The Robert W. Lockhart collection is arranged into three series: Military Service Materials (1951-1953), Veterans Materials (1986-2012) and Scrapbook (1951-2002).
Military Service Materials (1951-1953) include correspondence, military orders and papers, and still images.
Correspondence mainly consists of letters sent by Lockhart to his parents during his time in training and in Europe. These letters detail life in various camps, including military routines, classes, army food, and friends. Letters from Germany provide a detailed look at cities in Germany, the shops he visited, and living situations. Of particular interest are letters from 1953 in which Lockhart describes the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and seeing Prince Charles peeking out from curtains in the palace. Other letters include notes from his sister, Jeanie, his mother, family and friends. These letters are often well-wishing and providing information about friends from home. Military papers include a yearbook from Fort Riley, Kansas, which provides photographs, names and hometowns of the graduates from 1952. Photocopies of the autographs are available in the collection, the yearbook is available in the library collection.
Still images include a small amount of photographs from Fort Riley and many images from Europe. These images often include informational captions on the back, with more information available on the envelopes filed with the manuscript materials. Miscellaneous photographs include many tourist photographs from Germany, Paris, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. Still images from Fort Riley, Georgia, and Europe are also available in the scrapbook. The scrapbook images often have explanatory captions and supplemental paper materials.
Veterans Materials (1984-2012) include correspondence, reunion materials and souvenirs, still images, and audio recordings.
Reunions for the Fort Riley Company I, 86th Infantry Regiment, 10th Division, who graduated in February 1952, began in 1986. Lockhart, as a central member of this group, collected correspondence on planning reunions and memorials for members. Letters between planners concentrate on finding veterans through the February 1952 yearbook. Included are notes, letter exchanges of notes, returned letters and updated addresses and statuses of members. As chairman of the memorials, Lockhart sent out letters of condolences to the families of the deceased, received or was forwarded letters with news of deaths. To memorialize these deceased veterans, Lockhart enrolled members in various memorial organizations, as well as keeping a list of the dead and their dates of death. Lockhart filed paperwork with the AmVets National Service Foundation, and the Carillon bells would be scheduled to ring at the time the reunion group selected. Lockhart would then receive a certificate, which he would forward on to the family of the veteran, or whomever had notified him that a veteran had passed.
A letter and wine sample (B4, F18) from 2012 explains the last man's club that had been started at the first reunion by a veteran who brought a bottle to be given to the last living member of the group. At each reunion, deceased members were memorialized by the group and a bottle of wine was intended to go to the last living man of the group. Instead, the small 2012 group drank the wine and Lockhart disbursed samples to members who were unable to attend. Materials from various reunions include lists of the deceased, lists of attendees, and official programs from the reunions. Souvenirs include pamphlets, maps and brochures from the reunions and places visited while at the reunion. Of interest is the 1993 reunion, which was hosted in Madison and planned by Lockhart, who gathered the RSVPs and did research about interesting things to do in and around Madison.
Still images from reunions include polaroids and photographs of the attendees, the location of the reunion and various activities. Supplemental papers and still images for each reunion have also been included in the scrapbook.
The audio recording is from a small gathering of veterans who graduated from Fort Riley in February 1952 from Company I, 86th Infantry Regiment, 10th Infantry Division. The gathering took place in the 1970's at Lockhart's family cabin at Marble Lake, near Quincy, Michigan, and features members reminiscing about their time in the military, planning for the next reunion, and discussing their travel arrangements. Several speakers, including Lockhart, are identified on the tape.
Scrapbook (1951-2002) documents Lockhart's training, service and formation of the reunion group. The scrapbook contains images, papers and souvenirs from Lockhart's training in Fort Riley, service in Europe, and veteran's reunions.
Training materials include black and white photographs of Lockhart and his comrades around the camp, and a class photograph. Other materials include histories of Fort Riley and images from Lockhart's time in Georgia. Of interest are photographs at the back of the scrapbook that feature Lockhart's time in Europe, including the Coronation ceremony.
Reunion materials identify the year, date and location of each memorial. Images include group and candid photographs, and images of places visited. Papers include lists of participants and the deceased, pamphlets and brochures and detailed information on the planning of reunions and finding of members.
