In my Father’s Day post, I noted that the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library, had the Charles E. Harris World War II memorabilia collection, 1944-1971 [bulk 1944-1945]. My father had, I only discovered recently, been part of the all-Black 57th Ordnance Ammunition Company in Germany in 1946.
Moreover, I wrote: ” This means that at some point I need to go to the NYPL to see whether Les Green appears in the documents.” Since my wife and I were going to NYC, my first stop needed to be the NYPL’s main branch. I had a library card, available to any New York State resident, but it had lapsed. (I’ve also been a member of the library, making an annual contribution, for at least a decade.)
I got my renewal even before we checked into the timeshare. Then I registered for the Special Collections account. But I wasn’t sure I’d have a chance to use it because the space in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division is limited.
Change of plans
My wife and I got our theater tickets in Times Square, but we had over seven hours to spend. We started walking toward a museum. But I needed to sit and rest, so I pulled out my phone and checked messages. I had an appointment at the Schomburg for 11 a,m. Oddly, I received it at 11:25 and didn’t read it until 11:45, but the notice said my spot was good until 5 pm.
Directions on my phone said I could get to the facility on 135th Street via the 1, 2, or 3 train. But the directions lied. The #1 left us at least 20 minutes away (did I mention it was hot and humid?) Ultimately, I found a kind letter carrier who told us we needed to go downtown to 96th Street, then take the #2 or #3 back uptown to 135th. The facility was right across the street.
The Harris collection, as I figured, only covered 1944 and 1945, and didn’t touch on my dad’s service dates. Nevertheless, I found the information in the log he kept to be fascinating.
Afterward, we got a recommendation for a local restaurant. Unfortunately, it was hotter inside than it was outside. So we got food from a street vendor, found a place to sit in the shade, and then returned to Times Square, where we went to a coffee shop before heading to the theater.