Letter to Charles and Margaret Nicolls from Lt. Vernon O. Nicolls
date: label: Date
content: February 29, 1944
name: label: Written by
content: Lieutenant Vernon O. Nicolls, American, 1909 - 2003
label: Subject of
content: Margaret Neblett Nicolls, American, 1886 - 1976
label: Subject of
content: Charles Oswald Nicolls, American, 1885 - 1956
label: Subject of
content: Victorine Esme Dear, American, 1903 - 1986
label: Subject of
content: Arita Thorn Nicolls, American, 1887 - 1971
label: Subject of
content: Fort Knox, American, founded 1918
notes: label: Caption
content: Vernon Nicolls was born in Barbados in 1909 to Charles and Margaret Nicolls and immigrated to the U.S. in 1915. During World War II, while living in Brooklyn, Nicolls enlisted as a Private in the Army at Fort Jay on Governor's Island, New York, in 1942. He later attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he wrote his parents this letter. After graduating from OCS, Nicolls received his commission as a Lieutenant and served in Italy with the 758th Tank Battalion, the Army's first African American armored unit.
label: Description
content: Folded letter sent by Lt. Vernon O. Nicolls to his parents, Charles and Margaret Nicolls. The letter folds into an envelope. The front side of the folded letter has handwritten text in black ink with addresses for both sender and recipients. There is also a circular postmark stamp in the top center, in black ink, that reads [FORT KNOX / MAR 1 / 12 M / 1944 / KY] with a stamped wavy line cancellation to the right. The back of folded letter reads, [63 / Joe Cowsky Mr X]. The unfolded letter is handwritten in black ink on letterhead featuring the Armored Forces insignia, a yellow, blue, and red triangle outlined in black with a black illustration of a gun, tank track, and wheels, covered by a red lightning bolt. Below the insignia is blue type that reads, [THE ARMORED FORCE / FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY] in the top, center of the page. The letter is dated [29-FEB-1944 / TUESDAY] and features two (2) paragraphs and two (2) additional lines of text.
place: label: Place made
content: Fort Knox, Kentucky, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kay L. Nicolls
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.142.11
objectType: label: Type
content: letters (correspondence)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Estate of Vernon O. Nicolls
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (Unfolded): 10 3/4 × 6 7/8 in. (27.3 × 17.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Folded): 3 9/16 × 6 1/16 × 1/8 in. (9 × 15.4 × 0.3 cm)