Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Army Air Forces [Cotter Pin]

NOT AVAILABLE DIGITALLY Online access and copy requests are not available for this item. If you would like us to notify you when it becomes available digitally, please email us at reference@gilderlehrman.org and include the catalog item number.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09620.401 Author/Creator: Army Air Forces Place Written: s.l. Type: Object Date: 1943-1946 Pagination: 1 pin : metal and paper : red, black, and silver ; 11 x 6.7 cm. Order a Copy

Pin from a bomb with an instructional tag that reads "M.K. 19-2 If bomb is not dropped, replace safety cotter pin before removing bomb from dropping gear. See other side. Remove safety cotter pin after bomb is place in dropping gear and prior to assembling arming wire. See other side."

Robert "Bob" Stone was a Bombardier in World War II and served in the Pacific Front. These letters, were compiled by Bob's wife, Sheila M. Stone, and Ali Adair into a book named Letters in a Box. This book details Bob's service to his country, and his life after the war. Bob's letters were donated to the collection by his wife, Sheila M. Stone, in 2017. It contains a variety of letters, postcards, patches, pins, photographs, and scrapbooks that relate to Bob's training and combat missions.

Stone, Robert L., 1921-2009

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