Service Flag Adorns an AWOL Letter

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

The U.S. Secret Service: It Took 42 Years to Protect the President

Today's post (part one in a two-part series) is by National Archives Volunteer Bill Nigh. When I was assigned my first volunteer project, one associated with the U.S. Secret Service (Record Group 87), I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Like many my age, I picture the Secret Service agent climbing on the rear deck of … Continue reading The U.S. Secret Service: It Took 42 Years to Protect the President

Lessons from Verdun

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