UUS_mss303.xml Guide to the Edward A. Ferguson World War II correspondence 1943-2007 Ferguson (Edward A.) World War II correspondence 1943-2007 Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives. Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008 Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives ©2008
Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-3000 Business Number: 435 797-8248 Fax Number: 435 797-2880 scweb@usu.edu https://archives.usu.edu/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-07-22. Finding guide is in English in Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). September 3, 2008. Template information was updated to reflect Utah Manuscript Association best practices. 2009 Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines. January 30, 2015. Additional correspondence from Thomas Revelle, the son of LST #749’s cook, as well as an update to Ferguson’s memoir, were added in 2015. Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Edward A. Ferguson World War II correspondence USU_COLL MSS 303 1 box .5 linear feet 1943-2007 This collection contains the World War II correspondence of Edward A. Ferguson spanning the period of 1943 to 1946. This correspondence consists of approximately 300 letters of outgoing correspondence and 6 letters of incoming correspondence. Includes descriptions of kamikaze attacks. Collection materials are in English.

Open to public research.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Edward A. Ferguson World War II correspondence must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Edward A. Ferguson in 2006. Additional correspondence from Thomas Revelle, the son of LST # 749's cook, as well as an update to Ferguson's memoir, were donated by Edwards' son, Brad Ferguson, in 2015.

Edward A. Ferguson World War II correspondence, 1943-2007. (COLL MSS 303). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

Edward Ammon Ferguson was born November 21, 1924 in Spanish Fork, Utah. He received his education in the common schools of the area and graduated from Payson High School in 1943. In June 1943, Ferguson enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Fort Douglas, Utah for preliminary military testing. Later that month he was transported to Fort Abbot, Washington to continue training and assigned to the 240th Engineers Construction Battalion. In September 1943, Ferguson was sent to Sacramento Junior College to study engineering and surveying where he remained until January 1944 when he was transferred to Fort Belvoir, Virginia to continue his studies. Following Ferguson's graduation from Army Engineers Surveying School on April 1, 1944 he was transferred back to Sacramento. The following month he boarded the USS General John Pope before arriving at Buna, New Guinea in June.

Ferguson was transferred to Finschhafen, New Guinea in July and in August, he was transferred to Hollandia, New Guinea. Once in Hollandia, Ferguson was assigned to be the H&S Company surveyor and began plans to construct an airfield in the nearby jungle. In November 1944 Ferguson was transferred aboard a naval vessel to Leyte, Philippine Islands and en route his ship was attacked by the Japanese Air Force. He arrived safely at Leyte and worked for the next month as an army surveyor while facing daily bombing raids and attacks from the Japanese. During December 1944, while en route to Mindoro, Philippine Islands, the convoy Ferguson was sailing with came under heavy attack at the Sulu Sea. Ferguson was on deck when a kamikaze attacked hit his ship, the LST # 749, which caused it to sink. Ferguson had to dive overboard and swim to a nearby boat to be rescued.

Ferguson spent the next few months in various locations, including Mindanao, Cotabato, and Cagayen in the Philippine Islands. In November 1945, he was transferred to Japan and served as an occupying force in Yokohama. He remained in Japan for over two months before boarding the USS Gordon for transport back to the United States. Ferguson was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army on February 3, 1946 at Fort Douglas, Utah.

On February 13, 1946, Ferguson married Jean Hiatt. Later that year he enrolled at Utah State University and graduated in 1949. He accepted a job with Utah Mortgage & Loan Corporation at Logan, Utah where he worked until his retirement. Ferguson passed away on June 14, 2012 in Logan, Utah.

Source: Ferguson, Edward A., "Reminiscences of War: The World War II Journal of Edward A. Ferguson," unpublished manuscript, 1995.

This collection contains the World War II correspondence of Edward A. Ferguson spanning the period of 1943 to 1946. This correspondence consists of approximately 300 letters of outgoing correspondence and 6 letters of incoming correspondence. Ferguson's outgoing correspondence has been separated into letters written to his family and to his fiancé (and later wife) Jean Hiatt and then organized chronologically. Ferguson's incoming correspondence is from Latha Akers and spans the period of 1945 to 1946. Latha Akers was the wife of George "Red" Akers, a shipmate and close personal friend of Ferguson's who was killed whenLST # 7499 sank in the Sulu Sea in December 1944. This incoming correspondence was written in response to the letters Ferguson wrote to Latha Akers explaining the death of her husband. Overall, Ferguson's letters are descriptive and discuss numerous topics, including his perception of the war in the Pacific, food and housing conditions in the Philippine Islands and New Guinea, his duties as an engineer, surveyor, MP, and tower guard, his impressions of occupied Japan, and other similar topics.

Researchers further interested in Ferguson's wartime experiences should also see his approximately 500 page unpublished memoir entitled "Reminiscences of War: The World War II Journal of Edward A. Ferguson" (Special Collections and Archives call #: Book Coll 58, # 91).

Grouped by addressee and arranged chronologically.

 Japan--History--Allied occupation, 1945-1952--Sources. World War, 1939-1945--Sources. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--New Guinea--Sources. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Philippines--Sources. World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, Japanese--Sources. Military Edward A. Ferguson's World War II Correspondence 1943-2007 Outgoing correspondence to family 1943 June-December 1 1 Outgoing correspondence to family 1944 January-June 1 2 Outgoing correspondence to family 1944 July-December 1 3 Outgoing correspondence to family 1945 January-July 1 4 Outgoing correspondence to family 1945 August - 1946 January 1 5 Outgoing correspondence to Jean Hiatt 1943 June-December 1 6 Outgoing correspondence to Jean Hiatt 1944 January-July 1 7 Outgoing correspondence to Jean Hiatt 1944 August-December 1 8 Outgoing correspondence to Jean Hiatt 1945 January-June 1 9 Outgoing correspondence to Jean Hiatt 1945 July - 1946 January 1 10 Incoming correspondence from Latha Akers 1945-1946 1 11 Incoming correspondence from Thomas Revelle 2007 September 18 1 12

Includes photographs of the attack on LST #749.

 "The Sinking of LST #749 (an update 10-2-07)" 2007 October 2 1 13

This is an update to Ferguson's memoir, located in BOOK COLL 58 no. 91.