Aldo Merusi Photographs

The Rutland Herald website features a collection of Aldo Merusi photographs. Click here for a sub-album that has been developed as a resource for those seeking images of WWII, particularly of the home front and of Vermonters who served.

Detore Collection
Bailey-Howe Library
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT

James Detore documented the social lives and public events of Burlington, Vermont from 1932 until his death in 1969. As a commercial photographer and staff photographer for the Burlington Daily News (1941-1947), Detore was one of the most active and productive photographers in twentieth-century Vermont. The Detore photograph collection housed in Special Collections at the University of Vermont consists of approximately 40,000 film negatives. There is a strong emphasis on World War II activities in Burlington, including military recruiting, war bonds sales, citizen army observation posts, and soldiers’ arrivals and departures. Although access to the collection is limited by the lack of prints and Detore’s somewhat haphazard filing system, Special Collections librarians can search a database to find Word War II images. 

For Special Collections hours, call 802-656-2138 or click here.

Memorial for Vermont Medal of Honor Recipients
The Vermont Veterans' Home
325 North Street
Bennington, VT
802-442-6353

Museum of Black WWII History
179 Oak Hill School Road
Pownal, VT
802-823-5519

This museum is the only one of its kind in the U.S. The museum was created not to glorify war but to document it – in particular to honor the often overlooked role of African-Americans in the largest worldwide conflict of human history.

National WWII Museum
New Orleans, LA

The National WWII Museum is interested in collecting oral histories from those who served overseas, domestically and those who recall life on the homefront. You can search for stories by name, hometown, or branch of service by clicking here.

Sullivan Museum and History Center
Norwich University
158 Harmon Drive
Northfield, VT
802-485-2183

Hours: Mon-Fri, 9 am - 4 pm
Closed weekends, with the exception of special programming

The 16,000-square-foot facility features areas for permanent and changing exhibitions, learning stations in the exhibition area, a visible object conservation lab, spaces for exhibit preparation and object storage, a fully equipped electronic classroom and conference space, and a reference room for researchers and scholars.

Vermont Folklife Center
88 Main Street
Middlebury, VT
802-388-4964

The Vermont Folklife Center (VFC), founded in 1984, is dedicated to preserving and presenting the folkarts and cultural traditions of Vermont and the surrounding region. Through ongoing field research, a multimedia archive and an apprenticeship program, the Center documents and conserves cultural heritage which could easily be lost; through exhibits, media, publication and educational projects, VFC brings recognition to the skills, talents and traditions of Vermonters, past and present. The Center has made preservation of the spoken word the core of its endeavors, and the VFC archive now comprises over 3,800 taped interviews, which have been transcribed and electronically indexed.

WWII Oral Interviews

The VFC is home to many WWII oral interviews, including 100 veteran interviews conducted by Julie Schafer, Vermont DAR, Veterans History Project. For more information on how to access them, please contact Andy at 802-388-4964.

Prisoners of War: A Story of Four American Veterans

Read the transcripts and listen to interviews with four Vermonters who were POWs in WWII: Cliff Austin, Harrison Burney, Robert Norton and Bill Busler. This website also contains biographies, photographs and resources/links to other sites that present oral history research materials from work conducted with WWII veterans.

Vermont Historical Society
Barre and Montpelier
802-479-8500

Museum and Library

The Vermont Historical Society has extensive collections of Vermont related WWII artifacts, photographs, manuscripts, letters, printed materials, and a few oral histories. Visit the exhibit Freedom and Unity: One Ideal Many Stories to see some of the collection in a recreated WWII era living room at the museum in Montpelier. Visit the VHS library at the Vermont History Center in Barre to use the research collection. For directions to the museum or library, click here or call 802-479-8500.

Online Library Catalog

The VHS library now has an online public access catalog! Although not all of their holdings have yet been entered into the catalog, over 15,000 books, manuscripts, maps, and broadsides have been described online. Use the search function by typing in “World War II” and hitting “Keyword.”

Winning the War at Home

This is the online version of the World War II portion of exhibit Freedom and Unity: One Ideal Many Stories described above. It provides a concise overview with photographs of Vermonters role in WWII both at home and on the war front. Be sure to visit all WWII sections by clicking on the tabs on the left titled: The Four Freedoms: Patriotism and Propaganda; Vermonters Who Served; and Aiding the War Effort.

Vermont Military Militia Museum & Library
Camp Johnson
Colchester, VT
802-338-3360

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Museum entrance is free – donations accepted

The Military Militia Museum has a large variety of indoor and outdoor displays (1776 – 2006):  Military vehicles, uniforms, medals & badges, weapons, flags, artifacts and the state’s largest Civil War Battle painting (17ft X 28ft). Also housed at the museum is an extensive research library of military rosters, campaign maps, weapons, and cemetery locations of Vermonters from all wars.

 
  
Veterans History Project
Library of Congress
Washington, DC

The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress relies on volunteers to collect and preserve stories of wartime service. Stories can be told through:

Correspondence
Letters, postcards, v-mail, personal diaries

Personal Narratives
Audio, video-taped interviews, written memoirs

Visual Materials
Photographs, drawings, scrapbooks

For more information about the project, how to participate or to search the veterans collections, please visit the Veterans History Project’s website.

Veterans Memorial Cemetery
Randolph Center, VT

WWII Vintage Photographs

The University of Vermont has an archive of Vermont WWII vintage photographs. Click here to see the collection.

Veterans Affairs Canada

General Inquiries - All questions or comments on your VAC services and benefits may be directed to the following toll-free number:

1-866-522-2122 (English)
1-866-522-2022 (French)

E-mail: information@vac-acc.gc.ca
Important Note: For security reasons, please do not send personal or confidential information, via e-mail. E-mails are not secure and can be observed by a third party while in transit.

The mission of the Veterans Affairs Canada is “To provide exemplary, client-centred services and benefits that respond to the needs of veterans, our other clients and their families, in recognition of their services to Canada; and to keep the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians.”