Henry F. Kupfer papers, 1940-1953

Summary

Creator:
Kupfer, Henry F.
Physical description:
0.50 Linear Feet, 2.00 Boxes
Language:
English
Latin

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains items related to the military service of Henry F. Kupfer, a Kansas State University alumnus of the class of 1940, including military service records (personnel records, medical examinations, certifications, memoranda, discharge documents, etc.) dating from 1940 to 1953, the February 28, 1944 issue of the 6th Air Force magazine Caribbean Breeze, a leatherbound scrapbook/photo album dating from 1942 to 1944 (the binding is likely from South or Central America), and Kupfer's service diary, containing entries from 1936 to 1944 including recollections of travel, duty assignments, promotions, medical examinations, and social activities. (Note: the blank diary itself has a copyright date of 1941; entries from 1936-1940 were entered later, and briefly delineate Kupfer's time in the Kansas State University Reserve Officer Training Corps). Also included is a compact disc labeled "Henry Kupfer - Veterans History Project," which was not readable at the time this entry was written.

Biographical / historical:

Henry "Hank" Fred Kupfer was a Kansas State University alumnus who served during the Second World War and was the owner and operator of the Kupfer Carnation Farm. He was born on April 3, 1918 to Fred and Elizabeth Krupfer of Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Raytown High School where he ran track and served as Student Body President, and subsequently attended Kansas State University, where he served as President of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity and entered the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. He graduated in 1940 with a degree in Horticulture and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry. However, during medical examinations, he was diagnosed with glycosuria, a common indicator of diabetes, and discharged into the inactive reserve. He disputed his diagnosis, having exhibited no diabetic disorder, without success. When the United States entered the Second World War, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 and was primarily stationed in Panama. His time in the service took him across the United States as well as to Cuba, Jamaica, Equador, and Peru. He attained the rank of sergeant before his discharge in 1944. (Note: due to the regulations of the time, Kupfer was simultaneously an enlistedman in the active duty Army Air Corps while also a lieutenant in the inactive reserve. This is demonstrated in his military records in the Henry F. Kupfer papers).
He wed Marguerite (Busch) Kupfer, and had two children together, Lee and Connie. He went into the family business of floral horticulture, and was owner and operator of the Kupfer Carnation Farm, and President of the American Carnation Society.

Acquisition information:
Acqusition Source: Henry F. Kupfer Acqusition Method: Donation. Acqusition Date: 20170731
Processing information:

Finding Aid Author: Patrick C. Dittamo
Processing Info: Patrick C. Dittamo, graduate student at Kansas State University, processed the collection in July 2017.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in a single series, with folders in alphabetical order, in two boxes.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
General note:

Published

Dacs citation:

Preferred Citation: [Item title], [item date], Henry F. Kupfer papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Morse Department of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

Subjects

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Subjects:
Military history

Contents

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