Use Restrictions

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Jay A. Urice, Jr. papers, C0327, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Lynn Eaton from Caroliniana Books in April 2019.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from August-September 2024. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2024.

Biographical and Historical Information

Jay Adams Urice, Jr. was born on April 22, 1927 in Mt. Kisco, New York to Jay Adams, Sr. and Marguerite (Nesbitt) Urice. Raised in an upper middle class family, Jay, Jr. spent his early years in Pleasantville, New York, and attended the Scarborough School, a private day school in Scarborough-on-Hudson, New York. Urice briefly attended Champlain College in Plattsburgh, New York, but withdrew in 1948, and spent time in the Merchant Marine as a cook on the S.S. Pocket Canyon. During the Korean War he continued his services as a cook, joining the U.S. Army as a Private First Class in the Army 40th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, 223rd Regimental Combat Team, spending time stationed in both Japan and Korea. Following his time in the U.S. Army, Urice married Doris Meinweiser and moved to Barrett Township, Pennsylvania, where he spent most of his life working in hotel management at nearby Buck Hill Falls and Skytop Lodge. Urice passed away on April 3, 2007 at the age of 79 and is buried in Laurelwood Cemetery in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

The Korean War was a Cold War conflict that lasted from 1950-1953. The conflict centered around the June 1950 invasion of South Korea (also known as the Republic of Korea) by the Soviet-allied and supported North Korea (also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), with the United Nations intervening (using mostly U.S. forces) to aid South Korea. The war suffered over a million casualties with no final resolution between the two countries. Fighting formally ending in July 1953 with signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement and the creation of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the 38th parallel, but without signing of a peace treaty. As of 2024, Korea remains divided at this de facto boundary between North and South Korea.

Scope and Content

A collection of correspondence, photographs, and ephemera created and collected by Jay A. Urice, Jr. Correspondence consists primarily of letters sent by Jay, Jr. to his parents Jay, Sr. and Marguerite Urice, during his time station in Japan and Korea during the Korean War. These letters document his time serving with the U.S. Army and discuss his experiences in temporary bivouac shelters, daily camp life and work in Sendai, Japan, and his arrival and experiences in Korea starting in 1952.

Additional correspondence includes personal letters received by Jay, Jr. during the 1940s – early 1950s from family and friends, including a large number from Barbara "Tommy" Tompkins (possibly Jay, Jr.'s girlfriend at the time), as well as two formal letters regarding his education, including transcripts and a diploma. The collection also includes photographs and negatives, depicting both Jay, Jr.'s family and friends and his military service, newspaper clippings, souvenir postcards, and general mementoes and ephemera.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by material type or function and then chronologically where possible.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections documenting the Korean War and military life , including the Oliver F. Atkins photograph collection .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Correspondence
• Domestic life
• Korean War, 1950-1953
• Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Participation, American
• Photographs
• Postcards
• United States -- Armed Forces -- Military life
• United States. Army