Military History Commons^™

What Is The End Conscription Campaign?, End Conscription Campaign

End Conscription Campaign

A brochure explaining the scope of the End Conscription Campaign, its history, and its efforts in South Africa.

Keep The Townships Clean, End Conscription Campaign

End Conscription Campaign

A promotional sticker created by the End Conscription Campaign.

“Under Fathoms Of Salt Water:” Canada’S Ammunition Dumping Program, 1944-1947, Alex Souchen

Canadian Military History

This article examines Canada’s ammunition dumping program in the mid-1940s and pays special attention to the practical and technical dilemmas that influenced policy making and implementation. A pressing logistical crisis followed the end of the Second World War as crowded armaments depots ran out of storage space for leftover ordnance. In July 1945 a major explosion at the Bedford Magazine in Halifax Harbour heightened public safety concerns and influenced future disposal policies. From a range of imperfect destruction methods, dumping emerged as one of the most efficient alternatives; whenever possible conventional and chemical munitions were submerged. Although the quantities sunk …

The Command And Control Of Canadian And American Maritime Air Power In The Northwest Atlantic, 1941-1943, Richard Goette

Canadian Military History

Operational, organizational, doctrinal, and cultural differences hampered effective command and control of Canadian and American maritime air power defending shipping against U-boats off the east coast during the Second World War. The American desire to implement US unity of command over both nations’ maritime air forces clashed with the Canadian preference for simple cooperation. Canadian airmen resisted several American attempts to impose unity of command until the operational situation in the Battle of the Atlantic revealed inefficiencies in coordination which necessitated all maritime air power in the Northwest Atlantic be centralized under Canadian operational control in the spring of 1943.

Patient Experience And The Treatment Of Venereal Disease In Toronto’S Military Base Hospital During The First World War, Kandace Bogaert

Canadian Military History

During the First World War, the Canadian Espeditionary Force (cef) was infamous for having the highest rates of venereal infection among the Allies. Soldiers could be inspected at random, questioned about the source of their infection, and held in quarantine in hospital until cured. While medical officers published research on the prevalence and treatment of venereal disease, little has been written on the experiences of patients. This paper examines the experiences of venereal patients in Toronto’s Military Base Hospital in 1916. Soldiers’ correspondences reveal their perspectives, along with the ways in which the military’s management of venereal disease was laden …

We All Bleed Red: African American Soldiers And The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, Savannah A. Labbe

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Years before the United States military was officially desegregated in 1948, African Americans fought alongside white men in the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery during the Civil War. Most African American men that fought for the Union in the Civil War did so in United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) units, separated from white men. Because of this segregation, many black men, such as Andrew J. Williams of Industry, Maine, left home to find and fight with a U.S.C.T. regiment. Williams would not be accepted into a Maine regiment, or at least so he thought. His brother, Aaron E. Williams, decided to …

Withdrawal: Reassessing America's Final Years In Vietnam, Gregory A. Daddis

History Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Withdrawal is a groundbreaking reassessment that tells a far different story of the Vietnam War. Daddis convincingly argues that the entire US effort in South Vietnam was incapable of reversing the downward trends of a complicated Vietnamese conflict that by 1968 had turned into a political-military stalemate. Despite a new articulation of strategy, Abrams's approach could not materially alter a war no longer vital to US national security or global dominance. Once the Nixon White House made the political decision to withdraw from Southeast Asia, Abrams's military strategy was unable to change either the course or outcome of a decades' …

“A Disconnected Dialogue: American Military Strategy, 1964-1968,” Oklahoma Humanities, Vol. 10, No. 2, Fall-Winter 2017., Gregory A. Daddis

History Faculty Articles and Research

"The admission, supported by a careful reading of the historical record, begs larger questions: How do we remember American strategy in Vietnam? What language do we use to describe a war that proved so tragic, not only for the United States but, perhaps more importantly, for the millions of Vietnamese who lost their lives in a decades-long civil war? In coming to grips with a complex war, Americans, then and now, have relied on a series of tropes to streamline their conversations about a distasteful war."

