Raymond J. Kragness Papers, 1943-1946, 2002, 2004

Manuscript Collection #1186

  • Descriptive Summary
     
    Title: Raymond J. Kragness Papers
    Creator:
    Repository: ECU Manuscript Collection
    Language: English
    Abstract: The bulk of the Raymond J. Kragness Papers (1943-1946, 2000, 2004) pertains to Mr. Kragness's service in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theatre in World War II aboard the USS Escambia. Personal items include rites of passage membership cards (such as crossing the Equator), draft board notification, photographs, post cards of San Francisco Bay, course certificates, separation from service records and a brief family history. The remaining items pertain to his service on the USS Escambia, a fleet oiler. Included are the ship's history and directory, newsletter "Eighty Times," a list of ships fuled by the USS Escambia, plans of the day, congratulatory messages from Admiral Halsey, and invitations and tickets for commissioning and decommissioning ceremonies.
    Extent: 0.25 Cubic feet, 1 container, consisting of newsletters, photographs, post cards, certificates, invitations, tickets, membership cards, directory
  • Description
     

    This collection contains records of Raymond J. Kragness’ naval service in the Merchant Marine during WW II aboard the USS Escambia AO-80 Tanker.

    Records documenting daily shipboard life include a directory pamphlet of the USS Escambia; plans of daily duties; five issues of “The Eighty Times” which was the official newsletter of the USS Escambia; membership cards and certificates for initiation ceremonies for rites of passage across the Royal Domain of the Hawaiian Islands (15 December 1943), the Equator (Domain of Neptunus Rex) (11 March 1944), and the International Date Line (Realm of the Golden Dragon) (7 February 1944); and a Certificate of Plank Ownership from the USS Escambia (1943-1946). Kragness's official service records include documents indicating separation from service, veteran benefits, and assistance in readjusting to civilian life (1946); a card authorizing Kragness to wear certain ribbons for his service in the Navy (15 November 1945); invitations and tickets to both the commissioning and decommissioning ceremonies; as well as training course certificates, his Draft Board Notice, and liberty cards (1943-1946).

    The collection also contains official documents relating to the history of the USS Escambia from her construction, commissioning, service during the war including a list of ships she fueled, and her decommissioning (1943-1946).

    Other items included are thirty-nine photographs of Raymond J. Kragness during and after his service (1943-46, 2004), postcards of San Francisco Bay, CA (1943), a pencil sketch of Kragness drawn by Kenneth Hackett (undated), and a Western Union telegram from Raymond to his parents notifying them of his return home (25 February 1946).

    Along with the documents relating to Kragness’ service this collection contains genealogical information about Raymond J. Kragness and his family (undated), service records of the USS Mississinewa, and documents from the National Personnel Records Center about Melvin Edward Harner (undated).

  • Biographical / Historical Note
     

    Yeoman 2nd Class Raymond Jerrond Kragness (1924-2011) was born on 26 April 1924 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Melvin Olaf Kragness and Selma Louise Halstenson. His father Melvin Olaf Kragness (23 October 1903 – 26 January 1983), originally from Norway, worked construction, sold coffee, drove oil trucks, and drove for a wholesale grocery company in Minneapolis, MN. Raymond J. Kragness enlisted in the Merchant Marine in May 1943 serving aboard the USS Escambia AO-80 Tanker throughout its service in WW II. He married Maxine Bishop Widing (28 June 1926 – 04 July 1972) on 19 December 1970 in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Raymond J. Kragness died at the age of 87 on 25 November 2011 and is buried at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.

    The USS Escambia was the first of eight Escambia Class Fleet Oilers, commissioned by the Navy on 28 October 1943, supplying the Third Fleet throughout the course of the war, fueling a total of 389 ships during her service. The USS Escambia was decommissioned on 20 February 1946.

