Van Stockum, Ronald Reginald (1916-) Papers, 1937-2001

Held by The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky

Creator: Ronald Reginald Van Stockum (b.1916)

Title: Papers, 1937-2001

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection: 8 cubic feet

Locator Number: Mss. A V217

Scope and Content Note

Papers dealing with Van Stockum’s career in the United States Marine Corps from Officer’s Training School till his retirement as a Brigadier General. The papers continue with his activities as a retired General. His second career at the University of Louisville kept him involved with the ROTC programs and he also served on the Armed Forces Committee for the city of Louisville. The collection includes journals, correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia of his life in the Marines. For General Van Stockum’s inventory and notes on the collection, please click here.

Folder 30 of this collection has been digitized. To view PDF scans, click on the links provided in the folder list below.

Biographical Note

Ronald Reginald Van Stockum was born seven days after his father was killed in the battle of the Somme in 1916. His mother then moved to the United States and married again. Van Stockum grew up on the west coast and graduated from the ROTC program at the University of Washington in 1937. From there he attended the Officers School at the Marine Barracks at the Naval Yards in Philadelphia.

He began his career in the Marines as a Lieutenant on the USS Tennessee. He made his first trip through the Panama Canal with that ship and was part of the crew that showed the flag at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. He was later transferred to the USS Wasp and was part of the North Atlantic fleet protecting convoys in U.S. waters before the war. When the war broke out, Van Stockum had been promoted to Captain and was still aboard the Wasp. He served on the ship as it made two runs into the Mediterranean Sea to deliver Spitfire fighters to Malta in 1942.

Van Stockum left the Wasp before it was sunk by a Japanese torpedo. He trained in New Zealand and then was part of the invasions of Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima. By the end of the war he was promoted to a Colonel and had received several medals including a Bronze Star. After the war he was involved with training and recruiting before being sent to Japan in the early 1950s. While in Japan he traveled  the country by automobile every chance he had to do so.

After Japan he was involved in an exercise in Thule, Greenland and later part of the Army’s Arctic Training School. He then was sent to the Canadian Defense College and then assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. While at Camp Lejeune he found himself serving as the aggressor “Colonel-General” in a war game and then as Chief of Staff at the base. His promotion to Brigadier General ended his stay at Camp Lejeune.

His promotion placed Van Stockum with the Marine Reserves in the Pennsylvania/Ohio area traveling on inspection tours of the various units. This lasted until his transfer to Okinawa in 1966-67. On Okinawa he made several trips through the region including Japan, South Korea and the Republic of Vietnam. He was involved in logistics and transport of people to and from Vietnam. After leaving Okinawa he served as the Marine Representative on the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals. He served on the board until his retirement in 1969.

After retirement he moved to Kentucky where his wife’s family lived in Shelby County. He found a job with the University of Louisville and served on the city’s Armed Forces Commission. He worked at the University until he retired. After retirement he served as President of the Filson Club and later as temporary director of the club.

Folder List – For General Van Stockum’s inventory and notes on the collection, please click here.

Folder 1: Journal 4 August 1937-16 August 1938

Folder 2: Journal 22 August 1938-4 September 1941

Folder 3: Journal 9 September 1941-6 September 1942

Folder 4: Basic School Instructional Material and Tests #1, 1937-1938

Folder 5: Basic School Instructional Material and Tests #2, 1937-1938

Folder 6: Basic School Instructional Material and Tests #3, 1937-1938

Folder 6a: Basic School Instructional Material and Tests #4, 1937-1938

Folder 7: Basic School Mementos #5

Folder 7a: Group Photo of Basic School Class, Diploma 1938

Folder 8: Marine Detachment USS Tennessee, 1937-1938

Folder 8a: Large Group Photo of Those Attending the Fleet Ball

Folder 9: 6th Marines, San Diego, California, 1939-1940

Folder 10: Marine Detachment, USS Wasp, 1941-1942

Folder 11: Wasp Stinger Club

Folder 12: Wasp Journals

Folder 13: Wasp Stinger History Edition

Folder 14-26: 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, 1942-45

Folder 27: Troop Training Unit, San Diego, California, 1945-1947

Folder 28: Inspector Instructor, 4th Infantry Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1947-1948

Folder 29: Inspector Instructor, 1st Infantry Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, New York, NY, 1947-1948

Folder 30: Amphibious Warfare School, Senior Course, Quantico, VA, 1949-1950 (click below to access PDFs)

Folder 31: Marine Corps Fights for its Life, 1949-1952

Folder 32: Senior Marine Officer, Amphibious Group Two, 1950-52

Folder 33: Strat (Strategic) Plot Log for Operation “Blue Jay” at Thule, Greenland – 9 July 1951-22 August 1951

Folder 33a: Army Arctic Indoctrination School, winter Course, Big Delta. Alaska, 8 January 1951-3 February 1951

Folder 34-36: Commanding Officer, Marine Detachment, Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois 1952-1954

Folder 37: G-2 (Intelligence Officer) 3rd Marine Division (and Provisional Corps), Gifu, Japan, 1954-1955

