Fielder C. (Mickey) Slingluff Collection, Incl. Vietnam-Era Letters, Watercolors, Photographs and More

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American Historical Ephemera and Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 19, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-11-19 10:00:00 2020-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera and Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-and-photography-5894
Cowan’s Auctions, a Hindman Company, is pleased to present the November 19 Fall Auction, featuring over 400 lots of historically significant photography, manuscript material, artwork, and other ephemera dating from the 18th through the early 20th century, including the Civil War. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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• Lot Description
  Lot of over 80 items identified to Fielder Cross "Mickey" Slingluff III (1915-2000). Contents include: US Army Scrapbook, obl. 10 x 13.25 in., string-tied binding, containing military registration card and immunization record, plus newspaper clippings, photographs (2 x 2 in. up to 8 x 10 in.). There are newspaper clippings of Slingluff's paintings: one was selected in a Life Magazine national art contest; another was selected in a contest in Denver, CO; one of the larger photographs shows his work on the walls of the officer's club and is accompanied by a letter acknowledging this art. The scrapbook also contains letters of recommendation, such as this one dated Aug. 27, 1942: "Sergeant Fielder C. Slingluff III has been at Lowry Field since May, 1941, during which time he has been assigned to the Department of Photography as an Artist and Draftsman. I have found him to be a superior non-commissioned Officer, capable, reliable and purposeful in attempting to make himself valuable to the Service. It is a pleasure to recommend Sergeant Slingluff III as qualified to meet the necessary requirements in the Administrative Officers Candidate School." (Signed in type Joseph P. Arnold) There are a few other photos showing what is certainly Slingluff's artwork.Slingluff's journey, arrival, and time in Saigon are documented in a binder containing approx. 52 photographs (3.5 x 4.5 in.), several with captions on verso (although many references unclear), and letters dating between October 9, 1963 and November 19, 1963. Many of the letters are written to Slingluff's wife at this time, covering the period of the Diem coup of November 1, 1963, which he describes in the letter of that and subsequent dates. Most of the letters are personal, but he does describe the city and things like transportation, restaurants and bars, markets, etc. He was assigned to 2nd Division Air Operations Center (AOC) at the air base just outside of Saigon - a 45 minute commute each way. He was working in intelligence and included an example of the kind of communications he was reading every day and reporting to the higher-ups regarding the contents (some days he reports to work at 4 am so he can get his reports ready for the 7am briefing). He has written in the meanings of the many abbreviations and shorthand in the communication (eg., KIA - killed in action; WIA - wounded in action; etc.) On verso is "Jazz that I read and brief on all day."Department of State Foreign Service Institute Certificate "In Recognition of Satisfactory Completion of Intensive Vietnamese Language Training." From just before his deployment to Vietnam, dated June 3 - Sept. 20, 1963. He does mention a couple of times in the letters his apparently natural ability with and love of languages.Four photos of Slingluff, one color portrait, two b-&-w portraits and one of him giving a briefing (?).Certificate of Recognition from Lockheed "...to commemorate the 1965 operations of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing with the F-104 Starfighter over Viet Nam, and to express our deep appreciation for his successful employment of the product of our labors in the cause of freedom."Photocopy of one of Slingluff's cartoons (commenting on the Bluebird of Happiness shitting in one's mess kit, and "abandon hope" at the Tan Son Nhut Air Base).Three watercolors by Slingluff, the first, 8.75 x 12 in. USS Sitkoh Bay crossing the International Date Line in Feb. 1952 (presumably on his way to Korea); 8.75 in. watercolor of Iwakuni, Japan city, with Daiichi Hotel central in the image, 1952; and 7.25 x 9 in. watercolor of the Saigon Market, May 26, 1964.Pen-and-ink portrait, 9 x 12.5 in. Letter to his wife on verso: "This is an outdated picture of Big Minh. He is in with Gen. Khanh, but I don't think he will join the gov. in his pre coup position as head of the gov. He is very popular but I don't think he'll accept.... Gotta say it was a relatively quiet coup, so to speak. When I went thru the rubber plantation and saw those tanks with the tops buttoned down and the guns aimed straight ahead mostly at me I figured Minh had had it. ...I was going to have Minh to sign it for me. Maybe I can't find him now. Anyway this is definitely against the French & for which, hooray! They are bums and even the French people here in Viet Nam agree to that...."Plus two commercial prints from the National Guard Heritage, one of an aircraft being prepared in Korea (Dec. 1951) and one of a plane arriving in Thailand, 1970. The second has a publication date of 1990 (US Government Printing Office), the other undated, but probably the same series.Also included are Slingluff's name badge plus a second with Vietnamese characters; hanging tag with "Caterpillar Club, / 'D" Ring Parachute Jump / 3:30 A.M. / 19 Sept 1952 / Japan / Out of Korea"; and Slingluff's medal bars with 23 ribbons on it.Fielder Cross Slingluff III - Mickey - was born in California Nov. 18, 1915. His grandfather (I, 1842-1918) and father (II/Jr., 1876-1932) appear to have been natives of Baltimore. Grandfather served in the Civil War (as a Confederate, POW at Camp Chase) and his father served in WWI (Navy?). That would seem to be close to the time the family migrated to California since he was drafted in that state. Mickey appears to have had two wives, divorcing Carole (to whom these letters were written) in 1979. He married Ann in 1984, and was still with her when he died in May 2000. Mickey enlisted in the Army in April 1941. He left in 1946 but seems to have enlisted in the Air Force in 1951. He became a major in 1962, serving until 1966. 
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