Name/Title
Letter From Elisha "Smokey Stover to his Parents Dated April 17, 1943Scope and Content
In this letter to his parents Elisha "Smokey" Stover describes a two trip to New York City that he took while on liberty where he buys some photography supplies, see a musical with Judy Garland in it and visits Jack Dempsey's restaurant before catching a train back to the Yorktown where he got a nice surprise of receiving his permanent citation of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).Context
Elisha Terrill "Smokey" Stover was a F4F Wildcat pilot with VF-8 on the USS Hornet (CV-8) and VF-5 aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and later at Guadalcanal in 1942 where he downed 4 Japanese planes earning the Air Medal. Transferred aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10) as a Fighter Director Officer in CIC in 1944, he appeared in scenes of "The Fighting Lady" and later returned to flight status with VF-5 when he was shot down over Truk Atoll on February 16, 1944.Collection
Smokey Stover CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2017.001Source or Donor
Daniel M. StoverAcquisition Method
GiftUpdate Date
October 13, 2026
