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Boris Spiroff, Bari, Italy [1944]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: G Company, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division; Infantry, Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
  • Location of Service: Korea; Fort Meade, Maryland; United States; Panama; Yugoslavia; Italy; France
  • Highest Rank: First Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2029

View full service history

"The OG personnel operated under the most hazardous, nerve-wracking conditions against a fanatic enemy, in relatively unknown territory far from friendly troops, and with no fanfare!" ("A Brief History of Pre-WWII and WWII Experience," page 7)

Boris Spiroff was born in the U.S.A., but spent part of his youth in his parents' native Yugoslavia. His language skills attracted recruiters for the newly formed Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1943, and he was assigned to be part of a Balkans Operations Group (OG). Spiroff and his comrades were to take back a group of islands off the Dalmatian Coast by practicing the fine and bloody art of guerrilla warfare. Spiroff's 25-year Army career also included a harrowing tour of duty in the Korean War, when he witnessed firsthand the impact of the Chinese entrance into that conflict in the bone-chilling winter of 1950-1951.

[ Photo Album ]

More Resources

[ Headquarters Operational Group Command Office of Strategic Services 8/22/45 ]
[ Certificate for serving as a member of the Office of Strategic Service during World War II ]
[ Boris Robert Spiroff OSS Balkan Group: A Brief History of Pre-WWII and WWII Experience ]
[ Diary of the Korean War 1950-1953 by Boris Robert Spiroff ]
[ Letter from Bob Spiroff to Cassie Spiroff 12/11/50 ]
[ Letter from Bob Spiroff to Cassie Spiroff 1/3/51 ]

Show more resources (3)

[ Letter from Bob Spiroff to Cassie Spiroff 10/3/50 ]
[ Letter from Bob Spiroff to Cassie Spiroff 12/25/51 ]
[ Letter from Bob Spiroff to Cassie Spiroff 2/51 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Boris Robert Spiroff Collection

Names

  • Spiroff, Boris Robert

Home State

  • Maryland

Headings

  • -  Spiroff, Boris Robert
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: Infantry, Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
    • Location of Service: United States; Panama; Yugoslavia; Italy; France
    • Highest Rank: First Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1937-1945
    • Military Status: veteran
  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Unit of Service: G Company, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
    • Location of Service: Korea; Fort Meade, Maryland
    • Dates of Service: 1950-1951
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Correspondence [ item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [4 items] -- (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/2029

Cite as

  • Boris Robert Spiroff Collection (AFC/2001/001/2029), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Spiroff, Boris Robert. Boris Robert Spiroff Collection. 1937. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02029/.

APA citation style:

Spiroff, B. R. (1937) Boris Robert Spiroff Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02029/.

MLA citation style:

Spiroff, Boris Robert. Boris Robert Spiroff Collection. 1937. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02029/>.