Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

The collection has been digitized and is available online .

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., Collection, Ms1990-062, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., Collection was donated to Special Collections in 1990. Additional materials were donated and added to the collection in 2000.

Processing Information

The original collection was inventoried in 1990. The collection was reprocessed to include the new materials, and the final arrangement was completed in September 2006.

Biographical Note

Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., was born in Lowmoor, Virginia, in 1919 and raised in Richmond. Monteith attended Virginia Tech from 1937 through 1939 as a student in mechanical engineering. On 4 October 1941, Monteith entered the army and, after basic training, attended one of the first officer training programs at Fort Benning. Assigned to the First Infantry Division and after serving in North Africa and the Sicily campaign, Jimmie Monteith and the 16th Infantry Regiment hit Omaha Beach on D-day at Normandy, France. In charge of 51 men, Monteith guided his troops through the barbed wire and mines that littered the beach under heavy fire from the Germans. After getting his men into position, Monteith went back down the beach and lead two tanks through the mine field and directed them to take out two German machine gun nests. After continuing the assault, Monteith was caught in the crossfire and killed. Less than a year later, his mother accepted the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery. A reserve training center in Richmond and an amphitheater in Alabama were both named in his honor. Virginia Tech named a dormitory building after him.

Scope and Contents

The Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., Collection consists of the letters Monteith wrote home while enlisted in the U.S. Army, as well as cards and correspondence from those wishing to express their sympathy over his death. Also contained in the collection are the letters of his brother, Robert P. Monteith who served in the Pacific during World War II. The collection also includes many other letters and cards, including sympathy cards sent concerning the death of both Robert P. Monteith and Jimmie Monteith, Sr., letters sent to Nancy Monteith from R. Pierce Lumpkin and the typescript of letters from H.P. Straker, the son of Monteith's cousin, Clara Straker. An important part of this collection is the notes of John Coulter, a former Virginia Tech student who researched Jimmie Monteith's life and write a short biography about him.

Arrangement

The collection is separated into five different series, each arranged chronologically.

Series I: Correspondence from Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., contains letters written by Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., while at war.

Series II: Correspondence and Letters following death of Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., contains letters of condolences, sympathy cards and information about awards and honors sent following Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr.'s death in 1944.

Series III: Correspondence to/from Robert P. Monteith contains letters to and from Jimmie's brother Robert P. Monteith as well as the letters of condolences sent following his death in 1954.

Series IV: Family Correspondence contains correspondence of Monteith family members.

Series V: Collected Information about Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., and Family contains newspaper clippings about Jimmie Monteith, Jr., family members, and friends. It also includes the correspondence and notes of John Coulter, the author of a biography about Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Medal of Honor
• Monteith, Jimmie W., Jr., 1919-1944
• Students and alumni
• University History
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896-1944)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944-1970)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1970-)
• World War, 1939-1945

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).