Donald Schlenger standing in front of Japanese structure, Tinian
Gift of Donald Schlenger
Description:
Photograph. United States Army Air Forces officer Donald Schlenger standing in front of the remains of a Japanese building. The concrete structure has Japanese characters on it. It is riddled with bullet and large caliber damage. Tinian. No date
Image Information
Donor:
Accession Number:
Date:
1944
1945
Hometown:
Branch:
Theater of Service:
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Collection Level:
Items from the service of Donald S. Schlenger, who was an officer in the 570th Air Engineering Squadron, 359th Air Service Group, 20th Air Force in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Schlenger was born on 9 May 1921 in New Jersey and is the son of R&S Auto cofounder, Herman Schlenger and his wife, Ruth. He grew up in South Orange and left to attend the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Months before his graduation in 1943, Schlenger enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. In 1944, he was sent to Harvard Army Airfield in Nebraska before being shipped off to Tinian. While on Tinian, Schlenger led a crew of enlisted personnel who repaired and maintained the central fire control systems on B-29 Bombers. He remained on Tinian until the end of 1945. Upon returning to the United States, Schlenger moved back to New Jersey and ran R&S Auto during the 1960s. Schlenger moved out of New Jersey and is currently enjoying retirement. The collection consists of over 70 photographs of Schlenger's time in the service as well as newspaper and periodical clippings.
Geography:
Tinian
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials:
World War, 1939-1945--Destruction and pillage--Tinian
Officers--American--Tinian