The Legend Of The Wehrmacht’S “Clean Hands”: The Attempt To Remove Nazism From The German Military, Kenneth R. Mccracken

Student Publications

The legend of the Wehrmacht’s “clean hands” was created with the Himmerdoer Memorandum of 1950 and sought to disassociate the German military with its Nazi past. The legend gained popularity in the minds of the German people and successfully led to Germany’s rearmament after World War Two. Beginning in 1990, the legend was destroyed as the actions of the Wehrmacht during World War Two created a different picture than that of the legend. The Wehrmacht’s hands were far from “clean” and instead were very dirty.

Rhapsody In Red, White And Blue: The Co-Evolution Of Popular And Art Music In The United States During World War Ii, Douglas A. Kowalewski

Student Publications

World War II was a watershed event in twentieth century American history. All aspects of life, including music, both found roles to play in the war effort and were forever altered by the conflict. Past work on the subject of American music in World War II tends to focus heavily on the nature and impact of popular music during this time period. While this paper will review and build upon this scholarship, art music during the war will also be considered. Using two distinctly different, yet complementary, autobiographies – those of army band musician Frank Mathias and composer Gunther Schuller …

"Avenging Furies": The Memoirs Of American Women In The Philippines During The Second World War, Meghan E. O'Donnell

Student Publications

A large and active resistance movement developed in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation of the islands from 1942-1945. This paper discusses the memoirs of several women caught up in these movements, specifically Claire Phillips, Margaret Utinsky, Yay Panlilio, and Virginia Hansen Holmes. I argue that these women utilized their memoirs to secure places for themselves in history, using gendered and racialized language to define their experiences as incredible adventures. Their memoirs give significant insight into the civilian experience of the Japanese occupation and testify to the unique efforts made by women to support the American cause.

"A Delirious Welcome To Anyone In Uniform:" The Gi Experience In Paris, July - September 1944, Bridget E. Ashton

Student Publications

Previous studies of relationships between American GIs and the French population during and after Liberation paint two extremes: one of a perfectly handsome American man doling out candy, cigarettes, and kisses, and the other of a rapist and conqueror. In reality, the situation proved to be somewhere between these two realities. In this paper, I will argue that the Franco-American relationship in the months of July, August, and September 1944 was one of utility and necessity that left the French vulnerable and powerless. Because of factors such as preexisting conditions left behind by German soldiers, language barriers, and material needs, …

Neurasthenia, Robert Graves, And Poetic Therapy In The Great War, Juliette E. Sebock

Student Publications

Though Robert Graves is remembered primarily for his memoir, Good-bye to All That, his First World War poetry is equally relevant. Comparably to the more famous writings of Sassoon and Owen, Graves' war poems depict the trauma of the trenches, marked by his repressed neurasthenia (colloquially, shell-shock), and foreshadow his later remarkable poetic talents.

"Our Rights Are Getting More & More Infringed Upon": American Nationalism, Identity, And Sailors' Justice In British Prisons During The War Of 1812, Elizabeth Jones-Minsinger

Staff Scholarship

American maritime prisoners during the War of 1812 took seriously their government's assertion of "free trade and sailors' rights," but when the United States government failed to make this rhetoric a reality, imprisoned sailors clashed with both British and American officials. The U.S. government lacked effective mechanisms to challenge impressment, influence prisoner exchange, or meet the daily needs of its imprisoned citizens, who often interpreted this inefficacy as indifference to their situation. However, the relative absence of government support gave American prisoners space to create a form of nationalism that stressed self-reliance, cooperative action, aggressive masculinity, and occasional violence and …

The Octofoil, October/November/December 2017, Ninth Infantry Division Association

The Octofoil

The Octofoil is the offical publication of the Ninth Infantry Division Association, Inc., an organization formed by the officers and men of the 9th Infantry Division in order to perpetuate the memory of fallen comrades, preserve the esprit de corps of the Division, promote peace and serve as an information bureau about the 9th Infantry Division. The Association is made up of 9th Infantry veterans from WWII and Vietnam, spouses, widows and lineal descendants.

