Naval History and Heritage Command

Finding aid (Word)

Biographical Note

Jacob Pawer was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1923. He attended the University of Wisconsin from 1940-1943 and studied at Lawrence College between 1947-1948, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948.

Pawer entered the Navy in 1943 and graduated from the Naval Air School in Pensacola, Florida. He was appointed a Naval Aviator on 4 April 1945. During World War II, he had assignments with the Atlantic Fleet and at Anacostia Naval Air Station near Washington, D.C. He was appointed to a permanent assignment in the Navy in and was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in 1952 prior to his assignment to the Pacific Fleet in June 1953.

Jacob Pawer died in a plane crash in the Sea of Japan in July 1953 during the Korean War. His remains were not recovered following the crash. He was survived by his wife, Gretchen, and his son, Jacob Louis.

Scope and Content Note

The Papers of Lieutenant Jacob Pawer contain correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia related to Jacob Pawer's Navy service following World War II. The collection also includes documents from Jacob's wife, Gretchen Pawer. It is organized in four series: correspondence, photographs, log books and miscellaneous items.

Series I consists of correspondence, primarily letters written to Gretchen following her husband's death. There is a smaller amount of correspondence between Pawer and Gretchen, and letters to Pawer from others. The correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Series II consists of photographs. Included are photographs of Jacob Pawer, Gretchen Pawer, Morgan Slayton, and other unidentified people. Oversize photographs are contained in Box 5 at the end of the collection. Photographs of Rear Admiral R.E. Blick and the War Birds of the Royal Air Force can be found here.

Series III holds Pawer’s Aviator's Log Books from 1944-1953. There are two logbooks, one covering Pawer's civilian flying and one for his military flights.

The final series holds miscellaneous items, including newsletters, clippings, programs, and other memorabilia. This series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Preferred Citation

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

Subject Headings (LCSH)

Air pilots, Military--United States.
United States. Navy--Aviation.
United States. Navy--Officers.
Air pilots--Licenses--United States.
Maring, Gretchen Pawer.