Stanley Joseph Dec (1920-) was born in Raymond, Washington. After attending flight school in Iowa, Dec joined the military and served as a pilot for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The collection contains documents, logs, and publications documenting the training and military career of World War II U. S. Navy Ensign Stanley J. Dec.

The John L. Schell World War II Collection contains primarily textual materials related to the World War II military service of United States Navy pilot and fighter ace John L. Schell. Materials include military certificates and citations, pilot's logs, clippings, and additional printed ephemera, including a typed history of the "Fighting 3 (VF-3)." There is also a small amount of photographs, depicting military personnel and activities.