Materials are arranged chronologically.
RARE.2018.0038: Purchase, 2016 September
[identification of item], Otto Kerstner Diaries, SPEC.RARE.0235, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
Two of the diaries in Box 2 have Kerstner's Social Security Number on a single page. These pages are restricted, but the remainder of each of the diaries is available for research. The remainder of this collection is available for patron research, but may be used only in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Katy Faulkner 2018 March; Finding aid by: Katy Faulkner 2018 March
Originally from Lorain, Ohio, Otto Kerstner served as a lieutenant in the United States Air Corps during the Second World War. Kerstner volunteered for the Army at the beginning of 1941 at the age of 24. He recieved training at Camp Shelby in Hattisburg, Mississippi before becoming classified as a pilot in August of 1942. Kerstner became a lieutenant in the Air Corps by the end of 1942, while he lived in San Antonio, Texas. He then moved to Garden City, Kansas, where he worked as a flight instructor at the start of 1943. Kerstner recorded his travels and daily life in this collection of diaries.
The Otto Kerstner Diaries contain five diaries kept by Otto Kerstner between 1937 and 1943. The diaries contain information about Kerstner's personal life and travels before and during his training in the Air Force during World War II. The diaries also include materials that are laid in or attached, such as correspondence from Kerstner's family members, receipts, and photographs. Particular diary entries also include more contemporary notes from Kerstner, clarifying or adding information to the entries. The additional notes were created between 1995 and 2002.
Kerstner's Social Security Number is written on the back cover of this volume. A sleeve has been placed over this to restrict viewing. The sleeve should not be removed, but the rest of the volume is available for research.
Kerstner's Social Security Number is written on the first leaf of this volume. A sleeve has been placed over this to restrict viewing. The sleeve should not be removed, but the rest of the volume is available for research.