Herman George Eiden Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2016-008

Staff Only

The Herman George Eiden Papers consists of three albums of photos and mementos from Eiden's service in the Pacific while in the United States Navy. It also includes correspondance to and from Eiden, films and a log script by Eiden, as well as articles, newspapers, and brochures in relation to the sinking of the Houston (Cruiser: CA-30) and its 60th anniversary commemoration.

Dates

1939-2005
Majority of material found in 1939-1941

Creator

Eiden, Herman George, 1922-1942 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.

Extent

1.00 linear feet

Additional Description

Biographical Information

Herman George Eiden was born in 1922 to father Peter H. Eiden and mother Clara Eiden. Eiden had four brothers, Albert, Peter, Theodore, and William, as well as three sisters, Charlotte, Clara Imelda, and Ruth. Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Eiden graduated from du Pont Manual Training High School. Shortly after graduation, Eiden joined the United States Navy. He completed his Naval training at the Great Lakes Training station in Great Lakes, Illinois. While in the Navy, Eiden earned the rank of Fireman Second Class on May 14, 1940, while serving on the U.S.S. Lexington. He later earned the rank of Fireman First Class on January 8, 1941, while assigned to the U.S.S. Houston (CA-30). Eiden was stationed in the Pacific and recorded his time at sea with photograph albums and film.

On March 1, 1942, after surviving the Battle of the Java Sea, the U.S.S. Houston (CA-30) was attacked by Japanese war ships in the Battle of Sunda Strait and was sunk. Many perished in the attack, including Eiden, while those that survived were sent to Japanese POW camps.

Arrangement of Materials

The photograph albums remain in the original order as created by Herman G. Eiden. The rest of the collection has been arranged chronologically, as no clear original order was apparent.

There are four series for this collection. The first series consists of three photograph albums created by Eiden and sent to his family. The second contains correspondance to or from Eiden and his family, as well as portrait photos of Eiden. The third series contains newsletters and articles from the Houston (Cruiser: CA-30) survivor's group, photos, articles, and brochures from the 60th anniversery commemoration of the sinking of the ship.