Today's post is written by Chelsey MacBride-Gill, a College Park volunteer. While processing the records of the American Expeditionary Forces (10th Division HQ), I came across an unusual letter from a concerned citizen Thomas Hartman, dated October 12, 1918. Most of the papers in the folder simply stated that a soldier was absent without leave (AWOL) … Continue reading Service Flag Adorns an AWOL Letter
By David Langbart Thanksgiving is considered by many to be the quintessential American holiday. As Thanksgiving 1918 approached, Americans had more reason than the usual to give thanks. On November 11, 1918, Germany signed the armistice that brought World War I to an effective end. In the wake of that event, the United States made … Continue reading Thanksgiving around the world
This post was written by Harry B. Kidd, a volunteer at the National Archives in College Park, MD (Archives II), for the volunteer newsletter, The Columns. In the spring of 1918, the German Army launched a major offensive in the hope of achieving a quick victory before the full weight of American Forces could be … Continue reading Photographs of the 3rd Infantry Division in France During World War I
Today's post is written by Judy Luis-Watson, volunteer coordinator at Archives II in College Park, Maryland. During World War I (WWI), more than 12,000 American Indians served in the armed forces of the United States. In the army, their many roles included serving as gunners, snipers, patrol workers, messengers, scouts, medical personnel, radio operators, as … Continue reading The Blue Arrow Head
By Jason Clingerman On January 7, 1919, the same day the Christmas Uprising started in Montenegro, members of the American National Red Cross (ANRC) arrived in Montenegro to provide relief to civilians after World War I and the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the country. This relief effort was known as the Commission to Montenegro. This commission … Continue reading The Full Montenegro
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
Today’s post is the second in an occasional series where we will highlight some of the work of our volunteers. Jean Onufrak is a volunteer with the Volunteer Office at the National Archives at College Park. When you think of the term “chemical weapons”, you probably think of their use nowadays in terrorist actions or contentious … Continue reading How World War I Also Became Known as The Chemist’s War
