Capps, Arthur V., Papers, 1941-1985 and undated

Creator: Capps, Harold

Collection #:S 1890.1

Language: English

Biographical Sketch

Arthur V. Capps was born in Tucumcari, Quay County, New Mexico, on April 18, 1915 to his parents Fred and Nettie Capps. He had four siblings. Sisters Nola, Nova, and Annie, and a brother who died as a toddler named Fred. He began work on Wake Island during World War II in fall of 1941 as a civilian contractor. He was captured on Wake Island by the Japanese in December of 1941 and was not released until September 1945 at the end of World War II.

Arthur Capps married Lutie Neal in 1946 and had their son Harold R. Capps who organized and donated this collection. Arthur and Lutie also had a daughter, Nancy, and another son, Joseph.

Scope and Contents

This collection includes correspondence mainly between Arthur V. Capps and his family: mother, Nettie Capps; father, Fred Capps, and his sisters and their families. Other correspondence comes from outside of the family, such as military officers and friends, reporting information about Arthur V. Capps’ internment. This collection also includes photos of the family and military documents including honorable discharge documents.

Accruals to the collection in 2022 include personal collections from Lutie Neal Capps’ travel in 1945 including notebooks and brochures, biographical information from Harold R. Capps, and magazines and newspaper clippings collected by Arthur V. Capps after his release from internment.

Restrictions

Open for Research

Related Material

Dr. Harold R. Capps oral history interview [abstract], June 19, 1997.

Many archival collections related to World War II, prisoners of war, and closely related topics can be found via a search among our finding aids on Texas Archival Resources Online. More oral histories may be found among our oral history abstracts as well as among our oral history transcripts.

Citation

Arthur V. Capps Papers, 1941-1985 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Accession Information

Collection accession #(s): 2019-0097-B, 2022-0198-B

Gift, 2019, 2022 t

Processing Information

Processed by: Sarah Alexander, 2022

Collection Inventory

Box 1

• Folder 1, A Report to Returned CPNAB Prisoner of War Heroes and Their Dependents
• Folder 2, To Capps, undated
• Folder 3, To Family, undated
• Folder 4, To Frank and Annie, November 1, 1941
• Folder 5, To Frank, Annie, Rene, August 26, 1941
• Folder 6, To Mother and Daddy, July 17, 1941
• Folder 7, To Mother and Daddy, July 23, 1941
• Folder 8, To Mother and Daddy, July 26, 1941
• Folder 9, To Mother and Daddy, August 11, 1941
• Folder 10, To Mother and Daddy, August 16, 1941
• Folder 11, To Mother and Daddy, September 2, 1941
• Folder 12, To Mother and Daddy, September 18, 1941
• Folder 13, To Mother and Daddy, September 18, 1941
• Folder 14, To Mother and Daddy, September 19, 1941
• Folder 15, To Mother and Daddy, September 24, 1941
• Folder 16, To Mother and Daddy, October 8, 1941
• Folder 17, To Mother and Daddy, October 9, 1941
• Folder 18, To Mother and Daddy, October 20, 1941
• Folder 19, To Mother and Daddy, November 9, 1941
• Folder 20, To Mother and Daddy, November 12, 1941
• Folder 21, To Mother and Daddy, November 16-20, 1941
• Folder 22, To Mother and Daddy, December 2, 1941
• Folder 23, To Mother and Daddy, May 29, 1942
• Folder 24, To Mother and Daddys, December 22, 1943
• Folder 25, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, January 4, 1943
• Folder 26, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, September 23, 1943
• Folder 27, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, April 18, 1944
• Folder 28, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, Decemer 25, 1944
• Folder 29, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, September 15, 1945
• Folder 30, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, September 25, 1945
• Folder 31, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, October 6, 1945
• Folder 32, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, undated
• Folder 33, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, undated
• Folder 34, To Mother, Daddy, and Family, undated
• Folder 35, To Mr. Fred Capps, July 21, 1941
• Folder 36, Written Addresses by Arthur Capps, undated
• Folder 37, Arthur Capps Veteran Status, 1985
• Folder 38, Biographical Information on Harold R. (Dick) Capps

Correspondence to Arthur Capps after Internment

• Folder 39, From Federal Security Agency Bureau of Employee's Compensation, September 16, 1946
• Folder 40, From Kal Waller regarding unpaid wages, January 16, 1947
• Folder 41, From W. S. Cunningham of Wake Island, August 2, 1961
• Folder 42, Honorable Discharge Document, undated
• Folder 43, Information from Outside Sources

