USC to honor Gen. Westmoreland with exhibit of his papers July 27–August 20

Selected materials from the General William C. Westmoreland papers will be on display in the lobby of the South Caroliniana Library from July 27 to August 20.

Gen. William Childs Westmoreland (1914–2005)

The exhibit will feature images and letters documenting the general's early life in Spartanburg County, attendance at The Citadel, a commission to the U.S. Military Academy, and decades of service to his country in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Among the notable items are Westmoreland's parachute jump log (1958–65), which documents his 121st jump when he accompanied Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, Vietnamese deputy prime minister and minister for defense, who was making his final qualifying jump.

A Spartanburg native and Charleston resident, Westmoreland gave his personal papers to USC's libraries in March 1999. The collection documents his impressive 36-year military career through letters from presidents and military leaders, books, scrapbooks, and a variety of other documents. The scope of the collection is vast, with items dating from childhood through retirement from a highly decorated military career that began after his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy, included leadership roles in three wars and culminated with service as Army chief of staff for President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The South Caroliniana Library is a repository for manuscripts and published materials documenting South Carolina's social, political, literary, and cultural heritage. Exhibit hours are 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday.

For more information call 7-3131.

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