Research Guides: Military & Veterans: Primary Sources and Special Collections & Archives

Special Collections & Archives and Primary Sources Databases

About Special Collections & Archives
Selected Primary Source Databases

Smiling staff member sits behind table to the left of Special Collections and Archives' open doors.

Special Collections and Archives is located on the second floor of the Mary and Jeff Bell Library (205). Special Collections and Archives is open five days a week, Monday - Friday from 8AM-5PM. Appointments are encouraged, but not required.

☎️ Call: 361-825-4500

📨 Email: specialcollections@tamucc.edu

🛜 Check out our website

Visit the Archives Library DIY page for more information about using archives in your research!

Primary sources are documents that were created either during the historical period being studied, or after that period by someone who participated in the events.rimary sources can be in almost any format.

Books, periodicals, photographs, artworks, letters, diaries, government documents, business records, maps, audio and video recordings, speeches, films, and digital files may all be considered primary sources if they fit the definition above. The list below contains selected primary source databases available from the Bell Library's website.

America's Historical Newspapers
Includes Early American newspapers, Series 1 – 5 (1690 – 1922) and Hispanic American Newspapers (1808 - 1980). Part of the Archive of Americana. Unlimited simultaneous users allowed. Content is updated monthly
American Civil War: Letters and Diaries
More than 1,000 sources of diaries, letters, and memoirs written by people from all walks of life, providing Northern, Southern, and foreign perspectives on almost every aspect of the war. A unique thesaurus of Civil War terms and chronology of events enrich this collection. Part of the American Civil War Collection.
Fold3 Library Edition
Access to various types of U.S. military records from the Revolutionary War onward. Also includes stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
World War II Archives
Experience World War 2 like never before. Read firsthand accounts, view photos & documents never-before-seen on the internet and add your own stories, photos and documents.

Military Collections in Special Collections and Archives

Collection 4 Charles F.H. von Blucher Family Papers
These papers contain an abundance of correspondence from Texas pioneer times, the Civil War, and both World Wars.
Collection 5 Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers
These papers cover Dr. Garcia’s service and his work for veterans’ rights.
Collection 9 Vernon Smylie Papers
The Vernon Smylie papers contain correspondence, newspaper articles from the late 19th century until the 1970s, manuscripts of several of Smylie’s books, political advertisements produced by Vernon Smylie and Associates, records and correspondence from the Texas Historical Commission for the 1960s and 1970s, photographs from the late 19th century through the mid 1950s, memorabilia from World War I and World War II, and other items.
Collection 17 William Talbert Family Photographs
The photographs cover both World Wars, the 1919 Hurricane, early automobiles, and the Talbert family’s life in Corpus Christi.
Collection 22 Bill and Marjorie Walraven Papers
This collection is a journalistic approach to South Texas history that mainly starts with the fall of the Alamo and proceeds until the turn of the twenty-first century. It extensively covers both Goliad and San Jacinto and contains troop information that has been compiled from multiple sources.
Collection 29 Robert A. Wooster Papers
This collection produced by Professor Robert A. Wooster contains his manuscript of his publications dealing with 19th Century U.S. military history and 21 books of various topics.
Collection 41 James Hawkins Sparks Diary
This collection consists of a pocket sized, leather bound, handwritten diary by Confederate soldier James Hawkins Sparks and a typed manuscript of it.
Collection 45 Ben Cornelia Morgan Letters (Unprocessed)
Letters exchanged between Ben and Cornelia Morgan during World War II.
Collection 56 TAMU-CC Special Collections American G.I. Forum Papers
This collection of American G.I. Forum materials was collected by the Special Collections staff and various donors.
Collection 57 Records of the American G.I. Forum donated by Armando Oropez
This collection contains records of some of the activities pursued by the American G.I. Forum from 1984-1999.

Collection 69 Luthor Jones Papers (Unprocessed)
Mayor Luther Jones served eight years as mayor, ending in 1987, he also once served as commander of the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
Collection 96 BRAC 1993 & 1995 Commission Records (Unprocessed)
Records of the Base Realignment & Closure (BRAC) Commission for 1993 and 1995.
Collection 108 Meuly-Daimwood Family Papers
The papers reveal the families' involvement in the local community through items such as invitations, church function pamphlets, tax and estate records, Blucher survey maps, pamphlets from World War I and World War II, certificates from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, depression era correspondence, voluminous newspaper clippings, issues of local newspapers, items dealing with Hurricane Celia in 1970, and artifacts.
Collection 118 Rafael Sr. and Virginia Galvan Family papers
This collection consists of over 300 photographs, newspapers, concert posters, correspondence, scrapbooks, obituaries, wedding invitations, ephemera, biographical narratives, business cards, and marriage certificates ranging from the late 1800’s to the early 2000’s.
Collection 130 Robert Bluntzer's Round Robin Newsletter Collection for WWII Servicemen
The Round Robin, a mimeograph circular newsletter sent from Corpus Christi to Corpus Christi service men during World War II by concerned city residents led by Robert Bluntzer, Sr.
Collection 136 Edward Rockhill Oliver Family Papers
The papers contain large Civil War muster rolls for the 29th Texas Calvery, many Mason documents, correspondence, photographs, and surveying maps.
Collection 138 Elisa Medina Munoz Scrapbooks of News clippings of Coastal Bend Men and Women who Served in WWII
Elisa Medina Munoz created two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings concerning men and women of the South Texas Coastal Bend area who served in World War II.
Collection 148 Vietnam Era photographs
The collection is 187 photographs of black and white and color prints from an American solider during the Vietnam era.
Collection 151 Jose A. Flores Papers
This collection covers a brief two-year period in Jose A. Flores life when he was captured by Axis forces and later repatriated.
Collection 152 Norman C. Delaney Papers
The collections focuses on the research and writing of his book on the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi. Materials include scrapbooks, photographs, clippings, and VHS, cassette, and reels, in addition to reel interview files of Cline H. Knowles, Jr. interviewing Navy personnel stationed at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi during World War II.