Letters from Family, Friends, and others to Fred and Nettie Capps concerning Arthur Capps, 1941-1945

• Folder 44, From Cpl. Ray Covert, December 2, 1942
• Folder 45, From Cpl. Ray Covert, Decmeber 19, 1942
• Folder 46, From Gus, June 5, 1942
• Folder 47, From Jim Swickard, March 10, 1942
• Folder 48, From Mr. and Mrs. Madison Courtenay, December 7, 1943
• Folder 49, From Mr. and Mrs. Madison Courtenay, April 18, 1944
• Folder 50, From Polly and Carol, undated
• Folder 51, From W. M. Lancaster, D., February 18, 1942
• Folder 52, From Zeffie Childress, September 20, 1945

Letters from Family to Arthur Capps, 1941-1945

• Folder 53, Envelope from Mr. and Mrs. Fred Capps, December 8, 1941
• Folder 54, From Annie, February 28, 1944
• Folder 55, From Annie and Family, September 30, 1945
• Folder 56, From Annie and Family, with photo, February 3, 1945
• Folder 57, From Annie James, Christmas Card, December 1942
• Folder 58, From Mother, May 27, 1942
• Folder 59, From Mother, December 2, 1942
• Folder 60, From Mother, December 27, 1942
• Folder 61, From Mother, October 9, 1945
• Folder 62, From Mother and Dad, November 2, 1941
• Folder 63, From Mother and Dad, November 28, 1941
• Folder 64, From Mother and Dad, December 16, 1941
• Folder 65, From Mother and Dad, December 16, 1941
• Folder 66, From Mother and Dad, May 8, 1942
• Folder 67, From Mother and Dad, May 18, 1942
• Folder 68, From Mother and Dad, June 6, 1942
• Folder 69, From Mother and Dad, July 14, 1942
• Folder 70, From Mother and Dad, July 20, 1942
• Folder 71, From Mother and Dad, July 28, 1942
• Folder 72, From Mother and Dad, August 11, 1942
• Folder 73, From Mother and Dad, August 21, 1942
• Folder 74, From Mother and Dad, September 3, 1942
• Folder 75, From Mother and Dad, September 15, 1942
• Folder 76, From Mother and Dad, September 25, 1942
• Folder 77, From Mother and Dad, September 25, 1942
• Folder 78, From Mother and Dad, October 7, 1942
• Folder 79, From Mother and Dad, November 5, 1942
• Folder 80, From Mother and Dad, November 14, 1942
• Folder 81, From Mother and Dad, January 17, 1943
• Folder 82, From Mother and Dad, January 29, 1943
• Folder 83, From Mother and Dad, February 1, 1943
• Folder 84, From Mother and Dad, March 25, 1943
• Folder 85, From Mother and Dad, April 19, 1943
• Folder 86, From Mother and Dad, December 9, 1943
• Folder 87, From Mother and Dad, December 18, 1943
• Folder 88, From Mother and Dad, January 3, 1944
• Folder 89, From Mother and Dad, January 10, 1944
• Folder 90, From Mother and Dad, January 26, 1944
• Folder 91, From Mother and Dad, February 20, 1944
• Folder 92, From Mother and Dad, March 17, 1944
• Folder 93, From Mother and Dad, April 20, 1944
• Folder 94, From Mother and Dad, May 7, 1944
• Folder 95, From Mother and Dad, May 25, 1944
• Folder 96, From Mother and Dad, June 29, 1944
• Folder 97, From Mother and Dad, August 6, 1944
• Folder 98, From Mother and Dad, August 24, 1944
• Folder 99, From Mother and Dad, October 15, 1944
• Folder 100, From Mother and Dad, December 2, 1944
• Folder 101, From Mother and Dad, September 30, 1945
• Folder 102, From Moether and Dad, Unclaimed, December 21, 1941
• Folder 103, From Mother and Dad, Unclaimed, December 21, 1941
• Folder 104, From Mother and Dad, with document, February 3, 1945
• Folder 105, From Mother and Dad, with photo, November 17, 1943
• Folder 106, From Mother and Dad, with photo, April 9, 1944
• Folder 107, From Mother and Dad, with photo, September 1, 1944
• Folder 108, From Mother and Dad, with photo, September 14, 1944
• Folder 109, From Mother and Dad, with photo, October 3, 1944
• Folder 110, From Mother and Dad, with photo of Nola, February 4, 1944
• Folder 111, From Mother and Dad, with photos document, July 14, 1944
• Folder 112, From Mother and Daddy, all your sisters hosts of friends, May 8, 1943
• Folder 113, From Mother, from Sally, October 1, 1945
• Folder 114, From Nola, August 11, 1942
• Folder 115, From Nola, March 30, 1943
• Folder 116, From Nola, May 4, 1943
• Folder 117, From Nola, November 8, 1943
• Folder 118, From Nola, August 26, 1944
• Folder 119, From Nola, September 17, 1944
• Folder 120, From Nola and Walden, January 2, 1944
• Folder 121, From Nola, Walden, and Fred Lynn, July 3, 1942
• Folder 122, From Nola, Walden, and Fred Lynn, August 3, 1942
• Folder 123, From Nola, Walden, and Fred Lynn, November 4, 1942
• Folder 124, Letter from Nettie to Nola about Arthur, September 11, 1945

