Original U.S. WWII Travel Diary & Ribbon-Painted Camp Chair of Lieutenant Louis A. Childress with Provenance Note
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding piece of WWII history, a painted camp chair with a tremendous provenance note attached to the bottom. The chair was carried in the bed roll of Lieutenant Louis A. Childress. The front of the chair is painted with the ribbons for the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one campaign star and the Philippine Liberation Medal with one star (interestingly, he painted this ribbon upside down). The seat of the chair is painted with its itinerary, or the locations that Childress carried and used this chair during his service.
The note on the bottom is heavily worn with sections missing, but it reads:
This camp chair was presented to Samuel E. Childress by his wife Olive, and daughters Catherine and Irene, in 1921 to use on picnics and camping trips. It was happily so used by him for about 15 years or more, it was stored until 1943, when it was loaned by him to me, his eldest son… I was an officer in the Army of the United States …. Sent to the war in the South Pacific and was in combat in the … is when the Japs starting talking… I was already scheduled for the invasion of Japan to take place in… 1945. We left the Philippines in September 1945, and we were among the first American Army troops to land in Japan. We eventually landed on a beach 40 miles north of Niigata, and proceeded overland to that city which we were to occupy. While in Niigata I traveled extensively in Japan by rail and by jeep. Coming home in the spring of 1946. Through all my troop moves, and all the war, when not in use I kept this chair wrapped in my bed roll. At many times and places I was the only officer to have a chair to sit in. I laid down hard and fast rules, no one was to borrow this chair under any pretext, or even LAY HANDS ON IT. It is remarkable that I could carry and use this chair over all this long distance, and return it safely to my father in 1946. I had it painted and its itinerary roughly outlined, by a Japanese sign painter in my employ, in December 1945 in Niigata, capital of Niigata prefecture, 250 miles directly north of Tokyo. Louis A. Childress
This outstanding provenance note adds a tremendous amount of character to this gorgeous painted camp chair. There is certainly more research to be done on Childress. The chair measures roughly 10¾ x 14 x 25⅞” when fully opened, but it folds up nicely for transport as Childress did many times during the war.
This is an outstanding artifact, perfect for any Asiatic-Pacific campaign collection. Comes ready to display.
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