilfred Savoie Jr. was born August 1, 1925 and raised in Cankton, Louisiana, a village in St. Landry Parish. He was one of four children born to Wilfred Savoie, Sr. and Rose Miller Savoie. On October 14, 1943, Savoie was ordered to report for induction into the United States Navy, where he served from October 25, 1943 to May 17, 1946. He was stationed in California (first San Diego and then Los Alamitos), where he trained to become a pharmacist and worked in a Naval hospital and dispensary. His older brother, Alexander William Savoie was a member of the U.S. Army Air Forces Technician Fifth Class. He was captured by the Japanese and forced in the Bataan Death March. After hearing news of his death, the Savoie family sought to get Wilfred Jr. discharged.

On May 17, 1946, Savoie received an honorable discharge from the Navy with the ranking of Pharmacists Mate, Second Class, USNR SV-6. He returned to Cankton and married Gertrude Miller in 1948; they had three children. He would go on to work for Superior Oil Company for thirty-seven years until his retirement. He passed away on April 6, 2011 at the age of 85.

This collection consists of letters he sent home to his family while stationed in California. The majority of the letters are to his mother (Mamma), where he talks about his day-to-day life at the Navy base and inquires about life back at home on the family farm. There are also letters to his siblings and to Gertrude Miller, who would become his wife. Also included in the collection are miscellaneous items such as a photocopy of his honorable discharge, his health record during his time in the Navy, and photographs of him and his brother Alexander.

This collection was donated by his daughters, Joy S. Usie and Shelly Thompson.

Series:

A. Letters
    a. 21 August 1939 - 24 December 1943 1-01 through 1-13
    b. 13 January 1944 - 25 November 1944 1-14 through 1-39
    c. 6 January 1945 - 9 April 1946 & n.d. 1-40 through 1-55
B. Miscellaneous 1-56 through 1-64

Inventory:

A. Letters
    a. 21 August 1939 - 24 December 1943
        1-01 Roy R. Theriot to Joel L. Fletcher, 21 August 1939
        1-02 Order to Report for Induction for Wilfred Savoie, Jr., 14 October 1943
           
        1-03 Navy Department to Mrs. Wilfred Savoie, 5 November 1943
        1-04 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma (3), 8 November 1943, n.d.
        1-05 Wilfred Jr. to his Brother and Sister, 8 November 1943
        1-06 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 13 November 1943
        1-07 Same, 15 November 1943
        1-08 Wilfred Jr. to Irene (sister), 17 November 1943
        1-09 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 21 November 1943
        1-10 Same, 25 November 1943
           
        1-11 Same, 4 December 1943
        1-12 Same, 8 December 1943
        1-13 Same, 24 December 1943
           
    b. 13 January 1944 - 25 November 1944
        1-14 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 13 January 1944
        1-15 Same, 17 January 1944
        1-16 Same, 24 January 1944
           
        1-17 Same, 1 February 1944
        1-18 Same, 2 February 1944
        1-19 Same, 6 February 1944
        1-20 Same, 11 February 1944
        1-21 Same, 14 February 1944
        1-22 Curris Babineaux to Rose Savoie, 17 February 1944
        1-23 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 22 February 1944
        1-24 Same, 25 February 1944
        1-25 Same, 28 February 1944
           
        1-26 Same, 1 March 1944
        1-27 Same, 5 March 1944
        1-28 Wilfred Jr. to Papa, 17 March 1944
        1-29 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 18 March 1944
           
        1-30 Wilfred Jr. to Gertrude Miller, 6 April 1944
           
        1-31 Mother’s Day Card from Wilfred Jr., 5 May 1944
        1-32 Envelope with No Letter - To Mrs. Wilfred Savoie from W. Savoie, Jr., 26 May 1944
        1-33 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 27 May 1944
           
        1-34 Same, 10 June 1944
           
        1-35 Wilfred Jr. to Gertrude Miller, 2 July 1944
        1-36 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 4 July 1944
        1-37 Same, 29 July 1944
           
        1-38 Same, 14 August 1944
           
        1-39 Same, 25 November 1944
           
    c. 6 January 1945 - 9 April 1946 & n.d.
        1-40 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 6 January 1945
        1-41 Same, 28 January 1945
           
        1-42 Same, 6 February 1945
        1-43 Same, 10 February 1945
        1-44 Same, 16 February 1945
           
        1-45 Same, 29 March 1945
           
        1-46 Mamma to Wilfred Jr., 13 June 1945
           
        1-47 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 21 July 1945
        1-48 Same, 31 July 1945
           
        1-49 Same, 5 September 1945
        1-50 Henry D. Larcade, Jr., M.C. to Wilfred Savoie, Sr. - Regarding Discharge for Wilfred Jr., 19 September 1945
           
        1-51 Envelope with No Letter - To Mrs. Wilfred Savoie from W. Savoie, Jr. PhM3c, 1 October 1945
        1-52 Wilfred Jr. to Mamma, 4 October 1945
        1-53 Same, 5 October 1945
           
        1-54 Same, 9 April 1946
           
        1-55 Lionel to Gertrude Miller (brother and sister), n.d.
           
B. Miscellaneous
        1-56 Photographs, n.d.
            a. Wilfred Savoie, Jr., U.S. Navy, World War II, D.O.B. - 1 August 1925
            b. Alex Savoie, U.S. Army Air Forces, World War II, D.O.B. - 15 October 1920
        1-57 School Memorabilia, 1940 & 1943
        1-58 Wilfred Savoie, Jr., Health Record-U.S. Navy, 1943-1945
        1-59 National Service Life Insurance, Veteran’s Administration, 1943
        1-60 Life Insurance Documents, All American Assurance Company, 1946
        1-61 Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy for Wilfred Savoie, Jr. (photocopy), 17 May 1946
        1-62 Pamphlets
            a. United States Navy Rating Description, 1946
            b. Remembrance of First Holy Communion, n.d.
        1-63 Notes for Religion 301 - Gertrude Miller, 30 April 1947
        1-64 Certificate of Registration and Guarantee & Receipt for Diamond Ring, 1947