Letters from people who heard about Arthur Capps on shortwave radio, etc.

• Folder 125, From Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service Federal Communications Commission, March 20, 1944
• Folder 126, From Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service Federal Communications Commission, undated
• Folder 127, From Gullion Provost Marshall General, March 22, 1944
• Folder 128, From Gullion Provost Marshall General, March 24, 1944
• Folder 129, From Jas. O. Speer, March 21, 1944
• Folder 130, From Lerch Provost Marshall General, July 1, 1944
• Folder 131, From May E. Hagedorn, March 20, 1944
• Folder 132, From Mr. E. H. Stephan, October 18, 1943
• Folder 133, From Mrs. Cecilia McKie, March 20, 1944
• Folder 134, From R. P. Read, July 1, 1944
• Folder 135, From W. Brewster, March 21, 1944
• Folder 136, Letters from US Representative Eugene Worley and the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 14, 1942-February 26, 1942

Lutie Neal Capps Travel, 1945

• Folder 137, Brochure Collection, undated
• Folder 138, Directory of Western Churches Christ, 1945
• Folder 139, Empty California Envelopes, undated
• Folder 140, Lutie Neal class of 1939 teaching school in Indianapolis, undated
• Folder 141, Lutie's Notebook, money planning, undated
• Folder 142, Newspaper Scraps, undated

Newspapers Clippings

• Folder 143, Articles about Arthur Capps and Internment, undated
• Folder 144, Articles by Captain Winfield Scott Cunningham collected by Arthur Capps, undated

Pacific Contractor Letters

• Folder 145, From A. D. Conton, February 18, 1942
• Folder 146, From Contractors, February 2, 1942
• Folder 147, From Contractors, Instructions to CPNAB Internees from Wake Island and Guam, undated

Pacific Island Employee's Foundation Letters

• Folder 148, From J. W. Crowe, February 12, 1942
• Folder 149, From Tom S. Hoskot, December 1, 1943
• Folder 150, From Tom S. Hoskot, April 3, 1944
• Folder 151, From Tom S. Hoskot, April 18, 1944
• Folder 152, From Tom S. Hoskot, August 12, 1944
• Folder 153, From Tom S. Hoskot, September 15, 1945
• Folder 154, From Tom S. Hoskot, with document, April 12, 1944
• Folder 155, Red Cross Bulletin, February 1944

The Saturday Evening Post

• Folder 156, This is How it Was, part one, February 23, 1946
• Folder 157, This is How it Was, part two, March 2, 1946
• Folder 158, This is How it Was, part three, March 6, 1946
• Folder 159, This is How it Was, part four, March 16, 1946

War Department Letters

• Folder 160, From Colonel Howard F. Bresee, October 4, 1943
• Folder 161, From Edwin J. Carpenter, March 30, 1944
• Folder 162, From F. M. Mosley, October 21, 1943
• Folder 163, From Howard F. Bresee, April 13, 1944
• Folder 164, From Howard F. Bresee, April 29, 1944
• Folder 165, From Howard F. Bresee, June 6, 1944
• Folder 166, From Lerch Provost Marshall General, August 3
• Folder 167, From Lerch Provost Marshall General, August 18