War is Over, Going Home!
Bands
Military uniforms
Naval ships
"Musicians help pass the time aboard the SS Cape Victory en route to Seattle - Oct 1945" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Jam Session on Board. It would a be a hot, sweaty, slow trip. The turbine-powered converted freighter would travel about fifteen miles an hour. To keep cool, men took off their shirts, stayed on deck, took it easy. During the journey, soldiers were allowed to send uncensored mail for the first time in two years. Though soldiers had been ordered to empty their cameras of all film, somewhere between Manila and Seattle, somewhere during the twenty-eight day voyage across the Pacific, Hill secretly snapped this rare photo of a soldiers' band -- piano, drums, sax, and trumpet -- playing for men relaxing on the aft deck of the SS Cape Victory. (The ship's mast cast the shadow in the center of the photo.)" ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1945-10
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.1538
War is Over, Welcome Home!
Boats
Celebrations
"Welcome Home brought tears to our eyes" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Welcome in Puget Sound. This unidentified boat sailed out to greet the SS Cape Victory as it approached Fort Lawton in the Seattle harbor. Seeing that flying 'Welcome Home' banner between the masts, 'There wasn't a dry eye on board [the Cape Victory],' Hill recalled. When the soldiers landed, Hill went to one of the phone booths in a gymnasium and called Martha 'who was in Tacoma, a local call, while others waited in long lines to make long distance calls." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Anonymous
1945-10
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.814
Ie Shima, Tree Ferns
Military uniforms
"Tree ferns on trail to tide flat" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Tree Ferns. With a subtropical climate, low elevation, and heavy rains, huge tree ferns grew along the switchback trail between Hill's Ie Shima camp and the tide flats where the soldiers swam, took photographs, and relaxed." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1945-08
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.1613
Ie Shima, Tide Flat
Beaches
"Tide flat below camp site - Ie Shima" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Tide Flat, Ie Shima. Hill regularly hiked down to the ocean below his camp. Though the trail was 'a rugged climb to get back to camp,' he praised the swimming there, and delighted in the tide pools and tide flats created by low tides. On one occasion, he wrote Martha, 'This afternoon, Van and Price and I took cameras and clothes and went down on the coral shelf. The tide being out, we took a long walk: beautiful pools full of tiny brilliantly colored tropical fish, spider crabs, etc. Took a half dozen Kodachromes with the Leica." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1945-08
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.1612
War is Over! Celebrations 1
Military camps
"17th Photo Section - The War is Over!" Sign reads: "CLOSED Open Next War under New Management" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Ending Metaphor. To interpret the end of military hostilities, Photo Section men revised their sign to show they felt like civilians closing a business." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1945-08
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.810
Calasiao, Table 1
Churches
"Low level view of conference table in Priest's area at the big Catholic Church in (blank) Note legs are on a plank all around chairs must straddle" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Detail: Nara Wood Table. Calasiao church wardens gave Hill a tour of the pastoral living quarters and the old Spanish kitchen. He was fascinated by the carved legs of a nara wood table. 'Takes twenty men to carry it,' he wrote. A month later, still intrigued by the table -- the top so polished that it reflected light -- he hitchhiked back to Calasiao to take closeups: 'Light on the table comes from a north window so it is always good and constant. Made seven exposures with and without a red filter from four different positions." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1945-06
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.653
Leyte, LST 626 5
Military uniforms
Naval ships
"Soldier reading on deck of LST 626, Dec 1944" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Reading Onboard. Crossing the Pacific, soldiers frequently had hours and hours to spend on deck at ease. As pictured here on another ship a year later, Hill and his fellow soldiers passed many pleasant hours of smooth sailing by reading -- books, magazines, letters, newspapers from home -- while keeping their life jackets close by." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1944-12
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.471
Leyte, Tacloban Dock 1
Military uniforms
Military vehicles
Naval ships
"Tacloban Dock" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Tacloban Wharf. During October 28, 29, 30, 1944, ships waiting to unload supplies filled the Tacloban harbor. Because there was only space for two ships at a time to unload at the wharf, the waiting ships unloaded onto barges, then the heaped up barges ferried supplies to the wharf. This process created mild chaos and boxes of supplies floated and sank in the water." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1944-10
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.1409
Liberty Ship, Juan Cabrillo 1
Military uniforms
Naval ships
Bernardo, Ed
"Relaxed aboard the Liberty Ship Juan Cabrillo, en route from Biak via Hollandia to Tacloban, Leyte. Oct 21 to 28 1944 - 17th Recon Sqdn Ground Crews" Ed Bernardo watching? From "Darkroom Soldier": "Leaving Biak. As combat moved north to reconquer the Philippines, the demand for timely aerial reconnaissance followed. So, on October 21, 1944, Hill's unit left Biak on the SS Juan Cabrillo, a Liberty Ship launched on June 30, 1942, (Hull #291) and named for the Spanish explorer who discovered California. Sailing north for seven days, the men lived on deck, rested, and played cards, and on October 28, they landed at Tacloban, the capital of Leyte." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1944-10
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.359
Japanese Soldier
Military uniforms
Prisoners of war
"Japanese soldier - Hid out on Biak waiting for his unit to return so he could re-join them. Unable to walk, he was brought in on a make-shift stretcher" From "Darkroom Soldier": "Survivor. Hill photographed this unidentified Japanese soldier sometime during Septermber, 1944. He would have been one of the 462 Japanese prisoners-of-war identified by the Sixth Army's count in mid-October, 1944: 'Japanese casualties on Biak included 6,127 killed or found dead, 462 Japanese PW's, and 304 Formosan PW's. In addition it was estimated that there were 2,000 unlocated dead....[By early 1945,] 'probably less than 1,500 men of the Japanese garrison [of over 12,000] remained alive." ("Darkroom Soldier" caption authored by George Venn)
Hill, Fred
1944-09
(c)Eastern Oregon University. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Acknowledgement of Eastern Oregon University as a source is required. For print quality images, prints, or high resolution tiff files, or commercial uses please contact the Library Director at Eastern Oregon University.
2010.1.268