  • Administrative Information
     
    Accessions Information

    November 20, 2011, .25 cubic feet; Papers (1943-1946, 2000, 2004) relate to Raymond J. Kragness’s service in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II, specifically his time spent aboard the fleet oiler USS Escambia. Included are various materials concerning the USS Escambia such as a ship’s history, plans of the day, messages of congratulations from Admiral Halsey, issues of the ship’s newsletter “Eighty Times,” a list (including dates and locations) of ships fueled by the USS Escambia, a directory of the ship, and invitations and tickets to commissioning and decommissioning ceremonies. Items related directly to Mr. Kragness’s service include certificates for training courses, separation from service records, photographs (most in uniform and a few aboard ship), post cards of San Francisco Bay, his draft board notification, membership cards indicating that he has been through such rites of passage aboard ship as crossing the Equator (Domain of Neptunus Rex member) and crossing the International Date Line (Realm of the Golden Dragon member) and a brief family history. Donor: Kurt J. Kragness

    Acquisition Information

    Gift of Kurt J. Kragness

    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

    Raymond J. Kragness Papers (#1186), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

    Processing Information

    Processing was completed by Mateusz Polakowski on November 24, 2015.

Container List

  • Box 1
     
    Official records (1944-1946) of Raymond J. Kragness' service on the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA. 12 items.
    Official records (1944-1945), consisting of five issues of "The Eighty Times," (1944-1945, undated) the official newsletter for U.S.S. ESCAMBIA. 5 items.
    Official records (1946, undated), consisting of separation from service records of Raymond J. Kragness. 13 items.
    Official records (1943-1945), including Navy training course certificates, Draft Board notice, invitations and tickets to U.S.S. ESCAMBIA Commissioning and Decommissioning ceremonies, liberty cards, photograph of Raymond J. Kragness, and clippings. 13 items.
    Documents and membership cards (1943-1944) indicating that Raymond J. Kragness has been through rites of passage aboard the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA such as crossing the Equator and the International Date Line. 6 items.
    Photographs(1943-2004, undated) of Raymond J. Kragness during his time in the Navy, and one photograph of him in 2004. 38 items.
    Printed material related to the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA, including a list of ships fueled (Nov. 1943 - Nov. 1945) and website information about the ship's history, and reunions (2000). 2 items.
    Postcards (1943) of San Francisco Bay, California, one of which has correspondence from Raymond J. Kragness to his parents. 5 items.
    Official records (2/5/2004, undated), including a history of the U.S.S. MISSISSINEWA and documents from the National Personnel Records Center about Melvin Edward Harner. 2 items.
    Raymond J. Kragness genealogy (undated). 1 item.
    Card (11/15/1945) authorizing Raymond Jerrond Kragness to wear certain ribbons for his service in the Navy; Western Union telegram (2/25/1946) from Raymond J. Kragness to his parents, notifying them that he will be coming home; a pencil sketch (undated) of Raymond J. Kragness drawn by Kenneth Hackett. 3 items.

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Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection, without the consent of those individuals, may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which East Carolina University assumes no responsibility.

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Container List

  • Box 1
     
    Official records (1944-1946) of Raymond J. Kragness' service on the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA. 12 items.
    Official records (1944-1945), consisting of five issues of "The Eighty Times," (1944-1945, undated) the official newsletter for U.S.S. ESCAMBIA. 5 items.
    Official records (1946, undated), consisting of separation from service records of Raymond J. Kragness. 13 items.
    Official records (1943-1945), including Navy training course certificates, Draft Board notice, invitations and tickets to U.S.S. ESCAMBIA Commissioning and Decommissioning ceremonies, liberty cards, photograph of Raymond J. Kragness, and clippings. 13 items.
    Documents and membership cards (1943-1944) indicating that Raymond J. Kragness has been through rites of passage aboard the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA such as crossing the Equator and the International Date Line. 6 items.
    Photographs(1943-2004, undated) of Raymond J. Kragness during his time in the Navy, and one photograph of him in 2004. 38 items.
    Printed material related to the U.S.S. ESCAMBIA, including a list of ships fueled (Nov. 1943 - Nov. 1945) and website information about the ship's history, and reunions (2000). 2 items.
    Postcards (1943) of San Francisco Bay, California, one of which has correspondence from Raymond J. Kragness to his parents. 5 items.
    Official records (2/5/2004, undated), including a history of the U.S.S. MISSISSINEWA and documents from the National Personnel Records Center about Melvin Edward Harner. 2 items.
    Raymond J. Kragness genealogy (undated). 1 item.
    Card (11/15/1945) authorizing Raymond Jerrond Kragness to wear certain ribbons for his service in the Navy; Western Union telegram (2/25/1946) from Raymond J. Kragness to his parents, notifying them that he will be coming home; a pencil sketch (undated) of Raymond J. Kragness drawn by Kenneth Hackett. 3 items.


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