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The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Lawrence C. Crum Personal Papers
SDASM.SC.10032
SDASM.SC.10032
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Title: Lawrence C. Crum Personal Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10032
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.36 Cubic feet
1 box
Date (inclusive): 1920-2002
Abstract: Lawrence Crum received his U.S. Navy Aviator wings in 1942 and served on the USS Ranger during WWII & Korean War. The collection
contains numerous photographs of the USS Ranger, certificates and personal documents.
Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
[Item], Lawrence Crum Persona Papers, [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives”]
Lawrence Clair Crum, Jr., was born March 6, 1920, and served as a United States Naval pilot. A significant portion of her
service was spent aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61). Nick named the “Top Gun of the Pacific,” the USS Ranger was one of four Forrestal-class
supercarriers built for the US Navy in the 1950s. The ship was the first US carrier designed from the very beginning as an
angled deck ship and was decommissioned in 1993.
Crum received his US Navy Aviation Pilot’s certificate June 29, 1942, seeing service in World War II and the Korean War. His
collection contains certificates and identification and club cards relevant to the life of a naval pilot and officer as well
as depicting bits of the culture aboard a carrier. For example, an Imperium Neptuni certificate for crossing the equator,
a newspaper article explaining a hazing ritual for “shellbacks” traditionally carried out during that crossing, and cards
to military societies and clubs in the United States, China, and Japan. There are also photographs of the inside and outside
of the USS Ranger.
Crum died on September 24, 2002, at 82 years of age.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
The Lawrence Clair Crum Collection contains certificates, identification cards, artifacts, and photographs relating to Lawrence
Crum and his service aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61). The collection contains materials ranging from the 1940s and 50s.
Related Archival Materials note
Related Research Institutions: UC Berkeley: Bancroft Library contains some photos of the USS Ranger. The USS Ranger foundation:
http://ussranger.org/
The images from this Collection have been digitized and uploaded to Flickr.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Crum, Larence C., 1920-2001
Ranger (Aircraft carrier : CV-4).
Ranger (Aircraft Carrier : CV-61).
Korean War 1950-1953