Engraving on the binoculars done by the U.S. Navy
John Cacciola
This story began in 1942, when the father of Doris Ann Fitzkee Cacciola gifted her binoculars. At the age of six or seven, she had an interest in having a better view of the colorful birds that roamed her backyard in York, Penn. Going forward, the binoculars will be referred to as “binocs.” In 1942, the U.S. Navy placed a request to the general public, asking for binocs to be sent to them. The request was to meet a shortage of this item for use by the Navy during WWII. These particular binocs were sent in for review by Navy inspectors. In January 1943, Doris received the following from the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships:
* A letter stating that the binocs were inspected and accepted for Navy use
* A check for $1 from the U.S. Treasury
* A voucher from the Bureau of Ships, describing their acceptance and her donation of these binocs
Following the end of this conflict, these binocs were returned to her. Engraved on these binocs is: U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships 1942, Doris Ann Fitzkee.
The binocs became a part of our storage unit for years. Certainly, for the 20-plus years in PebbleCreek, they rested on a shelf in our garage.
About three months ago, these binocs were re-discovered, along with the documents. The time had come to do something with them. After a few frustrating weeks of no luck in finding the right spot for them to reside, it was time to ask for assistance. With no “ghostbusters” available, I put out a call to some PebbleCreek residents. The following folks came to my aid with just the help needed at that particular time. They are Charlie Kice, Steve Kunkle, Ron Richter, and William Wright. I should mention that this “fab four” all served in the Navy.
After many emails and photos, on Oct. 16, the binocs and documents were accepted by the Washington, D.C.-based Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). The curator commented, “We have many binocs from World War II. However, to acquire one with all of the original docs is of most interest to us.”
We are so pleased with the NHHC for accepting and ensuring that these artifacts will be under their care. The Navy received these items in 1942 and again in 2021.
Lastly, the two highlights of this quest were:
1) The binocs were returned with the engraving.
2) Without the help of the fab four, I would have not completed this quest. Thanks again.