New Webpage for World War I Records on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Today’s post is written by Scott Ludwig, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The 26th of September marks the 98th Anniversary of the start of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was the largest operation of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I.  Commanded by General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing … Continue reading New Webpage for World War I Records on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

New Webpage for D-Day Records

Today’s post is written by Scott Ludwig, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park Today marks the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, which was part of the larger Operation Overlord and the first stages of the Battle of Normandy, France (also referred to as the Invasion of Normandy) during World War II. It was a crucial … Continue reading New Webpage for D-Day Records

General Haupt’s Economic Legacy

Today's guest blogger is Mark C. Mollan, a reference archivist specializing in records of the U.S. Navy and Maritime agencies at Archives I. When Herman Haupt reluctantly left the war on September 14, 1863 (150 years ago this week), he was not technically in the Army. Although addressed as General, Haupt rarely wore the full … Continue reading General Haupt’s Economic Legacy

What’s in a name? The story behind the series title “Ciano Papers: Rose Garden”

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. The National Archives of the United Kingdom has many interesting record series titles.  One of my favorites is “Mussolini's personal files (the ‘Handbag’ files).”  This series consists of the papers that Mussolini was carrying in two handbags when he was captured in April 1945.  Likewise, the National … Continue reading What’s in a name? The story behind the series title “Ciano Papers: Rose Garden”

Vietnam and the Ironies of History

By David Langbart "This is an American soldier – he is your friend."  So read the leaflet prepared by the United States for use in Vietnam.  Underneath that caption, it pictured several American infantrymen advancing into combat. The time, however, was not the 1960s; it was mid-1945 and World War II in the Pacific was … Continue reading Vietnam and the Ironies of History

Researching the War of 1812: Where to Begin

By T. Juliette Arai As 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the Reference staff at Archives 1 want to provide a glimpse of some of the series that we have in our custody relating to this conflict.  The following list may assist researchers who want to locate records pertaining to the War of 1812.  Please … Continue reading Researching the War of 1812: Where to Begin

Go Army! Beat Navy!

By T. Juliette Arai With the annual Army-Navy game less than two weeks away, I thought I would share an interesting letter I found among the records of the Adjutant General’s Office (Record Group 94). 2nd Lieutenant Robert C. Foy, 8th U.S. Infantry, sent a letter to Major John A. Johnson, Assistant Adjutant General, on … Continue reading Go Army! Beat Navy!

Football and the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century

By T. Juliette Arai  As we are in the midst of the college and professional football seasons, I thought it might be interesting to have a blog about this sport during its early years, one which shows a few of the football-related records we have here at Archives I. At the turn of the last … Continue reading Football and the U.S. Army in the Early 20th Century

Civil War and Later (SC) Pension Application Files Re-Boxing Preservation Project

Our guest blogger today is Dennis Edelin, Chief, Forms Section at Archives I. On September 26, 2011, the National Archives began a preservation re-boxing project.  The purpose of the project is to re-box the nearly 900,000 Soldier Certificate ("SC") Civil War and Later pension application files in our custody.  Please note, these records are not … Continue reading Civil War and Later (SC) Pension Application Files Re-Boxing Preservation Project

The War of 1812: Beyond Battle Reports and Correspondence

By T. Juliette Arai File: J-38(7)-1813 (Johnson letter, pg. 1), NARA Microfilm Pub #M221, Roll #54 In a previous blog (Music at the National Archives) I wrote about those rare instances when archivists and researchers come across a document that stands out because it is so different from what is usually found within our holdings.  … Continue reading The War of 1812: Beyond Battle Reports and Correspondence