Jerry L. Harlowe Collection (2117) Finding Aid
Collection Item Number: 21170000000
- Collection
- Jerry L. Harlowe Collection
- Title
- Jerry L. Harlowe Collection (2117) Finding Aid
- Linear Feet
- 16
- Language(s)
- English
- Dates
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Creation: Majority of material found within 1968 - 1970
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of approximately 16 linear feet of artifacts and other materials including coins, currency, captured NVA/VC equipment, Montagnard items, newspapers, pamphlets, a scrapbook and other ephemera collected by Jerry Harlowe during his service in the United States Air Force in Vietnam 1968-1970 and purchased after his service at various garage sales and flea markets. Also included are books written by Harlowe and others.Biographical / Historical
Jerry Harlowe was born on 12 June 1947 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Mr. Harlowe volunteered for the US Air Force in 1966. Jerry Harlowe served for 3 years and 11 months total. He served in Southeast Asia from 23 Nov. 1968 - 2 July 1970. He was assigned to the 22nd Air Defense Missile Squadron at Langley AFB, and with the 633rd Civil Engineering at Pleiku AFB RVN. Mr. Harlowe served as a Crew Chief during his time in the US Air Force. He held the rank of SGT. E-4.He received the AFGCM, the SEAM, and the RVN Ribbon. Mr. Harlowe was seperated from the Air Force in July 1970.- 1
- Electronic Media
2117EM0548 - Jerry L. Harlowe's scrapbook (digitized)
Click to view all Electronic Media
- 1
- Audio
2117AU2385: Tropic Lightning: The Band and Chorus of the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam [1969]
Click to view all Audio
- 1
- Scrapbooks
2117scrapbook1643 - Jerry Harlowe's R&R trip to Singapore, May 1969
Click to view all Scrapbooks
- 7
- Books
Vietnam: Without a Dream by Jerry L. Harlowe, 2013 (inscribed by author) (2 copies)
And Then I Was Home by Jerry Lee Harlowe, 2021 (signed by author)
Lighting Candles: Hospital Memories of Vietnam's Montagnards by Hilary Smith, 1988
Get Up One More Time by Hai Dang Nguyen, 2007 (signed by author)
The Blood Hunters by Gordon Hedderly Smith, 1942
Fini Vietnam: Or So I Said Fifty-Three Years Ago by Jerry Lee Harlowe, 2023
- 9
- Photographs
VA054120 - VA054122: Photographs of "Kim" from the Hanh Long Hotel in Cholon, 1970
VA054123: Photograph of children in the village of Kon Tum Konam, December 2007
VA055917-VA056097: photos of Jerry Harlowes service in Vietnam in the United States Air Force stationed at Pleiku, 1968-1970 and R&R trip to Bangkok
a strip of 4 photos of Harlowe soon after entering training at Lackland AFB 1966
VA063914-VA064038 photos from Harlowe's photo album parts A, B, C, D
most taken at Pleiku Air Base
Click to view all Photographs
- 10
- Newspapers
Grunt Free Press: 1970: March
The Observer: 1970: May: 22
Pacific Stars and Stripes: 1969: January 1; 1970: January: 25, 27; May: 23, 27; June: 1, 9
7th Air Force News: 1970: January: 21
Click to view all Newspapers
- 84
- Museum Objects
2117museum3219: Montagnard knife
2117museum3220: Montagnard knife
2117museum3221: US AIR FORCE patch
2117museum3222: Love beads
2117museum3223: Air Force cigarette lighter
2117museum3224: Engraved cigarette lighter
2117museum3225: Various coins
2117museum3226: Malaysian coins
2117museum3227: NVA Officers field hat
2117museum3228: NVA waist belt
2117museum3229: Star stamped NVA buckle
2117museum3230: Republic of Vietnam desk flag
2117museum3231: Gold pillow sham
2117museum3232: Remnant of jacket back with hand sewn map and "VIETNAM"
2117museum3233: Very large remnant of jacket back with hand sewn "SOUTHEAST ASIA 432nd RECON TECH SQ. 1966-1967 THAILAND"
2117museum3234: Short Timers Cane with middle finger extended and "Pleiku 68-70 GYPSY" engraved on stick
2117museum3235: Short TImers bamboo cane
2117museum3236: Hand carved statue of old man
2117museum3237: Hand carved statue of a woman with a pot on her head, Singapore, 1970
2117museum3238: Model "Swift Boat" PCF (Patrol Craft - Fast) made out of wood
2117museum3239: Childs souvenir jacket from Vietnam
2117museum3240: Wooden model Montagnard house
2117museum3241: Small Viet Cong pocket flag
2117museum3242: Rough knife from a NVA medical kit
2117museum3243: Seiko self-winding watch
2117museum3244: Yankee Air Pirate patch
2117museum3245: American Peace flag
2117museum3246: Hong Kong patch
2117museum3247: Pair of artillery flechettes from a "beehive" 105mm round
2117museum3248: Collar device for USAF enlisted personnel
2117museum3249: Pair of jungle boots
2117museum3250: Fatigue blouse
2117museum3251: Mens briefs underwear
2117museum3252: fatigue hat
2117museum3253: Short timers stick with "Mark" and "CUCHI VIETNAM 66-67" engraved
2117museum3254: Field made bamboo device for attaching camoflage to the chest
2117museum3255: VC/NVA crude knife
2117museum3256: Fatigue uniform
2117museum3257: Fatigue uniform
2117museum3258: Maj. Dolighans field uniform and trousers
2117museum3259: Maj. Dolighans field jacket
2117museum3260: Fatigue coat
2117museum3261: Maj. Dolighans stateside fatigue uniform
2117museum3262: Samsonite suitcase
2117museum3263: Air Defense Patch
2117museum3264: Airman E-1 stripe
2117museum3467: Leather luggage name tag
2117museum4007: Montagnard Crossbow with Quiver and Arrows
2117museum4223-(D231.5) Hand Carved wooden Helicopter model
2117museum4407 Two Vietnamese Dolls wearing Ao Dais
2117museum4410 Montagnard friendship bracelet worn by Jerry Harlowe, 1969
2117museum4411 French Indochina Vichy Government Coins, 1940 - 1943
2117museum4412 Chinese Communist Ammo Vest purchased from Vietnamese Helicopter Crewmen at Pleiku Air Base, 1969
2117museum4413 Woman's Utility Shirt worn by Captain Sheliga
2117museum4414 Woman's Utility Shirt worn by Major Knight
2117museum4415 Men's Tropical Combat Coat worn by Major Dolighan
2117museum4416 Men's Trousers
2117museum4417 Woman's Utility Slacks
2117museum4605-Silk Flag
2117museum4606- 1968 Viet Cong flag
2117museum4607- 1967 Red banner with gold loop fringe around the edge
2117museum4608- Bamboo Montagnard pipe
2117museum4609- Wood and horn Montagnard pipe
2117museum4610- Brass Montagnard bracelet
2117museum4611- 1968 Chien Thang badge
