Thomas A. McCarley, Sr. Collection - Accession 1799 M852 (910)

The Thomas A. McCarley, Sr. Collection documents the military service of Thomas A. McCarley, Sr. (1944–2005), who served as a sergeant in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War era. The collection consists of a small group of materials reflecting his service and unit associations in the late 1960s. The collection includes a signed group photograph of airmen taken in 1968 at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The photograph bears the signatures of fellow recruits as well as instructors, providing a visual and personal record of McCarley’s training environment and military cohort. Accompanying the photograph are typed and handwritten lists of servicemen and a special order documenting dates of separation, offering administrative context for personnel assignments and service timelines. Together, these materials provide insight into everyday military life, personnel organization, and camaraderie among Air Force servicemen during the late 1960s. The collection is a useful resource for researchers interested in individual military service, unit history, and the experiences of Air Force personnel during the Vietnam War period.