Today's post is written by Tina Ligon, a processing archivist in College Park. The U.S. Navy Flag Files (RG 313) contain a myriad of information generated by high-level commanders. These records consist of intelligence reports, memorandums, administrative files, correspondence, and photographs related to such subjects as administration, logistics, and personnel. The Flag Files are divided … Continue reading The Caledonia Company
Today's post is written by Anwar Thomas, an archives technician at Archives II. Processing and consolidating the Navy Deck Logs (National Archives Identifier 594258), in Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, was an interesting project in my large criteria of archival experience. These logs are filled with many interesting hidden facts … Continue reading The Navy Deck Logs: Personal Experience
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
Today’s post is written by Meghan Ryan, a processing archivist at Archives II. As World War II drew to a close, the United States military faced the daunting task of transporting the majority of the armed forces home. To facilitate this process, temporary base, or “camps” were constructed throughout Europe. Camp Tophat, near Antwerp, Belgium, … Continue reading Camp Tophat: The Troops Go Home
By M. Marie Maxwell As a Florida native, growing up, we would track the path of the various hurricanes and tropical storms that were predicted to hit, cross or barely touch the state. In the late 20th and current 21st centuries we have satellite which warn us and show us serious weather patterns as they … Continue reading The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Today's post is by Lee Preston, a National Archives volunteer. During the Cold War, I was drafted into the U.S. Army and in 1955-56 stationed in Verdun, France. Verdun is the principal city of the Meuse River valley, a historic corridor of aggressive contact between French and German interests. The Verdun area had been fortified … Continue reading Lessons from Verdun
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
Our guest blogger today is Allison Walsh, an Archives Technician at Archives I who works with Navy / Maritime records. She is proud to display the Stars and Stripes every Flag Day, which also happens to be her birthday. Finding the file number nearby, I carefully pulled the trifolded papers open. A handwritten letter dating from … Continue reading Old Glory and the Representation of U.S. Territories
By T. Juliette Arai A common research topic concerns information on military installations, i.e., forts, camps, depots, barracks, etc. Generally, the bulk of the records we have relate to permanent installations, but we do have a few records pertaining to some temporary posts. Records relating to military installations can be found in a number of … Continue reading Researching Forts at Archives I
Today’s post is written by Lopez D. Matthews, Jr., an Archives Technician in the Holdings Management Division at Archives II. Occasionally, as we work with records we come across a document that completely catches our attention. This was the case as we began describing the documents held in Record Group 498, the records of the European … Continue reading …And Germany in Ruins Surrendered Unconditionally
