Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr., Papers, 1941-1965

(Manuscript Collection #621)

Title:	Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr., Papers
Creator:	Bienvenu, Roland G., 1917-
Repository:	ECU Manuscript Collection
Languages:	English
Abstract:	Papers (1941-1965) including photographs, clippings, certificates, memos, orders of U.S. Naval officer, USNA Class of 1941, official winners, luncheons, ceremonies, parties, interpreter and translator.
Extent:	0.086 Cubic feet, 57 items, consisting of photographs, a clipping, certificates, memos, and orders of U.S. Naval officer, USNA Class of 1941.

Accessions Information

June 19, 1991, 54 items; Papers (1941-1962) of U.S. Naval officer, USNA Class of 1941, including photographs, certificates, memos, and orders. Gift of Capt. Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr. (USN Ret.), Lafayette, Louisiana.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions

Copyright Notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Preferred Citation

Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr., Papers (#621), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Acquisition Information

• Gift of Capt. Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr. (USN Ret.)

Processing Information

• Processed by A. Foss, October 1991

• Encoded by Apex Data Services

Roland G. Bienvenu, Sr., was born September 1917 in Louisiana. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1941. His first commission was aboard the USS JOUETT, DD396, on which he served from 1941 to 1943. He spent World War II in the South Atlantic, Caribbean, Aleutian Islands, and the Philippines on the USS JOUETT; the USS YOUNG, DD580 (1943-1945); and the USS CHARLES P. CECIL, DD835 (1945). He was also commanding officer of the USS LANING, APD55 (1945), and the USS BURDO, APD 33 (1946-1947).

After graduating from Intelligence School in 1947, Bienvenu served as Naval attache to Athens, Greece (1947-1949), and Beirut, Lebanon (1949-1951). Bienvenu then served at the Pentagon (1951-1953) in OPNAV (ONI) and in the office of the Secretary of Defense. From 1953-1955, he served as commanding officer of USS HYMAN, DD732. During 1958, he commanded Landing Ship Squadron 5 in Okinawa. He served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1959-1962) organization as a member of the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Standing Group, conducting security inspections in countries throughout Europe. Bienvenu also served as Naval attachto Ottawa, Canada (1962-1965). In 1965, he retired from the military and became the director of housing at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (1965-1977).

The collection consists of orders (1941-1962), photographs, a clipping, and certificates. The photographs include a picture of the USS JOUETT (1941?), but the majority are comprised of scenes taken while Bienvenu served as U.S. Naval attachin Canada. Included are official pictures of attachtours, ceremonies, luncheons, dinners, and parties. Also of interest is a newspaper clipping (August 16, 1963) taken from Wings Over Greenwood, the military paper of the RCAF Station in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, which mentions Bienvenu's visit.

The certificates found in the collection are from the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Navy School, recognizing Bienvenu as an interpreter and translator of French (1941) and Spanish (1947), and from the U.S. Navy School and Naval War College, recognizing his completion of courses in Basic Intelligence (1947) and International Law (1951). Also of interest is a certificate (1963) for his service while a member of the organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1959-1962).