Asa Wayne Arrington Papers

1943-2004, undated
Manuscript Collection #849
Creator(s)
Arrington, Asa Wayne
Physical description
0.91 Cubic Feet, 2 archival boxes
Preferred Citation
Asa Wayne Arrington Papers (#849), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

Materials concerning World War II veterans of the destroyer escort USS Currier (DE 700), including correspondence, reminiscences, photographs, postcard, reunion material, videocassette tapes, and miscellany relating to the ship, its crew and reunions (1943-2004).


Biographical/historical information

Asa Wayne Arrington was born May 10, 1925 in Twin Falls, ID. Shortly before his 18th birthday he was sworn into duty for the US Navy. In the summer of 1943 Arrington attended boot camp, and was then sent to Yeoman school in Newport, RI. Upon completion of Yeoman school Arrington went to Pier 91 in Norfolk, VA, where he helped commission the USS Currier (DE 700). Arrington remained on the USS Currier (DE 700) until the end of World War II. The ship made several journeys up and down the east coast of the United States as well as crossing the ocean and docking in North Africa. On the USS Currier (DE 700) Arrington participated in the invasion of South France in late 1944 as well as the invasion of Iwo Jima. Arrington became Yeoman 2nd Class and was released from service in April 1946. After the war, Arrington attended Business College and was employed in the bookkeeping profession in various U.S. cities. At the time of his donation, Arrington resided in Sacramento, CA with his friend Keith O'Toole.


Scope and arrangement

The collection mainly consists of correspondence between Asa Wayne Arrington and other crew members of the USS Currier (DE 700) and historical information about World War II. Highlights of the correspondence include current status of crew members, war stories and crew reunion information. The most recent correspondence concerns the donation of Arrington's papers, as well as reunions and deaths of crew members. Other information in the collection offers details of life on the USS Currier (DE 700), including orders, newsletters, photographs, personal letters and the decommissioning ceremony. Personal histories of Asa "Wayne" Arrington and Joseph "Joe" Homovec are also included. Three videocassettes in the collection concentrate on the Invasion of Iwo Jima, the USS Currier (DE 700) reunion and a Voyager Landing.


Administrative information
Custodial History

February 16, 2002, ca. 35 items, 0.25 cubic feet; Correspondence (1999-2001), concerning World War II veterans of the USS Currier (DE 700), February 1942-February 1946. (0.05 cu. ft.). Donor: Mr. Asa Wayne Arrington.

February 3, 2004, (unprocessed addition 1), 111 items, 0.66 cubic feet; Papers (1943-2004) of crewmember of the destroyer escort USS Currier (DE 700), including correspondence, reminiscences, photographs, picture post card, reunion material, videocassette tapes, and miscellany relating to the ship, its crew, and reunions. See preliminary inventory attached. Donor: Mr. Asa Wayne Arrington.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mr. Asa Wayne Arrington

Processing information

Processed by Courtney L. Fuhrmeister, May 3, 2005

Encoded by Mark Custer, January 7, 2008

Copyright notice

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


Related material

Destroyer Escort Commanding Officers Collection: A. Wayne Arrington Papers (Manuscript Collection #564.015)


Key terms
Personal Names
Arrington, Asa Wayne
Homovec, Joseph
Corporate Names
John Currier (Ship)
United States. Navy--Officials and employees
Topical
Iwo Jima, Battle of, Japan, 1945
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American

Container list
Box 1 Folder a Correspondence, 1943-1945
Box 1 Folder b Correspondence, 1995
Box 1 Folder c Correspondence, 1999
Box 1 Folder d Correspondence, 2000
Box 1 Folder f Correspondence, 2002
Box 1 Folder g Correspondence, 2003-2004
Box 1 Folder h Inventory of USS Currier (DE 700) memorabilia in Arrington's collection, 1993
Box 1 Folder i Homovec, Joe. World War II Navy Tour, typescript, 1943-1945
Box 1 Folder j Itinerary of USS Currier (DE 700), photocopy typescript Feb. 1944 - Sept. 1945
Box 2 Folder a Arrington's boot camp identification badge and description, 1943, 1993
Box 2 Folder b Nails from USS Currier (DE 700), undated
Box 2 Folder c Postcard of USS Slater (DE 766), 1944, undated
Box 2 Folder d Scrapbook photographs (photocopies) of USS Currier (DE 700) crew members, 1946
Box 2 Folder e Arrington biography and description of life on USS Currier (DE 700), 1992, 2000
Box 2 Folder f USS Currier (DE 700) orders and newsletters, 1944-2000
Box 2 Folder g Decommissioning of USS Currier (DE 700), 1960
Box 2 Folder h USS Currier (DE 700) reunion information, 1996
Box 2 Folder i USS Currier (DE 700) crew member list and recent photographs, 2002, undated
Box 2 Folder j Stories of USS Currier (DE 700) during 1944-1946 by Arrington, 1992
Box 2 Folder k Stories of USS Currier (DE 700) by George L. Thurlow, Jr., undated
Box 2 Folder l Videocassettes of USS Currier (DE 700) crew reunion, Iwo Jima and Voyager Landing, 1996, undated