2017 Annual Dinner Program, The O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

O'Callahan Society Annual Dinner Program

Seventeenth annual dinner sponsored by The O'Callahan Society. The keynote speaker is the Honorable Jeh C. Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security and General Counsel of the Department of Defense. This year celebrates the women of the Naval ROTC program at the College of the Holy Cross.

World War I At Home And Abroad:, Phillip Stone, Luke Meagher

Library Exhibits

This exhibit features materials about Wofford College and the Spartanburg Community in World War I, and was presented during the centennial year of American entry into World War I.

Messer, George, 1833-1863 (Sc 3138), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3138. Letters, 16 December 1862, 13 February 1863 and 6-7 June 1863, of George Messer to his wife Lottie in DeWitt County, Illinois, written while camped near Woodsonville in Hart County, Kentucky and at Camp Hobson, Glasgow, Kentucky. He describes his quarters (his “shebang”), a fire in Woodsonville that burned two hospitals, the remnants of a nearby battlefield, local troop movements, illness, and his finances. He also writes of contributing money to send a soldier’s remains home, and comments on his officers and on domestic matters.

Gordon, George W., 1802?-1862 (Sc 3144), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescript (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3144. Letter, 26 December 1861, of Captain George W. Gordon to his children. From Camp Bradley at Clarksville, Tennessee, he writes of his enlistment and command of a company in the 48th Tennessee. Mourning the “unnatural war” that is “desolating the Country,” he remarks on the large numbers of troops massing in Kentucky and the expectation of a “bloody conflict.” His pessimistic letter concludes that men may look only to God for mercy.

Buckner, Simon Bolivar, 1823-1914 (Sc 3143), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3143. Letter, 7 September 1907, of Simon Bolivar Buckner to John H. Weller, former commander of the Orphan Brigade. He suggests that at a forthcoming reunion, the Brigade recommend “the acquiring and improvement” of the birthplace of Jefferson Davis, and notes that an option has already been secured on part of the site. (The Davis Memorial Home movement was subsequently inaugurated at the reunion.)

A Marine Aviators Perspective On The War In Viet Nam, Fred Cone

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Colonel Cone served tours in three Marine Aircraft Wings. His staff responsibilities included aircraft maintenance, logistics, operations, and personnel and on one tour as Chief of Staff of the 2d Marine Air Wing. He also served a tour as the operations officer of the 3rdMarine Division in Okinawa, and a three-year tour in Headquarters Marine Corps in the Requirements and Programs Division. During his Fleet Marine Force Assignments, Colonel Cone flew a total of 21 different types of aircraft and amassed over 8600 flight hours. His combat experience includes nearly 1000 flight hours flown in 844 separate missions over half …

Oklahoma Missile Site: Aiming For The Historic Marker, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

Goal: Place a historic marker at the site near Willow, Oklahoma, that housed an Atlas F intercontinental Ballistic Missile 1962-1965.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University issued a press release about my historic marker fundraising endeavor and partnership with the Old Greer County Museum. In addition to the story being broadcast by local radio stations and printed by local newspapers. KFOR NewsChannel 4 in Oklahoma City broadcast a segment during a Wednesday evening newscast that was rebroadcast multiple times through the following weekend. Also, the Old Greer County Museum included the release in its emailed newsletter, and one of the newsletter's readers …

Cloud, Allen Carol, 1930-1982 (Sc 3140), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3140. Letter, 26 September 1951, of Allen Carol Cloud, Jefferson County, Kentucky, to Emma Barnes. Writing during his military service in Seoul, Korea, he declares his love for her and his intention to propose marriage, and regrets a friend's premature disclosure to her of this confidence. He also comments on the poor living conditions of the Korean people.

