870th Aviation Engineering Battalion building a log bridge, Hollandia, 1944
Gift of R. L. Smith in Memory of his brother, Gordon Hays Smith
Description:
Photograph. African American soldiers in the 870th Aviation Engineering Battalion securing large, wooden logs above a shallow stream; a Caucasian serviceman observes on the bank. Hollandia, New Guinea, Dutch East Indies [modern-day Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia]. 1944
Image Information
Donor:
Accession Number:
Date:
1944
Hometown:
Branch:
Theater of Service:
POW / KIA:
Collection Level:
Items from the service of First Lieutenant Gordon Smith, who was a Caucasian commissioned officer in the African American 870th Aviation Engineering Battalion in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Gordon Hays Smith was born on 14 August 1921 in Latham, Alabama. He was working at his father's sawmill when he enlisted as a warrant officer at Fort McClellan, Alabama, on 28 July 1942. After attending Officer Candidate School, Smith was assigned to the 870th Aviation Engineering Battalion. During his service, Smith was stationed at two locations in New Guinea as well as the Philippines. While in New Guinea, Smith's unit constructed the road from the beach to Hollandia Airfield as well as the airfield's runway. Towards the end of his service, the blood vessels in Smith's eyes were constantly bursting. He returned to the United States and was residing in Augusta, Georgia, when he died at the age of 24 on 9 January 1946. The collection includes photographs of Smith's time in New Guinea. See collection 2008.349 for more items from the service of Lt. Smith.
Geography:
Jayapura
Latitude:
-2.617
Longitude:
140.650
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials:
World War, 1939-1945--African Americans--New Guinea
Soldiers--American--New Guinea