Collection 154 Bernard Ishmael and Billie Jeanne Rabalais World War II Papers
The collection includes correspondence, original photographs, scrapbooks, and records related to the Rabalais family during the second World War.
Collection 161 Dr. Nancy Bowen and Dr. Bruce Olson Oral History Transcriptions (Unprocessed)
One document case of oral history transcriptions done by Del Mar College students, primarily during the late 1980s and 2000s from Dr. Nancy Bowen's history class, with some more recent ones done for Dr. Bruce Olson of the history program, on people's experiences during the Great depression and World War II in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Collection 178 William Edward and Allie Johnson Ponder Papers (Unprocessed)
These papers focus on World War II letters between married couple Edward and Allie Ponder when Edward served in the Army as an artillery and Civil Affairs Officer.
Collection 181 Santiago Hernandez Papers
This collection consists of a single photograph of Felix Longoria, correspondence, documents, and newspaper clippings; all related to the attempt to rename to Three Rivers Post Office after Longoria from 2003-2005.
Collection 182 Lloyd Howard Texas City Disaster & Ward Island Naval Air Technical Training Center Photographs and Other Materials
This collection is mostly photographs taken in the first half of 1947 by Lloyd Howard. The photos are about evenly split between the Texas City Disaster and the Ward Island Navel Air Technical Training Center and the personnel Lloyd worked with there.
Collection 192 Brandt Badger Civil War letters
They are primarily letters from Brandt Badger to Callie Jones Badger written between 1861 and 1863 and reflect Brandt's activities in the Confederate military.
Collection 195 Gilbert Q. Casares American GI Forum Papers
Gilbert Q. Casares American GI Forum Papers is a collection of documents, plaques, and photographs of Casares’ life and the AGIF events.
Collection 202 Richard Dominguez's G.I. Forum Papers
This collection contains primary source documents from the American G.I. Forum from 1950-1951, many of which are hand signed by Hector P. Garcia. This includes resolutions, correspondence, bulletins, memorandums, statements of policy, scholarship, Poll Tax drive, constitution and bylaws, and redistricting.
Collection 207 Louis P. Tellez Photograph Collection of American GI Forum Functions (Unprocessed)
Photographs of the Corpus Christi American G.I. Forum functions in the last half of the 20th Century.
Collection 210 Willie Davila American G.I. Forum Papers (Unprocessed)
Correspondence, financial papers, outreach projects, and memorandum concerning American G.I. Forum, Dr. Hector P. Garcia Founder's Chapter, 2001-2010.

Collection 216 Kenneth McCaleb Papers
The Kenneth K. McCaleb Papers are composed primarily of manuscripts, many cover military topics, especially World War II.
Collection 219 Arturo Hernandez Sr. American G.I. Forum Papers
Arturo Hernandez American G.I. Forum records.
Collection 223 Esther Bonilla Read Mexican American World War II Oral History Collection
Esther Bonilla Read Mexican American WWII Oral History Collection includes mini-cassette tapes and transcripts of World War II Mexican American veterans, and people of that era, that were interviewed by Esther Bonilla Reed in preparation for her book, After the Blessing: Mexican American Veterans of WWII Tell Their Own Stories.
Collection 248 Aalbert Heine & Corpus Christi Science and History Museum Collection
While it mostly covers the museum it does have some World War II documents.
Collection 263 Arthur Montiel Veteran History Harvest Interviews (Unprocessed)
Arthur Monteil, TAMU-CC Veteran Outreach Program Specialist in 2020 organized an oral history harvest where younger veterans talked with older veterans about their service during past wars.
Collection 276 Arturo Vasquez, CPA Collection
The Arturo Vasquez, CPA collection includes birth, marriage, training and award certificates, correspondence concerning the American G.I. Forum, news clippings of Vasquez’s election as a Corpus Christi School Board Trustee, photographs and documents concerning his military service during WWII.
Collection 282 John O. Bowman 27th Infantry Division, U.S. National Guard WWI Collection
Sgt. John O. Bowman's collection consists of 140 black and white photos primarily taken on the Texas-Mexican border, publications pertaining to the 27th Infantry Division and German currency printed after WWI.
Collection 283 Murphy Givens South Texas Historical Papers
Topics include towns, pioneer families, military commanders, early ranchers, the Mexican American War, Texas Revolution, Civil War, and the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi.
Collection 291 George Mendenhall Letters (Unprocessed)
Case filled with assortment of handwritten letters that were created circa WWII.
Collection 294 Shelby Davis' World War II Collection
Sgt. Shelby Davis was a veteran who served in Europe during World War II. This collection includes predominantly war-era correspondence, artifacts, newspapers, maps, personal souvenirs, and memorabilia of Davis.

Collection 296 Thomas Lloyd Goad Papers
This collection largely centers on the life of Thomas Lloyd Goad and his activities in the Corpus Christi area. There are some academic records from his upbringing in Mineral Wells, Texas, then the collection shifts to his career in the United States Navy.
Collection 301 Elwood Sidney Whitefield WWII Letters (Unprocessed)
Letters and documents covering World War II.
Collection 311 Gambel Family Papers
This collection contains family reminiscences and letters, expense ledgers, marriage certificates, and a few business documents. The primary content consists of letters exchanged between the three brothers, William, Thomas, and David dating between 1839 and 1877. It contains information about the Civil War.