Collection Guide:
The photo album follows the cruise of USS Golden City in the Pacific from late 1944 through 1945. The images show the ship docked at unknown locations; various groupings of crew members; making port at Leyte and Samar in the Philippine Islands (circa 1945) including various views of camp and street scenes in Samar; port in Korea with views of the city of Jinsen, including villagers, buildings, and a view of LCT 1395 at shore; views of damaged buildings in Okinawa; aboard ship activities such as mass services and change of command ceremonies.
The loose photographs contain mostly uncaptioned images of Hoppe’s fellow sailors (including some portraits); views of sailors aboard ship (presumably USS Golden City); in the Philippines (views of villages, camp, and cemetery in Ulithi, Samar, and Okinawa circa June 1945; view of the crew on the deck of the ship the day of the Japanese surrender; also included are several image of Navy Day at Pearl Harbor, HI circa 1944-1945; and the ship and crew in China following the end of the war, circa November 1945 (views include city scenes, buildings, and sailors on leave).
Also included in the collection are two copies of an oversized panoramic image of the graduating training company (CO 900) from Naval Training Station, Farragut, ID, November 1943 – this is likely Hoppe’s training company.
