Naval History and Heritage Command

Finding Aid (PDF, 22KB)

Scope and Contect Note

The Papers of Joseph Scherf are comprised of correspondence, photographs, services records, publications, and personal effects of Joseph Scherf.

This collection is organized into six series. Series I is a personal file. The folders are divided by subject and arranged alphabetically. Located within these files is Scherf's request for and copy of his birth certificate from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Personal documents regarding pension and insurance plans can also be found here, along with personal letters written to and by Joseph Scherf.

Series II, Commissary, contains a variety of documents from the ships Scherf was stationed on. Among the items in this series are menus from USS Saratoga, Helena, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, and Pensacola Naval Air Station. Included also is material regarding the organization of the Supply Department on USS Colorado, which outlines the duties of such figures as the Chief Commissary Steward, Shopkeeper, and the assistant to disbursing. Documents concerning food standards and daily rations have also been placed in this series. This series is also a subject f:tle and is arranged alphabetically.

Series III, Service, contains letters of recommendation written for Scherf, several of these letters tell of his exemplary service on USS Colorado and Saratoga. Scherfs original service records along with several Petty Officer Appointment certificates, letters of appointment to the Supply Department, and items regarding his Veteran's affairs are also contained within this series.

Series IV, Publications, holds publications on USS Colorado. Included are numerous church bulletins from several holidays and regular masses. A press release from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba gives news briefs from major world cities including baseball scores and officer orders. Several newspaper articles detail Colorado's trip to Norfolk and Manhattan from the Pacific for repairs.

Series V, Miscellaneous, contains personal items including a hand-written recipe, several liberty cards issued to Scherf, Duke University Athletic Association tickets from 1930, and receipts.

Series VI, Pictures, contain a variety of photographs arranged by subject. The majority is from Scherf's time in Shanghai and the China Sea. There are many photographs of ships and various locations in Asia. Locations and dates have, in most cases, been provided by Scherf, who has written on the front of the photos. This series continues in an oversized box, which contains wedding photographs of Scherf and his wife, Beulah Anderson Scherf, and a 1924 photograph of USS Colorado.

Preferred Citation

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