2117museum4612- Chien Dich Ho Chi Minh red and gold badge
2117museum4613- Screw on hat device
2117museum4614- Red metal lighter VC (NLF)
2117museum4615-Embroidered Viet Cong Flag with the inscription 'Quyet Thang 1970'
2117museum4616- Handmade Montagnard bush knife made for Jerry Harlowe in Kontum in 2007
2117museum6410- Wooden Helicopter
Click to view all Museum Objects
- Box 1: [Barcode: 1] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D097.7]]
- Box 2: [Barcode: 2] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, [(D054.1B)Oversized Individual Collections ]]
- 1000: [Barcode: 1000] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D054.1 ]]
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Various documents from Jerry Harlowe's service in the US Air Force
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Business Card fro Hanh-Long Hotel Cholon, Saigon
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A letter to Sgt. Jerry Harlowe dated June 9, 1970 signed by "Kim"
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A Hallmark birthday card from Jerry
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A letter from the base Chaplin (Carl S. Mundinger) at Pleiku Air Base to Mrs. Nellie B. Harlowe discussing the topic of her sons arrival, safety, and what to send him.
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Thanksgiving Day menu at Pleiku Air Base, Vietnam 1968
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Thanksgiving Day menu at Pleiku Air Base, Vietnam 1969
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Christmas Day menu at Pleiku Air Base, Vietnam 1968
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Christmas Card purchased in Vietnam from Jerry to "you all"
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Postcard (Giant Buddha picture) to Mr. & Mrs. C.F. Harlowe from Jerry talking about his trip to Pleiku Air Base
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Letters between Jerry Harlowe and his family while he served in the USAF during Training camp in 1966.
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Letter from the Red Cross to Harlowe's parents, 1966
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Diary from training camp in August/September 1966
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Letters between Jerry Harlowe and his family while he served in the USAF during 1967-1968
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Lackland AFB Contact card, Postcard from Pleiku, and two article clippings featuring Harlowe, sent in the 17 June 1968 letter
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Letters between Jerry Harlowe and his family while he served in the USAF in Vietnam, 26 July 1969-25 September 1969
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Letters between Jerry Harlowe and his family while he served in the USAF in Vietnam, 1 October 1969-25 November 1969; 20 June 1970, Last letter from Vietnam
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Two undated letters with random notes and a picture of a tunrtable
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Brochure on life of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, Navy Chaplain, KIA September 1967 -
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Drink Coupon for Newton Towers, Singapore
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Postcard Wake Island Aerial View
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Set of postcards from Okinawa
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Air Force Sticker
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Lackland AFB postcard
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Advertisement about Japan and R and R options for leave
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Customs slip from Japan on items sent to Harlowe's parents in Baltimore
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Postcard Directional Post
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Letter to The Vietnam Archive from Jerry Harlowe, July 2009
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Newsletter, September 2011 - 'FOCHgram' from the Friends of the Central Highlands, Inc.
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'Religons of Vietnam' (pamphlet)
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Letter from Chaplin and mailing envelope
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Cover removed from the photo album
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Various newspaper clippings and comic strips from scrap book
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Birthday card and envelope
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Colored drawing of an elephant representing a 'VC Mobile Rocket Launcher'
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Postcard showing Ho Chi Minh inspecting a plant
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Spring of the year of the monkey New Years card (1968)
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Federal Aviation Agency pamphlet for Wake Island (No Date)
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3/4 ton truck preventative maintenance pamphlet (No Date)
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Draft drawings of AAI Corporation armored vehicles
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Pages from Jerry Harlowe's scrapbooks
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Two newspaper clippling from Jerry Harlowe's scrapbook.
- Perma Link
- https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=21170000000
- Citation
- Jerry L. Harlowe Collection (2117) Finding Aid, Jerry L. Harlowe Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=21170000000, Accessed 08 Feb 2026.
- Pub Credit Line
- 21170000000, Jerry L. Harlowe Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University
- Added: 25 Jun 2008 [Updated: 28 Feb 2024]
Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive
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Address
Texas Tech University, Box 41041, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
(806)742-9010 -
Email
vnca@ttu.edu