Browse Items (8239 total)

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  Letters from J. Bancroft Webster.

  Webster sends three copies of the same letter to Congressman Frederic Coudert, Jr., Senator Irving M. Ives, and Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker, asking them to take "an immediate active interest in the pending army court martial" of Colonel John C. Nickerson. He testifies to Nickerson's character and his value to the national defense system.
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  Letter to Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson from J. Bancroft Webster.

  Webster writes saying he thinks Wilson does a good job running the nation's defense system and because of that, Webster asks Wilson to evaluate Nickerson's performance of duty and would feel "thoroughly disillusioned to see such a 1st class officer sacked."
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  Statement from the defense counsel of Colonel John C. Nickerson, Jr.

  This statement insists the charges and specifications against Colonel Nickerson "greatly enlarge on any activities or indiscretion that the Colonel might possibly have committed." The counsel states the Nickerson was simply acting out of enthusiasm to serve the Army. It states that Colonel Charles Zimmer and 1st Lt. Lewis Cole have been assigned to Nickerson's defense.
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  Various correspondence with David Bowman from 1989 to 1991.

  These letters to David Bowman, reporter and editorial writer, all pertain to Bowman's story about Colonel John Nickerson. The first letter includes foot notes and states that he sent a copy of the story to a Washington Post writer. The second letter contains additional information relating to the missile program that may be helpful for the story and a diagram of the original prototype for the Explorer I earth satellite. This set of letters also includes the original letter from David Bowman to Brig. Gen. Harold W. Nelson in which Bowman states he finally photocopied the published transcripts of Colonel Nickerson's court martial. Nelson's reponse follows thanking Bowman for sending the series on Colonel Nickerson. The final letter from Colonel Thomas W. Sweeney includes a working bibliography on the Nickerson case and invites him to visit the Military History Institute.
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  Correspondence between David Bowman and Mary B. Dennis.

  Bowman writes to the U.S. Army Judiciary Clerk of Court Office to request a copy of the transcript of the Nickerson court martial proceedings. Mary B. Dennis, Deputy Clerk of Court responds that a large portion is classified and asks if he wants that material reviewed towards declassification though it would be a lengthy process. She also guides him towards other "publicably available documents" regarding the case. The following letters from Dennis regards the review of the classified transcripts of the Nickerson case and more details about the record of the trial. Bowman's second letter includes a check to pay for the transcripts and the review of the classified material. Dennis writes several more letters regarding more classified prosection exhibits and that Bowman's request to review the classified material has been denied. The final letter is the memo that states that the review has been denied from Deputy Director Robert J. Monahan.
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  "Senior Officers Oral History Program."

  A project of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, this contains the interview of Dr. John L. McDaniel by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Camp, Jr. from 1985. The interview is about the US Army's first satellite into space. McDaniel brings up the case of Colonel Nickerson relative to the interview. This document contains only the portion of the interview that mentions Colonel Nickerson.
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  "Senior Officers Debriefing Program."

  A conversation between Lieutenant General Austin W. Betts, Colonel Henk, and Colonel Wahle, published as a part fo the US Army Military History Research Collection. This conversation details the "Army versus the Air Force difficulties in the late '50's" during the transfer of the missile and space program. This program switch was the basis of the case United States v. Colonel John C. Nickerson, Jr. as Nickerson was in charge of the program. This document contain only the portion relative to Colonel Nickerson.
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  Index entries under "Nickerson, John Charles, Jr."

  This is a copy of an index that contains entries related to Colonel John C. Nickerson, Jr. and his court martial. The index contains entries that are found in the Army Navy Register and the Army Navy Journal.
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  Letter to Charles F. Pfeifer from David Bowman.

  Bowman writes to Pfeifer about a "two-pager" that he wrote, detailing its contents. He also includes several other of his resume highlights including four novels, playscripts, and other things he has written. Bowman also includes that he is the president of the Tallulah Bankhead Society, a society that honors and celebrates a 1930s actress from Alabama. Bowman is appealing to Pfeifer, a creative film manager, about his recent work on the Nickerson case.
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  Article from Missiles and Rockets publication.

  This article, "Army 'Leak' Probe Agitates Redstone", published in the February 1957 issue, details secret information that went public in 1957 through Drew Pearson. The "leak" concerns the "Wilson Memorandum" that transfers the Army's role to the Air Force in the development and control of guided and ballistic missiles and rockets. The leak is traced back to Colonel John C. Nickerson, Jr. The article states that the "prevailing opinion is that Col. Nickerson is being made a scapegoat by persons very high up in the Army." The article further details the events that led to the court martial of Colonel Nickerson.