Remi Charles O’Connor Collection

Collection

Identifier: 2019-03-19

The Remi Charles O'Connor Collection primarily relates to the 1941-1956 military service of O'Connor, a Naval Aviator in World War II and the Korean War. The collection is comprised of textual materials such as logs, correspondence, and clippings, as well as 10 photographic prints and one 8mm film reel.

The bulk of the collection consists of O'Connor's flight logs, including two from his student pilot training in 1941 and five that cover his flying career from 1941-1964. The logs often include contextual information such as date, type of aircraft, duration of flight, arrival and destination points, pilot, crew, and/or passenger names, and other notes, such as "First time Lucille [O'Connor's wife] flew with me." Additional materials include O'Connor's 1942 naval aviator identity card and training completion certificate, a 1944 letter from "Little Remi" to family and/or friends while on duty in the Pacific Theater, and a clipping from an unidentified newspaper about a rogue drone that O'Connor was involved in capturing.

There are also 10 photographs, both black-and-white and color, which range in size 3x5" to 8x10". Some images have brief captions on the reverse that include contextual information such as name, aircraft, location, and/or date. Three black-and-white images depict O'Connor; two are casual snapshots, while one is an official portrait released by the United States Navy. The remaining seven images depict aircraft, both in flight and on the ground. Identified aircraft include the Grumman F3F, Grumman F8F Bearcat, Grumman F6F Hellcat, and Vought F4U Corsair.

An 8mm film, "Flight operations on USS Dayton on Mediterrean, 1947," is also included. The film contains multiple shots of Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk seaplanes, as well as footage of sailors on board the USS Dayton and footage filmed in a Mediterranean town. The film is 12 minutes long.

At the end of the collection are two April 1999 obituary clippings from the San Diego Union-Tribune announcing O'Connor's passing.

Dates

1941-1999
Majority of material found within 1941-1956

Creator

O'Connor, Remi Charles, 1918-1999 (Person)

Language of Materials

All materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.

Conditions Governing Use

The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Extent

.40 Cubic Feet (1 full-width legal size document box and 1 film reel)

Additional Description

Biographical Note: Remi Charles O'Connor

Commander Remi Charles O'Connor (1918-1999) was a Naval Aviator in World War II and the Korean War.

Remi Charles O'Connor was born March 28, 1918 in Huntington Beach, California. O'Connor attended the University of California at Davis, earning a bachelor's degree in dairy chemistry. He joined the United States Navy in 1941 and was a certified Naval Aviator, serving in World War II and the Korean War. During World War II, O'Connor piloted Grumman F6F Hellcat aircraft in the Pacific Theater. During the Korean War, he flew Vought F4U Corsair fighter planes from aircraft carriers as well as the Grumman JF-2 Duck.

Following a diagnosis of Meniere's Disease in the mid-1950s while stationed in Chincoteague, Virginia, which ended his military career as a pilot instructor, O'Connor headed the Military and International Affairs at the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. He led the first U.S. trade mission to China. O'Connor passed away on April 11, 1999.

Source:

Biography derived from collection materials and donor information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by Kathleen O'Connor, in memory of her father, Remi Charles O'Connor.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Existence and Location of Copies

Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.

Separated Materials

The following material has been separated from the archival component and is kept in Objects storage:

US Navy officer's sword
Dog tags and epaulets
Patches, medals, and pins
Coffee mug

For more information contact us.

Processing Information

Four photographs, found in Box One, Folder 10, were removed from frames for preservation reasons. A photocopy of the back of each frame has been made and placed with the photographs to retain the context of the captions. A certificate and naval aviator card, found in Box One, Folder 3, were also removed from a frame for preservation reasons. They were kept together to retain the original order. Loose photographs have been sleeved and acid-free photocopies have been made of newspaper clippings. Documents found folded in the log books have been unfolded and placed in acid-free enclosures behind the log book they were located in. An 8mm film has been separated from the rest of the collection and placed in freezer storage for preservation reasons.