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Frank O'Driscoll Hunter papers
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Frank O'Driscoll Hunter (1894-1982) was born in Savannah on December 8, the son of John Heard Hunter and Fanny O'Driscoll Hunter. Hunter had two sisters. He attended a private school in Savannah, and studied in Lausanne, Switzerland and at Hotchkiss Preparatory School in Lakeville, Connecticut. He then went to work with an investment banker in New York City. At the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted as a sergeant, 1st Class, Signal Reserve Corps and began a distinguished military career. On May 18, 1917, Hunter was ordered to Memphis, Tennessee where he began flight training. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Aviation Signal Reserve on September 12, 1917 and left for France where he received additional flight training. Hunter was in active combat with the 103rd Aero Squadron (Lafayette Esquadrille) in France and Blegium. While serving in Europe, he received the following decorations for extraordinary heroism: Distinguished Service Cross with four oak leaf clusters, Croix de Guerre with Palm and the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. He shot down eight enemy planes for which he was named an Ace. Hunter was discharged in February 1919 with the rank of first lieutenant. Between World War I and World War II, Hunter was in active service with the Army Air Forces in various capacities and at various army airfields. He was commissioned a first lieutenant, Regular Army Air Service on July 1, 1920. He was promoted to captain on January 17, 1921; to major (temporary) on March 15, 1935; and to major (permanent) on November 1, 1936. When World War II started, Hunter was sent to France as Assistant Air Attache in May 1940. In July he was attached to the Office of the Military Attache in London, England as a military observer. He returned to the United States in December and was stationed at Orlando Air Base, Florida, as commanding officer of the 23rd Composite Group. While there, Hunter was promoted to the rank of colonel. In August 1941 he became commander of the 1st Air Force at Mitchell Field, Long Island, New York. In February 1942, Hunter was assigned to Headquarters, Army Air Forces in Washington and in April he was promoted to brigadier general. In July, he was sent back to England to command the U.S. fighter units of the Army Air Forces. While in England, he led several aerial offenses against the enemy on the continent. In November 1943, he was promoted to major general. During the war, he was awarded The Silver Star, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Honor, and was named honorary Commander of the British Empire. Hunter retired from the Army Air Force in 1946 and returned to Savannah where he was active in civic and social affairs. Hunter is said to be the only 'third degree' member of the Caterpillar Club, a mythical organization composed of more than 600 flyers who had been forced to jump with parachutes from airplanes in order to save their lives; General Hunter qualified three times. Hunter was also the only living American to have a military base named in his honor, Hunter Army Air Force Base in Savannah.
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The Hunter Papers, which fill two scrapbooks and 139 folders in 17 boxes, document the life and military career of Frank O'Driscoll Hunter from 1917-1982. The majority of the materials are comprised of news clippings from various newspapers and magazines which deal with his career and friends and family. Also included are personal correspondence (mostly with family members); official military correspondence, orders, and reports; commendations and awards; financial records; photographs; various subject files; and miscellaneous printed materials.
Notable among correspondents are General Carl A. Spaatz, Sholto Douglas, General Ira C. Eaker, Air Commander T.N. McEvoy, Wing Officer Margaret Forbes-Semphill, Herbert Buckmaster, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Colonel Robert H. Jones, Jacqueline Cochran and Floyd Odum, General Nate F. Twining, General Edward V. Rickenbacker, General Frank Mezar, General Leon W. Johnson, Grover A. Whalen, and Jock Whitney.
The collection also includes a roll of microfilm, X-1342-01.
Papers are arranged chronologically. Addenda to the collection (materials received in 1982) appear at the end of the collection in boxes 1A-8A and include correspondence, clippings, photographs, maps, military records, and other papers.
Box 9A was later (in September 2012) added as a part of this addenda and includes two photographs of Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, newspaper articles regarding Kaiser William Hohenzollern and activities in Germany, pilot license issued to Hunter in 1925 signed by Orville Wright, reading pamphlets, and soldier songbooks.
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Artifacts were separated and cataloged with the Georgia Historical Society Artifacts Collection.
Folder items that are listed as a part of 'Roll 1' are available on the microfilm.
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17 boxes, 2 volumes, 3 oversize folders, 1 microfilm roll, 1 folder
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A microfilm reader is required to access a portion of this collection.
Restricted item: Army identification card, Frank O'D. Hunter, 1st Lieutenant A.S.S.C.U.S.R., flying; pilot license issued for the year 1925 signed by Orville Wright. Viewable by appointment.
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Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
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GHS 1342, Frank O'Driscoll Hunter papers, 1917-1982. Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
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