Scope and Content Note
The papers of William H. Tunner (1906-1983) and Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner (1917-2009) span the years 1900-2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940 to 1980. This material documents William H. Tunner's military career in the United States Armed Forces and post-retirement career as a consultant on airlift and air transport, as well as Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner's service during World War II in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and service after the war for the occupation forces in Japan. The papers are primarily in English, with some Japanese and German. The collection is organized into three parts.
Part I documents William H. Tunner's career in the United States Air Force and his key role in the development of airlift and air transport. The papers comprehensively cover his military commands from the 1940s onward, including the India-China Division, responsible for the Hump airlift, the Berlin Airlift, Combat Cargo Command, responsible for the Korean Airlift, and eventually the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). These materials also contain correspondence, invitations, and club affiliations that illustrate the social aspects and relationships inherent in Tunner's professional life. William H. Tunner's personal life is represented in materials in Part II. In 1980, the Office of Air Force History microfilmed the files in Part I along with some additional materials not donated to the Library of Congress; copies of these microfilm reels comprise Part III of the collection. Part I is arranged into five series: Correspondence, Military Commands and Assignments, Personal Papers, Subject File, and Oversize.
Part II documents Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner's service as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II, her work for the Army Occupational Forces in Japan in the late 1940s, and her social responsibilities as the wife of a United States Air Force general. Part II also contains additional material relating to William H. Tunner's military career and covers his post-retirement consulting and writing. Extensive correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks illustrate the private lives of both individuals. Part II is arranged into five series: Joint Papers, Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner, William H. Tunner, National Security Classified Information, and Oversize.
Part III contains only one series, the Microfilm mentioned previously.
The collection's series are listed and briefly described below. A fuller description of each series and a list of its contents can be accessed in the series descriptions within the container list.
Part I
The Correspondence series contains William H. Tunner's personal correspondence primarily with friends and associates from his military career.
The Military Commands and Assignments series constitutes the majority of Part I and documents Tunner's roles as commanding officer and commanding general across various assignments.
The Personal Papers series contains William H. Tunner's personal military records and writings and illustrate the social side of military life.
The Subject File contains research material and printed matter relating to various topics of professional interest to William H. Tunner.
The remaining series in Part I contains Oversize material.
Part II
The Joint Papers series contains materials relating to both William H. Tunner and Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner and their relationship.
Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner's materials document her personal and professional life including her early life in Enid, Oklahoma, military service in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), civilian service in U.S. occupied Japan, and marriage to William H. Tunner.
William H. Tunner's papers in Part II contain material relating to his military career that complement the material in Part I, as well as files relating to his post-retirement work as a consultant and writer, and his personal life.
The remaining series in Part II consist of National Security Classified Information and Oversize material.
Part III
The Microfilm series contains thirty-five reels of William H. Tunner's papers, most of which duplicate material in Part I but also contain material not donated to the Library.