James Talone Papers
Scope and Contents
The James Talone papers richly document a Marine officer's experiences during the Vietnam War. The collection includes field diaries and notebooks; military records; award medals; North Vietnamese “Ho Chi Minh” tire sandals and a NVA stick grenade; Vietnam maps obtained during the war; published and unpublished works by Jim Talone; and letters written by Jim during the war to his sister, Patricia Malone, a sister at St. Josephs Convent in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania.
Dates
- 1967 - 2022
Conditions Governing Use
There are no special restrictions to access of this collection. It may be examined by library patrons under the normal rules and conditions of the Department of Special Collections.
Biographical / Historical
James (“Jim”) Talone is a decorated veteran, an educator, and a writer. He was a US Marines officer from 1967 to 1970 and was stationed in Vietnam during 1968. Jim spent 9 months with Bravo 1/9, Third Marine Division, a unit that earned the nickname “The Walking Dead.” He earned a Silver Star Medal for "gallantry in action."
After serving in the Marines, Jim became a teacher in Pennsylvania. He taught English and video at Radnor High School from 1970 to 1999. After retiring from Randnor, he spent 10 years at the Delaware Valley School.
In addition to being an educator, Jim is a writer and film maker. He has written and directed documentary and creative films, including A Light in Darkness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUp0eEs1yTE). His memoir, There it Is, was published in 2021, and he shares his poetry on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZG-DonCr0s ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ6geTDdjmQ).
Extent
4.6 Linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is organized into series: Biographical and Military Records, Correspondence, Field Diaries, Vietnam War Ephemera, Published and Unpublished Works, and Military Artifacts and Maps.
Custodial History
Materials were acquired from Jim Talone in 2023.
- Author
- Heather Willever-Farr
- Date
- July 2024
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
1900 West Olney Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19141 United States