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Edwin Buck Memoirs

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-1118-SC

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of memoirs written by Edwin Buck as well as photographs of himself and family. One memoir entitled “Only the Grass Gets Hurt” documents the Buck family’s history and experiences in the Philippines prior to World War II and, in particular, their experiences as prisoners of war after the Japanese invasion. Other shorter memoirs detail childhood recollections; cigarette smuggling in the Philippines; the opium trade in Burma; and recollections from mercenary work in the Congo and elsewhere.

Dates

  • Event: Majority of material found within 1876 - 1965

Creator

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publications or distribution.

Biographical / Historical

Edwin Buck was born in 1934 in Manila, Philippines, where he spent his childhood. Edwin’s father, Hammon Hall Buck, was a prominent landowner, businessman and educator. Born in 1876 in Kansas, Hammon Buck moved to South Dakota as a teenager, where he joined the South Dakota Regiment and served in the Spanish-American War, first in Cuba and then in the Philippines. Remaining in the province of Cavite, Philippines after his service, Hammon worked first as a teacher and later as Superintendent of Schools in Cavite and Batangas provinces. After establishing a land development company, Hammon built the renowned Taal Vista hotel in Tagaytay. When Japan invaded the Philippines in January 1942, Hammon Buck and family were imprisoned at the Santo Tomas Internment camp. Hammon Buck was murdered by the Japanese in 1945. After World War II ended, Edwin Buck was sent to the United States to live with family. He served in the United States Army and later worked for decades as a mercenary. Edwin Buck lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Extent

1 Folder

Language of Materials

English

Title
Finding Aid of the
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451