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Summary Information
J. Birney Dibble Papers, Still Images, and Videorecordings
1943-2009
WVM Mss 1323
0.6 linear ft. (2 archives boxes and 1 oversized folder) of papers, 0.2 linear ft. (1 archives box and 1 negative flap) of photographs, 0.2 linear ft. (1 archives box) of slides, 0.1 linear ft. (3 folders) of paper prints, 2 videorecordings.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)
Letters, newspaper clippings, ephemeral documents, still images, and video recordings pertaining to the service of J. Birney Dibble, a Eau Claire, Wisconsin resident who served as a surgeon in the United States Naval Reserve and was attached to Company E, 1st Medical Battalion of the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War. Originally from East Aurora, Illinois, Dibble enrolled in the Navy V-12 officer training program in 1943, and graduated from medical school at the University of Illinois in 1949. The majority of manuscripts are letters Dibble wrote to his wife, Edna (whom he addressed as Eddie in the letters), while serving in the Korean War. In the letters, Dibble describes the conditions he faced while serving on the front lines. The letters vary from descriptions of his unit experiencing long periods of inactivity, to Dibble being on surgical duty for days at a time without any breaks. He talks about recreational activities of his unit, such as participating in baseball and basketball games with other surgeons and medical staff. Some of the letters talk about combat, including letters from August 1952 discussing the Marine taking of Hill 122 (nicknamed Bunker Hill by soldiers). He also mentions witnessing a bomber crash (February 28-29, 1952), describes seeing an intense artillery barrage (April 30, 1952), and going on a “firefly run” to drop flares during night bombing runs (June 10th, 1952). Dibble also expresses how much he missed Edna and could not wait to return home to be with her. He often sent newspaper clippings and hand-drawn maps to show where he was stationed. Other letters in the collection were written by Dibble to his parents while attending Duke University as a pre-med student. These letters primarily discuss student life. Ephemeral documents include citations pertaining to Dibble being awarded a Bronze Star, a Thanksgiving Day menu, and two propaganda pamphlets written in Chinese. Oversized newspaper articles include two from the Korean War discussing the treatment of wounded soldiers and an editorial article written by Dibble in 1995 defending the usage of atomic weapons to end World War II. Also included are biographical information and an account written by Dibble about his experiences in Korea. Still images include slides, loose photographs, negatives, and scrapbook pages from Dibble's service in Korea. The scrapbook pages consist primarily of images of soldiers and fellow doctors relaxing around medical bases, and also of the local residents and landscape. There are also a few action shots of artillery bombardments and some images showing wounded soldiers being prepped for surgery. Loose images include an official photograph of a nurse taking care of a soldier, a shot of Dibble and other medical staff playing basketball, a bluegrass band that played for Company E, and a photo of Dibble posing while wearing a large tropical leaf. The slides were taken by Dibble while stationed in Korea. Included are combat shots, landscapes, local residents, and images of the base hospitals. There are also a few images of important political figures, maps of Korea, and surgical procedures. In later years, Dibble used the slides during public talks on the war. The videorecordings are of a documentary that Dibble made about the Korean War. He used his slide images for his documentary. The negatives are of three identified images in the scrapbook.
English
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