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

“Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Archivist in the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD. End of First Phase Map of France, June 1944 (NAID 18558251) The Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD (Archives II) has custody of numerous records that document U.S. Army operations … Continue reading “Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day

Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part II

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. On November 27, 1941, Lt. Cmdr. Edwin T. Layton, Fleet Intelligence Officer, United States Pacific Fleet, met with Colonel Edward W. Raley and the Intelligence Section of the Hawaiian Air Force, to discuss the B-24 reconnaissance mission. … Continue reading Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part II

Major League Baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and World War II, 1941-1942

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and Dr. Sylvia Naylor, Archivists at the National Archives at College Park. During the summer of 1940, as German military forces overran France, many Americans began to support the need for compulsory military training in the event that the United States entered the war in Europe. In … Continue reading Major League Baseball, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and World War II, 1941-1942

Rose Bowl game program from January 1, 1942

The [Transplanted] 28th Rose Bowl, Oregon State vs. Duke – January 1, 1942

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) Beavers football team, under Coach Lon Stiner, started the 1941 season winning two games and losing two games.  One of those victories was a 10-0 shutout of Stanford University and one … Continue reading The [Transplanted] 28th Rose Bowl, Oregon State vs. Duke – January 1, 1942

The National Archives and Jefferson Davis’ Cloak, Shawl, and Spurs

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park The Civil War was swiftly coming to an end on April 3, 1865, when the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, his wife Varina, and their children abandoned Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy. On … Continue reading The National Archives and Jefferson Davis’ Cloak, Shawl, and Spurs

How and When Did World War II Officially Become World War II?

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. An excellent source for answering the questions posed in the title of this post, and other military questions, is the records of the Office of the Adjutant General (Record Group 407). Specifically, to answer the official designation question, … Continue reading How and When Did World War II Officially Become World War II?

The American Defense, Harvard Group’s Committee on the Protection of Monuments

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. In looking at some boxes of the Reference Collection of the Departmental Records Branch of the Army’s Office of the Adjutant General (Record Group 407), I stumbled upon two boxes labeled “Protection of Monuments.”  They carried the designation “Document … Continue reading The American Defense, Harvard Group’s Committee on the Protection of Monuments

Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and is the last post in a four-part series.  The National Archives and Records Administration will display Adolf Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate (National Archives Identifier 6883511) in the exhibit “Making Their Mark” beginning March 21, 2014. This series of blogs traces the aforementioned … Continue reading Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}

Know Your Records: WWII Army Unit Records

Today's post is written by Kylene Woods, a processing archivist at the National Archives in College Park. You are interested in knowing more about the army unit your grandfather served with during World War II.  Grandpa Jim served with the 1884th Engineer Aviation Battalion, and you want to know more about the type of work … Continue reading Know Your Records: WWII Army Unit Records