Unconditional Surrender: Commemorating 80 Years Since the End of World War II in the European Theater of Operations

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert for Modern Military Records at the National Archives in College Park, MD. German officers sign unconditional surrender in Reims, France, May 7, 1945. NAID 195337 (detail), FDR-PHOCO- Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs In the early morning of May 7, 1945, representatives from the four … Continue reading Unconditional Surrender: Commemorating 80 Years Since the End of World War II in the European Theater of Operations

The War Comes to the Reservation – the Japanese Balloon Bombs of WWII

Today’s post is by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver Let’s take a trip back…80 years ago…to 1945. It is 8:00 PM in the late spring evening, so the endless Montana sky still lies atop the Crow Reservation in front of you while driving back home after checking some fencelines along Pryor … Continue reading The War Comes to the Reservation – the Japanese Balloon Bombs of WWII

Return to Sender: Individual Deceased Personnel Files of the 6888th

Today’s post is by Cara Moore Lebonick, Archivist at the National Archives at St. Louis Bankston, Mary J. RG 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Individual Deceased Personnel File, pg 6, NAID 330441288 Three of the four women interred at Normandy-American Cemetery and Memorial as a result of World War II deaths … Continue reading Return to Sender: Individual Deceased Personnel Files of the 6888th

Faces from a Vanished Ship: The Life and Afterlife of the S.S. Muskogee

Merchant Marine Vessel Logs for the Port of Boston; Muskogee, 12/31/1941 - 1/30/1942, Boston, MA (NAID 6991388) Today’s post was written by Katherine Terry, Archives Technician at the National Archives at St. Louis. The Sinking of the Muskogee The S.S. Muskogee was a merchant tanker built in 1913 by the Sun Shipbuilding Company in Chester, … Continue reading Faces from a Vanished Ship: The Life and Afterlife of the S.S. Muskogee

Rest Your Oar, Mr. Carter – a Tribute to Jimmy Carter’s Naval Career

In remembrance of the passing of James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr., many will celebrate his time as the 39th President of the United States, the former Governor of Georgia, peanut farmer, volunteer and humanitarian.  What has often been overlooked is his naval career, which occurred during a period of transition for the US Navy in … Continue reading Rest Your Oar, Mr. Carter – a Tribute to Jimmy Carter’s Naval Career

Remembering Major Alton “Glenn” Miller (1904-1944)

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert for Modern Military Records at the National Archives in College Park, MD. Major Glenn Miller (Right) Famous Band Leader, Talks With Two Officers During His Visit To Steeple Morden, Cambridgeshire, England. 12 August 1944. (U.S. Air Force Number 70887AC) (National Archives Identifier 204997792) On Christmas Eve … Continue reading Remembering Major Alton “Glenn” Miller (1904-1944)

Marking the 80th Anniversary of “an ever-famous American victory”: A Look at the US National Archive’s Battle of the Bulge Records

Today's post was written by Duncan Bare, archives technician at the National Archives in College Park. Winston S. Churchill famously described the Battle of the Bulge as “undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and […] an ever-famous American victory.”[1]  As the German offensive commenced at around 5:30 am on December 16th, 1944, however, … Continue reading Marking the 80th Anniversary of “an ever-famous American victory”: A Look at the US National Archive’s Battle of the Bulge Records

Honoring the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert for Modern Military Records at the National Archives in College Park, MD. RG 498 UD 584 Box 4021 Artwork File This winter marks the 80th anniversary of the German attack that began the Ardennes Offensive, or the Battle of the Bulge, during World War II. In … Continue reading Honoring the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) in World War II

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Subject Matter Expert for Modern Military Records at the National Archives in College Park, MD. Photograph of WAC Officers Inspecting the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, Feb 15, 1945 (NAID 531249, Local ID: 111-SC-200791) In early 1945, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion became the only Women’s Army Corps … Continue reading The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) in World War II

Honoring C.L. Daniel, World War I Veteran and Tulsa Race Massacre Victim

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Archivist in the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD. “I have travled this country over [...] and want to get home” - C.L. Daniel, World War I Veteran and Victim of the Tulsa Race Massacre Photograph of Soldiers Reading, 1918 (NAID 17343141)* Tulsa Mayor … Continue reading Honoring C.L. Daniel, World War I Veteran and Tulsa Race Massacre Victim