Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

Ira W. Jordan World War II Collection,Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Scope and Contents

Collection of World War II photographs and personal certificates and Identification/ certification cards of Ira W. Jordan, a Seargent in the United States Army who served on the Western Front in the Pacific during the war.  Many of the photographs are of the artwork on bomber planes.  Additionally, there are a number of photographs of indiginous men, women and children who inhabited the islands in the Pacific.  Many of these photographs show nudity.  Researchers should note that there are a number of graphic photographs that show dead corpses of Japanese soldiers, many pictures taken at close range.  Some of the photographs are ones that were widely disseminated among American soldiers, particularly the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima famously captured by Joe Rosenthal and also the charred remains of a Japanese soldier on Okinawa.  Insignia from Mr. Jordan's uniform, a dog tag, and Army motor vehicle permits are also included in the collection.