Change 1 To The History Of The College Of The Holy Cross Naval Rotc Unit, Brendan J. O'Donnell, O'Callahan Society, College Of The Holy Cross

75th Anniversary of NROTC at Holy Cross

This document lists revisions made to the 2016 version of the History of the College of the Holy Cross Naval ROTC Unit. It is intended as a supplement for those who received print copies.

The revised version is available at http://crossworks.holycross.edu/nrotc75/1/.

Revisiting Fredericksburg: Using Provocation To Explore New Questions, Jonathan Tracey

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

To Freeman Tilden, provocation was an essential ingredient to effective interpretation, and I tend to agree with that idea. Both my walking tour at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center and the interpretive exhibits at Chatham Manor utilize provocation in different forms, with different challenges and opportunities. Overall, the atmosphere of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is one that supports and encourages provocative thinking by visitors.

Provocation Through Accessibility At Special Collections At Musselman Library, Chloe Parrella

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Gettysburg College Special Collections is a place where the worlds of archiving, preservation, and interpretation intersect. In the climate-controlled stacks, shelves lined with volume after volume attest to the centuries of history that the college has witnessed. It is the role of the current staff and interns to disseminate the seemingly infinite artifacts, manuscripts, and other primary sources that come through the door to those who travel to Special Collections to learn, discover, and enrich themselves. As Freeman Tilden wrote, “Information, as such, is not interpretation. Interpretation is revelation based upon information”. However, interpretation is not something that should be …

Designing Simplicity To Achieve Technological Improvement: The General Electric J79 Turbojet Engine; Innovations, Achievements And Effects, Matt C. Brimer

Theses

With the beginning of powered, manned flight, the piston engine drove a propeller or multiple propellers to provide the thrust for lift required to overcome the forces of drag and gravity for flight. As aircraft speeds gradually increased over time, the power needed to overcome the aerodynamic inefficiencies of the propeller to greater speeds and altitudes were quickly realized as a hindrance to the potential of aircraft. With the turbojet engine, this new mechanism and subsequent aerodynamic changes revolutionized aircraft to increased speeds and altitude never before achievable with a piston engine. The United States, after acquiring further and more …

In Gettysburg, The Confederacy Won, Scott Hancock

Africana Studies Faculty Publications

Almost every day, I ride my bicycle past some of the over 1,300 statues and monuments commemorating the Civil War in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where I live. They are everywhere. None of them are of black people.

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought over three days in July of 1863, is often considered the turning point of a war fought over the fate of slavery in America. Black people ultimately were the reason why over 165,000 soldiers came to this Pennsylvania town in the first place. But on the battlefield, as far as the physical memorials, they disappear. (excerpt)

Concord’S Wayside: Home Of What?, Olivia Ortman

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

This summer, I have had the privilege of interning at Minute Man NHP in Concord, Massachusetts. My primary station here is the Wayside: Home of Authors. Right about now, you might be wondering what the Wayside is. That’s alright, I didn’t know what the house was until just this summer. The Wayside was the home of Louisa May Alcott, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Harriet Lothrop (or Margaret Sydney) – all prominent authors in the 19th century. This house also stood witness to the “shot heard round the world” and provided brief shelter to a fugitive slave. This house is a gold …

An Artist As Soldier: Seeking Refuge In Love And Art, Barbara S. Heisler

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

At the center of this book are the World War II letters (Feldpostbriefe) of a German artist and art teacher to his wife. While Bernhard Epple’s letters to his wife, Gudrun, address many of the topics usually found in war letters (food, lodging conditions, the weather, problems with the mail service, requests for favors from home), they are unusual in two respects. Each letter is lovingly decorated with a drawing and the letters make few references to the war itself. In addition to many personal communications and expressions of love for his wife and children, Epple writes about …