Biographical and Historical Note

Rufus Walter Dalton, Jr. was a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, born August 17, 1924 to Louise M. and Rufus Walter Dalton. He served in the U.S. Navy from August 19, 1943, to March 10, 1946, and attended Wake Forest College, 1947-1948. Dalton later died on December 13, 1974, and is buried in Salem Cemetery, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Collection Overview

This collection contains Dalton's birth certificate and a baby book as well as his diploma, graduation invitation, and program from Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1941. The bulk of the collection relates to his service in the Pacific during World War II on the USS Monssen. Items include a photograph of Dalton in Navy uniform, a cased photograph of his mother and father, copies of his honorable discharge and separation papers, a certificate of satisfactory service, a certificate of appreciation from President Harry Truman, a list of Navy decorations that he was authorized to wear, notes regarding the USS Monssen, a U.S. Navy rating bookle,; materials regarding his Children of the American Revolution membership, two metal dog tags, a "ruptured duck" pin, service ribbons, a U.S. Naval Reserve discharge pin, six pencil sketches of Leyte and Samar islands. Other souvenirs including two pieces of Japanese currency for the Phillipines, two pieces of Phillipine currency overprinted with VICTORY, and a piece of a Japanese parachute shot down over Leyte.

Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Creator

Dalton, Rufus Walter, Jr., 1924-1974

Title

Rufus Walter Dalton, Jr. Papers

ID

MS523

Date [inclusive]

circa 1920-1946

Extent

0.21 linear feet  1 half-document box

Mixed materials [Box]

1

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives 2005

Access Restrictions

Collection is open. 

Copyright Notice

The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 

Preferred Citation

Rufus Walter Dalton, Jr. Papers (MS523), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. 

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