Folder 38-47: Headquarters Commandant, Far East and United States Command, Tokyo, Japan 1955-57

Folder 48-56: Correspondence with Former World Heavyweight Champion Gene Tunney, 25 September 1956-13 March 1962

Folder 57-62: Canadian National Defense College, 1957-1958

Folder 63-72: 2nd Marine Division,Camp Lejeune, NC, 1958-1961

Folder 73-82: Director, 4th Marine Corps Reserve And Recruitment District, Philadelphia, 1961-1962

Folder 83-91: Director, Marine Corps Reserve, 1962-1964

Folder 92-95: Commanding General, Landing Force Training Unit, Pacific – San Diego (Coronado), CA, 1964-1966

Folder 96-99: Inspection Visits to Far East as CG LFTU

Folder 100-118: Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Pacific (Forward) and Deputy Commander, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific 23 February 1966-16 March 1967.

Folder 119: Deputy Chief Of Staff, HQ, U. S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC – 30 April-30 June 1967

Folder 120-123: Marine Corps Representative on the Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals, Washington, DC – 5 August 1967-1 February 1969

Folder 124-136: General Material, 1937-1969

Folder 137: Professional Military Publications, etc. 1948-1960

Folder 138-147: Military in Kentucky, 1971-2001

Subject Headings

Algeria – History – Revolution, 1954-1962.

Anderson, Charles Carter.

Berkley (Destroyer: DDG-15).

Berkley, James P.

Burger, Joseph C.

Camp Lejeune (N.C.).

Camp Smedley D. Butler (Okinawa).

Canadian National Defense College.

Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft.

 Davis, Raymond Gilbert 1915-2003.

 DEW Line.

 Explorer I (Artificial Satellite).

 Fairbanks, Douglas 1909-2000.

 Fairbourn, W. T.

 Ford, Gerald R. 1913-

 Frederick Funstun (Transport: APA-89).

 Getner, William E.

 Glenn, John Herscel 1921-.

 Greene, Wallace Martin 1907-2003.

 Hershey, Lewis Baine 1893-1977.

 J. Franklin Bell (Transport: APA-34).

 Japan – Description and travel.

 Japan – Politics and government.

 Japan – History – 1952-.

 Jones, William K. (William Kenefrick) 1916-1998.

 Killick, John 1919-2004.

 Klenke, William H.

 Korean War, 1950-1953.

 Krulak, Victor H. 1913-.

 Lemnitzer, Lyman L. (Lyman Louis) 1899-1988.

 McDonald, Luke B.

 McNamara, Robert S. 1916-.

 Marieni, Alessandro.

 Marine Barracks. Navy Yard (Philadelphia, Pa.).

 Marine Barracks (Washington, D.C.).

 Masters, James M. 1911-1988.

 Merchant, Livingston T. (Livingston Tallmadge) 1903-1976.

 Milward, James Bert.

 Military spouses.

 Mt. Olympus (Transport: AGC-8).

 My Lai Massacre, Vietnam, 1968.

 Naval Training Center Great Lakes (Ill.).

 Nevada (Battleship: BB-36).

 New Jersey (Battleship: BB-62).

 New Zealand – History – 1918-1945.

 Operation “Blue Jay”, 1951 (Thule, Greenland).

 Parker, Edward Nelson  b.1904

 Riseley, James P. 1898-1992.

 Rivero, Horacio 1910-2000.

 Romoser, William K. (William Kilian) 1903-1986.

 Rosenthal, Joe b.1911.

 Shoup, David Monroe 1904-1983.

 Tennessee (Battleship: BB-43).

 Tunney, Gene 1897-1978.

 United States. Army. Army Arctic Indoctrination School.

 United States. Marine Corps. Amphibious Group Two.

 United States. Marine Corps. Marine Division, 2nd.

 United States. Marine Corps. Marine Division, 3rd.

 United States. Marine Corps Development and Education Command. Amphibious Warfare School.

 United States. Marine Corps Reserve. Infantry Battalion, 1st.

 United States. Marine Corps Reserve. Infantry Battalion, 4th.

 United States. Marine Corps – Drill and tactics – Handbooks, manuals, etc.

 United States. Marine Corps – Gays.

United States. Marine Corps – Humor.

 United States. Marine Corps – Medals, badges, decorations, etc.

 United States. Marine Corps – Officers.

 United States. Marine Corps – Promotions.

 United States. Marine Corps – Reserves.

 Vandegrift, A.A. (Alexander Archer) 1887-1973.

 Vietnamese conflict, 1961-1975.

 Vogel, Clayton Barney 1882-1964.

 Walt, Lewis William 1913-1989.

 War games.

 Wasp (Aircraft carrier: CV-7)

 World War, 1939-1945 – Campaigns – Bougainville.

 World War, 1939-1945 – Campaigns – Hawaii.

 World War, 1939-1945 – Campaigns – Iwo Jima.

 World War, 1939-1945 – Campaigns – Malta.

 World War, 1939-1945 – Campaigns – North Atlantic Ocean.

 Youngdale, Carl A. 1912-1993.