ARNOLD PAUL THIES:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Thies, Arnold Paul, 1921-1945. | |
| Title: | Arnold Paul Thies papers. | |
| Dates: | 1943-1945. | |
| Abstract: | Diary (Sept. 1943-July 1945, with typed transcript) and related papers kept by Thies during his wartime service aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Picking. | |
| Quantity: | 4 folders, including photocopies of originals loaned by Arnold P. Thies, Hugo, Minnesota. | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description section for shelf location. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Arnold Paul Thies was born on October 23, 1921 in Long Lake, Minnesota, the son of William Peter and Katherine Toussaint Thies. He was educated in Minneapolis, where the family had moved in 1922. Following his attendance at the Dunwoody Institute, Minneapolis, 1940-1941, he was employed by St. Paul Hydraulic Hoist, St. Paul. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on October 8, 1942, serving until the end of World War II. Following eleven months of basic training and fire control schooling, he was assigned aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Picking. He served as fire controlman on board the Picking from September 20, 1943 through July 14, 1945, most of his duty occurring in the Pacific Ocean. He was honorably discharged on October 11, 1945. Until his retirement in 1975, he engaged in farming near Centerville, Minnesota. Thies married Anna May Houle on April 11, 1942, and the couple had three children: Suzanne, Arnold, and James. He died November 17, 1995.
Biographical information was received from the donor.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The collection is composed of a World War II field diary kept by Thies, a typed transcript (56 pp.) of the diary, seven of his ship's "plan of the day" sheets, and six related items. The latter two sections are arranged chronologically.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Arnold Paul Thies Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 12,737
Processing Information:
Processed by: Cheryl Thies, September 1980.
Catalog ID number: 09-00023952
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1340 | 1 | Diary, 1943-1945. | |||||||||
| The diary, September 20, 1943-July 14, 1945, documents Thies' service aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Picking. The volume covers the ship's commissioning in Brooklyn, New York; its one-month shakedown cruise to Bermuda; its first Pacific tour of duty (Dec. 1943-Aug. 1944), stationed in the Aleutian Islands and involved mainly in bombardments of the Japanese island of Paramushiru; its October 1944 assignment to the Fifth Task Force, Pacific Fleet, and subsequent participation in the invasion of the Philippine (Oct. 1944-Feb. 1945) and Kerama-retto (March 1945) islands and Okinawa Island (March-June 1945) and its return to dry dock in San Francisco on July 14, 1945. Included in the dairy are entries detailing the ship's exercise and training runs and special details; its crew's liberties, particularly those to Kodiak, Alaska, and Leyte Island in the Philippines; and its many battle activities. | |||||||||||
| Diary transcript, 1943-1945. | |||||||||||
| Prepared in 1998 by his daughter-in-law, Cheri Thies. | |||||||||||
| "Plan of the Day" sheets, 1944-1945. | |||||||||||
| These schedules, better known as "dope sheets," were posted each day and contained hourly listings of the day's orders and activities. They also include notes and instructions on the ship's next movement. The following list details the contents of each sheet. | |||||||||||
| October 18, 1944. Includes instructions to be on the alert for mines, Japanese planes, and torpedoes during their approach to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. | |||||||||||
| January 8, 1945. Directs all hands to rest, but keep alert for general quarters. The next day would begin the assault on Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island, in the Philippines. | |||||||||||
| January 29, 1945. Describes their involvement in fire support and transport protection off Luzon Island in the Philippines. | |||||||||||
| February 15, 1945. Explains their involvement in the bombardment of Marivales Harbor, Corregidor Island, in the Philippines. | |||||||||||
| April 17, 1945. Includes an expression of gratitude from the ship's captain and the squadron commander for the crew's excellent performance in combat. | |||||||||||
| May 9, 1945. Contains instructions for the presentation of the Philippines Liberation Ribbon and two bronze stars to crew members who served in the Battle of Leyte Island in the Philippines. | |||||||||||
| Related papers, 1944. | |||||||||||
| The collection's six related items include news releases, statements, and official memoranda distributed both from the ship and among the crew. The following chronological list describes each item's content. | |||||||||||
| "Picking Press Pickings," February 8, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Ship newsletter. Includes an article on the shelling of Paramushiru Island, short news stories from around the world, and U.S. sports highlights. | |||||||||||
| "Memorandum to All Hands," March 5, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Statement from the ship's commanding officer describing the importance and danger of the mission just completed; they had approached nearer to the Japanese Islands than any American surface vessel up to that point. | |||||||||||
| "Biak Island," May 27, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Description of the Allied attack on the island, plus details of its size, shape, climate, and population. | |||||||||||
| Bell, Norman, AP Correspondent, "Kuriles Shelling Is Hidden In A Fog," July 1, 1944. | |||||||||||
| News releases to the New York Times describing the bombardment of the Kuril Islands, located north of Japan. | |||||||||||
| "Subpoena and Summons Extraordinary: The Royal Court of the Raging Main," October 2, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Thies' summons to appear at his initiation as a "shellback," a ritual performed the first time a crew member crossed the equator. | |||||||||||
| "More Notes from the Picking's Guide Book," November 30, 1944. | |||||||||||
| Describes the ship's movements through the Bismarck Sea and at the port of Finschaven, New Guinea. | |||||||||||
| War ration books, undated. | |||||||||||
| Two books issued to Thies' wife Anna May and his father-in-law Roy P. Houle, both of Hugo, Minnesota. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Philippine Sea, Battles of the, 1944.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Japan -- Okinawa Island.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Ocean.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Philippines.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Naval operations, American.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
- Organizations:
- Picking (Destroyer).
- United States. Navy -- Maneuvers.
- United States. Navy -- Sea Life.
- Types of Documents:
- Diaries.
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