James A. Lasseter and Mary Rita Lane Lasseter Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0634

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The James A. Lasseter and Mary Rita Lane Lasseter Papers contain material related to James and Rita Lasseter’s military service in India during World War II. The most significant items are the diaries that James and Rita kept while on board the S.S. Brazil. Although these diaries covered the same events, the way they were written was very different. James’ diary was written in a narrative style and glossed over some of the dangers of the voyage, while Rita’s was written in a diary format and described her day-to-day activities and experiences.

The collection also includes a small file of their correspondence from 1942 to 1944. A commercially printed photo album is filled with photos from Rita’s time in India. The original copies of these photos remain with the couple’s family. Other items include an unidentified list of officers’ names and addresses; Rita’s name is included on the list. There is also an autograph album belonging to Rita, which mostly contains signatures from her classmates at Oxford High School in Massachusetts; a humorous typewritten story about a soldier named August Childs, which was widely reprinted in U.S. newspapers during the war; and a file of miscellaneous paper ephemera that includes newspaper clippings and poems.

Dates

Creation: 1933 - 2020
Creation: Majority of material found within 1942 - 1944

Creator

Lasseter, James A., 1916-1975. (Person)
Lasseter, Mary Rita Lane, 1918-1997. (Person)

Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

James A. Lasseter met his future wife, Mary Rita Lane, during World War II onboard the S.S.Brazil. The Brazil was an ocean liner that had been retrofitted to transport American troops. It left Charleston, South Carolina on March 19th, 1942, with roughly five thousand people on board, including Lasseter and Lane. Lasseter, originally from Fulton County, Georgia, was in the Army and was assigned to the 10th Air Force in February 1942. Rita Lane, originally from Massachusetts, was a member of the Army Nurse Corps. When James and Rita were not attending to their duties, they were often in each other’s company, as described in the diaries they both kept. After landing in India on May 12th, Rita served at the 159th Station Hospital near Karachi (which is now part of Pakistan), while James went on to an assignment in New Delhi. They continued their courtship through letters and visits during leave from their duties. After returning to the United States, they were married at the chapel at Camp Blanding on June 12th, 1944. Once the war was over, they settled in Miami and had four children, Mary, Nancy, Shirley, and Thomas. James died in 1975, followed by Rita in 1997.

Extent

.41 Linear Feet (1 Box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Acquisition Information

Gift of Shirley Lasseter.

Related Materials

The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections holds a number of collections related to World War II, such as the Arthur L. Funk Papers, the William F. Saulson and Lila May Sprintz Saulson Family Papers, the Luther E. Smith, Jr., Papers, the Paul M. Stults Papers, and the Weintraub Family Letters Relating to World War II.

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives at UNC Greensboro holds the Geraldine Smith Richardson Collection. Like Rita Lasseter, Richardson served at the 159th Station Hospital near Karachi.

References/Bibliography

Charles, Roland W. (1947). insert text. Washington, D.C.: The Army Transportation Association, 1947.

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2D-PFTB : 10 June 2020), James A Lasseter, 1975; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

"Mary Rita Lane Lasseter." Gainesville Sun, May 7, 1997. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current .https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/1292391396ECB6A0.