Harold Marple Audio Visual Aids at Newport scrapbook

Harold Echard Marple was born on December 19, 1911 in Pemberton, New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1933. During World War II, Marple was assigned to the Audio-Visual Aids (AVA) program at Naval Station Newport. He was ranked Specialist Second Class Third Grade. Following his service, Marple taught at a high school. He married G. Harriet Palmer until her death, then married A. Ruth Simons. His children include David Marple, Richard Marple, and Pamela Marple. Harold Marple died on November 10, 2003 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The Audio-Visual Aids (AVA) program at Naval Station Newport was developed in September 1942 to bring educators, artists, photographers, film-makers, and writers to create films, models, and graphics to educate the Navy. The program was concentrated primarily on providing training aids for the various service schools operating on Coddington Point. One enlisted man was assigned to each service school as an AVA represenative. The exhibition of training films was one of the AVA's main priorities, but they also undertook local productions of training aids for localized use. During World War II, around eighty men worked in the AVA department.