Naval History and Heritage Command

Finding aid (Word)

Biographical Note

Gerald Morton Astor was born 3 August 1926, in New Haven, Connecticut. After service in the Army during the latter years of World War II, he attended Princeton University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in 1949, and Columbia University from 1949 to 1951.

His career in journalism included work at Sports Illustrated as picture editor from 1954-1962; Look magazine; executive editor ofSport from 1980-1981; and with CBS beginning in 1982. Astor was project manager for Time magazine’s Olympic games photography during 1983-1984.

Astor is the author of numerous books on a variety of topics, including military and naval history.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains materials gathered by Astor during his research. They consist chiefly of correspondence from Navy veterans who participated in the invasions of Okinawa, the Philippines, and a smaller number on Normandy, France. These letters, most responding to Astor’s questionnaire, were used in writing two of his books on World War II, Operation Iceberg: The Invasion and Conquest of Okinawa in World War II and Crisis in the Pacific: The Battles for the Philippine Islands by the Men Who Fought Them.

The collection is arranged in two series. Series I, Correspondence, contains the letters Astor received from Navy World War II veterans in response to his questionnaire. They are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.

Series II, Tapes, contains four audiocassettes of oral responses to Astor’s request for information. They are arranged alphabetically by last name. Astor’s transcripts of these tapes can be found with the veteran’s correspondence in Series I.

Restrictions Note

The audiocassettes in Series II are available only by permission of the Archives Branch Head. Researchers are to use the transcripts found in Series I.

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Papers of Gerald Astor, Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.

Subject Headings (LCSH)

World War, 1939-1945--Personal Narratives, American.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy.
World War, 1939-1945--Naval Operations, American.
Veterans--United States--Correspondence.
Authors, American--Archives.