HARRIS DUSENBERY PAPERS

Collection

Identifier: TMD57

Staff Only

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Correspondence between Dusenbery and his wife, Evelyn, which spans October 1943 to August 1945, comprises the bulk of the collection. Limited correspondence between Dusenbery and his parents is also included. The collection contains numerous memoirs and reminiscences written by Dusenbery. A scrapbook, created by Evelyn Dusenbery, primarily includes newspaper clippings. Aerial reconnaissance photographs of Mount Belvedere and combat operations maps also form part of the collection.

SERIES 1 CORRESPONDENCE 1943-1945, 1989 BOX 1

Letters exchanged between Evelyn and Harris Dusenbery during his World War II service comprise the bulk of the series. Additional correspondence between Dusenbery and his parents and limited military correspondence is also included.

SERIES 2 MEMOIRS 1942-1945, 1990 BOX 1

The series contains Dusenbery's memoirs and reminiscences. Handwritten in notebooks, draft copies of Night Patrol: A Personal Narrative and Easter Sunday describe Dusenbery's participation in two training problems he encountered during the 10th Mountain Division's D-Series maneuvers at Camp Hale. These reminiscences later formed part of Dusenbery's book Ski the High Trail.

Typed draft copies of the manuscripts for Dusenbery's booksSki the High Trail and Italian Diary of Harris Dusenbery also form part of the series. A preliminary and final draft of an unpublished book,World Association: A Soldier's Plan for Peace are included as is a handwritten notebook containing notes and observations Dusenbery compiled while training as a scout at Camp Swift, Texas. Three CD-ROMs contain electronic copies of Night Patrol: A Personal Narrative and Easter Sunday. Also included are scanned images of World Association: a Soldier's plan for peace.

Limited ephemera and newspaper clippings complete the series.

SERIES 3 OVERSIZE 1945, 1996 OVBOX 1

Aerial photographs of Mount Belvedere, taken both from low and high altitude reconnaissance flights during the Italian Campaign form part of the series. Also included are campaign maps with combat annotations and a combat overlay showing battle objectives and routes traveled by the 86th Infantry Regiment.

Dates

1942-1996

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

Harris Dusenbery was born February 26, 1914 in Roundup, Montana. His father, Verne D. Dusenbery, was a lawyer, and his mother Elizabeth Harris Dusenbery, a housewife. In 1936, Dusenbery received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Reed College, Portland, Oregon. When he volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division in September 1943, Dusenbery was assigned to the 86th Infantry Regiment. Initially, he served with C Company and later with the 1st Battalion headquarters company.

Dusenbery's participation in mountain and winter warfare training at Camp Hale, particularly the D-Series maneuvers, inspired him to write a series of short memoirs, which later formed the basis of his book, Ski the High Trail. His experiences at Camp Swift, Texas contributed to additional memoirs. During combat operations in Italy, Dusenbery served as a rifleman, and scout. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions during the Apennines and Po River battles. Following the war, he returned to Colorado and served briefly at Camp Carson.

Dusenbery recorded his experiences with the 10th Mountain Division in three books: The North Apennines and Beyond with the 10th Mountain Division (1998); Ski the High Trail (with Wilson P. Ware, 1991) and Diary of a Tenth Mountain Division Soldier in Italy (self published in the late 1940s).

Dusenbery worked for the U.S. Social Security Administration from 1939 to 1969, except for his time with the 10th Mountain Division. He retired as district manager of the Vancouver, Washington Social Security Office.

Dusenbery and his wife, Evelyn, contributed to numerous charities. They were both active in community volunteer work for many years. In 2000, they created the Dusenbery Fund, to support performing arts in Vancouver, Washington. Upon Evelyn's death, the fund was renamed the Evelyn Dusenbery Fund for the Performing Arts in her memory. In 2010 at age 96, Dusenbery donated additional funds to the Vancouver Symphony. He also created the Harris Dusenbery Fund for the Homeless. The couple had two children and two grandchildren

Extent

1 Boxes (1 linear foot)

1 oversize box

1 OVFF

Additional Description

Other Finding Aids

For location information, refer to the Denver Public Library Catalog.

PROVENANCE:

Gift; Harris Dusenbery; 1997, and additional materials in August 1998.

SELECTION OF RELATED MATERIAL

The Western History/Genealogy Department has additional collections with material related to Harris Dusenbery including:

10th Mountain Division Records: TMD1

10th Mountain Division Database Records: TMD2

National Association of the 10th Mountain Division Records: TMD40

Diary of a Tenth Mountain Division Soldier in Italy C940.541273 D944zdus

Ski the High trail: World War II Ski Troopers in the High Colorado Rockies C978.846 D944sk

The North Apennines and Beyond with the 10th Mountain Division C940.541273 D944no