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Robert A. Kammeyer Papers

 Collection
Identifier: H014-08

Scope and Content

The Robert A. Kammeyer Papers are arranged into five series:

This collection contains documents, photographs, and memorabilia related to Robert M. Kammyer's career as a pilot in the 39th Fighter Squadron, United States Army Air Forces (USAFF) in World War II, and well as a commercial airline pilot with Mid-Continent Airways, and Braniff Airways/Braniff International, after its merger with the former, and several unique artifacts.

Series I. Personal, Military Associations contains documents related to the history and reunions held by the 39th Fighter Squadron, The 159th Liaison Squadron, and the World War II Air Commando Association.

Series II. Mid-Continent Airways/Braniff Airways includes documents reports, contracts, forms and other information covering Robert M. Kammyer's career as a commercial airline pilot with both airlines.

Series III. News Clippings and Articles contains news paper and magazine articles about Harding Lawrence and the fall of Braniff, Braniff's bankruptcy, the controversy of the exhibit of the Enola Gay at The National Air and Space Museum.

Series IV. Navigation Aids holds regional air route maps and charts from a Jeppesen Airway Manual covering the air routes of the United States of America.

Series V. Artifacts consists of a number of items collected by Robert A. Kammeyer including glassware and promotional give-aways from Braniff Airlines, buttons and uniform accessories, a Braniff Halston era Uniform, a World War II Flight Jacket, two Japanese Katanas and a Japanese Type 12 Nambu Pistol.

Dates

  • 1945 - 2004
  • Majority of material found within 1950 - 1986

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection are open for research.

Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish material from this collection in any form, current or future, must be obtained from the Special Collections Department, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Biographical Sketch

Robert Alvin Kammeyer was born February 14, 1923 in Concordia, Missouri to Alvin and Edna Schelp Kammeyer.

In 1943, he decided to enlist in the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), and after basic training in Missouri and flight training in Texas, he was assigned to Nadzab, New Guinea in 1944 as a combat fighter pilot. There he received transition training on the P-51 Mustang, and flew missions in support of Australian ground combat operations. In 1945, he was transferred to the 39th Fighter Squadron at Luzon, the Philippines. There he flew ground combat support missions, until his unit was transferred to Okinawa in July of 1945. In Okinawa, his unit escorted bombers and performed fighter sweeps over the Japanese Home Islands. After the Allied victory over Japan, Kammeyer was transferred to the 159th Liaison Squadron, 3rd Air Commando Group for occupation duty in Japan. In 1946, he was separated from duty, but remained in the reserves, eventually retiring from the Air Force reserves with the rank of Major in 1966.

Upon his return to civilian life, Kammeyer took a job as a pilot for Mid-Continent Airlines (MCA) as a commercial pilot; and in 1947, he married Margielayne Cole. In 1952, MCA was taken over by Braniff Airways, and Kammeyer began flying for the latter airline. Kammeyer's career with Braniff ended with the collapse of the airline on May 12, 1982.

Robert A. Kammeyer passed away on May 20, 2011 in Richardson, Texas at the age of eighty-eight.

Sources

Source
Concordian Editorial Staff. "Robert M. Kammeyer Obituary." "The Concordian." http://www.theconcordianonline.com/story/1731201.html [accessed 2011 December 1].
Source
Kammeyer, Robert A. 2000. "Oral History Interview with Robert A Kammeyer." University of North Texas Oral History Program. Denton, TX.

Extent

10.0 Linear Feet (Four manuscript boxes and seven non-standard boxes.)

Abstract

Robert Alvin Kammeyer was a fighter pilot in World War II and after the war, a commercial airline pilot flying for Mid-Continental Airlines and later for Braniff Airways. His paper reflect his military and private career as a pilot.

Series Description

The Robert A. Kammeyer Papers are arranged in five series:

Series I. Personal/Military Associations 0.5 linear ft. (one manuscript box), 1944-1998.

Arranged by topic.

Series II. Mid-Continet Airways/Braniff Airways 0.5 linear ft. (one manuscript box), 1945-2004.

Arranged chronologically.

Series III. News Clippings and Articles 0.25 linear ft. (one-half manuscript box), 1952-2000.

Arranged chronologically.

Series IV. Navigational Aids 0.75 linear ft. (one and one half manuscript boxes), 1969-2000.

Arranged by topic.

Provenance Statement

The Robert A. Kammeyer Papers were donated to the History of Aviation Collection, Special Collections Department, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas, by Robert A. Kammeyer in May 2008, with a second donation of material by Louise Cochran in July 2011.

Additional Sources

In 2000, Robert A. Kammeyer gave an oral history of his World War II military career and experiences for the University of North Texas Oral History Program. Copies of this interview are available from The University of North Texas Oral history Program.

Books and Magazines

A number of issues of the Braniff International Silver Eagles (BISE) Newsletter were removed from the collection to be checked against volumes already held by the History of Aviation Collection. Duplicate BISE Newsletters were de-accessioned.

Image ID

It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission from copyright holders of materials to which this institution does not own copyright.

Images in this collection are identified by a unique number that provides information about the format, record group, collection, series, box, folder, and image numbers. Please use this number when ordering reproductions of images from this collection.

Record Group Code

1 = CAT/Air American Archives

2 = Doolittle Archives

3 = Lighter than Air Archives

4 = George H. Williams, Jr., World War I Aviation Library

5 = History of Aviation Archives

6 = University Archives

7 = HAC Stacks

8 = WPRL Stacks

9 = Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Collection

10 = Belsterling Collection

11 = Closed Stacks

12 = Unidentified

13 = Chance Vought Archives

14 = Twirly Birds Archives

Image Format Code

P = Photograph/Postcard

S = Slide

N = Negative

T = Positive Transparency

B = Black and White

C = Color

Example: 5RK2-2-22PC1

5 = History of Aviation Archives (HAC)

RK = Robert M. Kammeyer Papers

2= Series Number

2 = Box Number

22 = Folder Number

P = Photograph/Postcard

C = Color

1 = Image Number

Images archived in plastic image holders may also have a location code in the format: 1/TL. In this example, the number is the sheet number and the letters indicate the top left position on the sheet. Position indicators are T = top, L = left, R = right, M = middle, and B = bottom. Position indicators may be combined to describe the position on the sheet, as shown in this example.

Title
Guide to the Robert A. Kammeyer Papers, 1923-2011
Status
Completed
Author
Thomas J. Allen, PhD
Date
2011-12-07
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English (eng)
Edition statement
First revision by Patrizia Nava, CA. 2020-11-02.

Revision Statements

  • 2020-11-02: 1st revision was an update of the EAD location and other style elements of the finding aid by Patrizia Nava, CA.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives Division, History of Aviation Archives. Repository

Contact:
3020 Waterview Pkwy
SP2
Suite 11.206
Richardson Texas 75080 US
972-883-2570