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Leon Bloomberg papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-0037

Abstract

The Leon Bloomberg papers contains letters, postcards, and other correspondence from Leon Bloomberg to his wife, Esther Bloomberg, during his time in basic training and serving overseas with the United States Army, 1944 to 1946.

Leon was drafted into the United States Army in 1944, during the Second World War. At the time he lived in Baltimore and worked for the Glenn L. Martin Company in Middle River, Maryland. In September 1944, Leon reported to basic training in New Cumberland, Maryland and was later sent to Camp Croft, South Carolina. In February 1945 he was deployed and served overseas in England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia from 1945-1946. He returned from deployment in May 1946.

Letters share details of his daily routine, troop movements, personal travels, thoughts, and well-being with his family in Baltimore. Specific letters include direct testimony of the Nuremberg Trials (Feb. 9, 1946), the death of President Roosevelt, and VE Day and VJ Day. Ephemera materials supplement these accounts.

The collection also includes an oral history recorded in the 1980s, where Leon discusses memories of his childhood and time in the army with his children and wife.

Dates

  • Creation: 1944-1946

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access. This collection is open to the public.

Conditions Governing Use

Towson University Special Collections and Archives is the owner of the original materials and digitized images in our collections, however; the collection may contain materials for which copyright is not held. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials. Consult with SCUA to determine if we can provide permission for use.

Biographical / Historical

Leon Bloomberg was born Jan. 5, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri, to a Jewish Polish émigré father, Harry Bloomberg, and mother Rose Rosenthal. His mother died when he was nine months old and his father later remarried. Leon had two half-brothers, Morris and Izzy Bloomberg. Leon was fluent in both English and Polish and acted as a translator for his family.

After high school he attended aeronautics school. During the Second World War, Leon and his friends Lou Cohen and Louie Swartz traveled to the east coast to find aircraft work in New York. When they stopped in Baltimore on the way to New York, they learned about work in Glenn L. Martin Company aircraft manufacturing company in Middle River, Maryland. They stayed in Baltimore where Leon met his future wife, Esther Levin, who lived across the street from Leon’s residence. They married on March 21, 1943.

Leon was drafted into the United States Army in early 1944, during the Second World War. He was allowed deferment due to his wife’s pregnancy. Jacqueline Bloomberg was born in July 1944. In September, Leon reported to basic training in New Cumberland, Maryland and was later sent to Camp Croft, South Carolina. In February 1945 he was deployed and served overseas in England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia from 1945 to 1946. He returned from deployment in May 1946.

He died Oct. 6, 2014 in Lutherville, Maryland.

Extent

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Title
Guide to the Leon Bloomberg papers
Status
Completed
Author
Allison Fischbach
Date
2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Towson University Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
Albert S. Cook Library
8000 York Rd
Towson MD 21252 United States