WILLIAM C. BRISSE PAPERS
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Photographs and a 16mm silent film depicting 10th Mountain Division soldiers at Camp Hale, Colorado during World War II comprise the bulk of the collection. Limited memorabilia related to the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division completes the collection.
The series contains limited memorabilia, including newspaper clippings, articles, correspondence, a veteran survey and National Association of the 10th Mountain Division brochures.
Black and white photographs of training activities at Camp Hale, Colorado comprise the bulk of the series. Limited post-war images of northern Italy include commercial prints and photographic postcards.
The series contains original black and white and color film clips shot by Brisse as a ski instructor at Camp Hale, Colorado and compiled into a fifteen-minute silent documentary, Company F Training Scenes, Camp Hale, Colorado 1943-1944. The series also includes an audio cassette narration, which Brisse later recorded to accompany the film. 10th Mountain Division veterans John Duffy and Peter Geronimo copied Brisse's film to VHS along with the narration. This VHS copy and a DVD copy, created by the Denver Public Library, complete the series. Researchers should use the DVD copy for viewing.
Dates
- 1943-2000
Language of Materials
Materials are in English.
ACCESS:
The collection is open for research.
PUBLICATION RIGHTS:
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
William C. Brisse was born March 22, 1923 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Brisse grew up in Laconia, New Hampshire, where he learned to ski at an early age. While attending Laconia High School, he was active in athletics, participating in track and field, tennis and baseball. He enlisted in the U.S. Army March 2, 1943 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts and reported almost immediately to Camp Hale, Colorado where he was assigned to the 86th Infantry Regiment. Brisse also served briefly with the 90th and 85th Regiments before returning to the 86th. For much of his time at Camp Hale, Brisse was a regimental ski instructor. During combat operations in Italy, Brisse received a Bronze Star Medal for his actions near Ravarino, Italy on April 21, 1945.
After the war, Brisse worked as a metallurgist in his father's foundry. He met his wife, Lorraine, in Laconia and they married in 1955. William and Lorraine shared an intense love of skiing, both serving as ski instructors for many years.
In the early 1970s, Brisse spent four years in Portugal, assisting in the construction and operation of a foundry. Following his retirement in 1998, Brisse moved to Florida, where he and Lorraine reside in 2009. The Brisse's three children, Michelle, Frank and Matthew, are all engineers and, as of 2009, the couple has one grandchild.
Extent
1 box
Other Finding Aids
PROVENANCE:
Gift; William Brisse; 1999, . He donated photographs and memorabilia on October 10, 2000.
SEPARATED MATERIAL
The following published materials have been removed from the collection and transferred to10th Mountain Division reference files. Copies are available through the Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Department as indicated:
This was Italy by Richard Rocker, call number C940.541273 R591th
Camp Hale, Colorado call number C355.544 C15
Mountaineers call number C940.541273 M864
10th Infantry Division edited by William B. Hartley, Maurice R. Morton, call number C356.164 T26
SIZE:
Number of Boxes: 1 (.5 linear feet)
LOCATION:
TMD80
PROCESSED AND ENCODED BY:
Dennis Hagen
October 2009
PROJECT MANAGER:
Ellen Zazzarino
- 16mm. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Brisse, William C. -- 1923- -- Archives.
- Camp Hale (Colo.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Correspondence. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- DVDs. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Military maneuvers -- Cold weather conditions. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- National Association of the 10th Mountain Division, Inc.
- Photographs. Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Ski troops. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Soldiers -- United States -- Correspondence. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States. -- Army. -- Mountain Division, 10th.
- United States. -- Army. -- Mountain Infantry Regiment, 85th.
- VHS (TM). Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- WILLIAM C. BRISSE PAPERS
- Date
- OCTOBER 2009
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository
