Photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1945
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Henry James Lomax, American, 1917 - 1978
label: Subject of
content: United States Army Air Force, American, 1941 - 1947
label: Owned by
content: Louise Virginia Lomax, American, 1920 - 2011
notes: label: Caption
content: Henry Lomax enlisted as a Private in the Army in November 1941 in Richmond, VA, and was stationed at the Engineer Replacement Training Center (ERTC) at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, with Company D, 10th Battalion, 2nd Engineer Training Group. The 10th Battalion was one of three African American engineer training battalions at Ft. Belvoir.
label: Caption
content: According to his official service records, Lomax was stationed in the South Pacific Area (SPA), part of the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, from 20 January 1942 to 20 March 1945. As part of an aviation engineer battalion, Lomax was assigned to airfield construction, and for a time served with the 13th Air Force. The 13th Air Force served in the South Pacific and Southwest Pacific and participated in the liberation of the Philippine Islands. Lomax was promoted to Sergeant on 14 February 1945.
label: Caption
content: On 9 June 1945, Sgt. Lomax was examined by an Army doctor, who officially recommended that he be stationed in the continental U.S. for six months due to “Severe Combat Experience.” This phrase is now commonly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was diagnosed as “exhaustion” during World War II. He was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps almost four months later on 15 October 1945.
label: Caption
content: Lomax was awarded four medals for his World War II service: the Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze battle star, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars. It’s possible that these are four of the five ribbons visible on his chest in the photograph. Also visible in the photograph is the insignia of the Second Air Force, located just above his Sergeant chevrons.
label: Description
content: A warm-toned black-and-white photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax with hand-coloring. The portrait shows Sgt. Lomax in uniform from the waist up. He is looking forward. The color tinting highlights the medals and insignia on his uniform and is also applied to his lips. There are no marks or inscriptions, front or back.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1945-1953
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: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pia Marie Winters Jordan in memory of her mother, First Lieutenant Louise Virginia Lomax Winters, Army Nurse Corps; and her uncle, Sgt. Henry James Lomax, U.S. Army
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2022.42.5
objectType: label: Type
content: photographs
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with tinting
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (image): 6 3/8 × 4 7/8 in. (16.2 × 12.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (sheet): 6 13/16 × 4 7/8 in. (17.3 × 12.4 cm)