Military Records

Many of us have relatives who are military veterans, and it may be difficult for them to talk about their service, especially if they served in combat. Offering to interview them about their service can let them know that you are interested in their service experience and create an opening for them speak about it.  It may be easiest to ask them about their service experiences in the context of their entire life story, or some may be more than willing to share just their military stories.  Regardless, interviewing veterans in your family is a great way to make historical events feel more real and present to younger generations in your family whose only knowledge of such things comes from textbooks.

Once you have conducted the interview, you can even choose to submit it to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.  The project archives many different kinds of materials: letters and artwork from veterans’ time in service and recorded narratives from veterans who have served in conflicts from WWII to the present Afghanistan and Iraq wars (other war industry workers such as medical volunteers and defense contractors are included). They provide guidelines on how to submit to the archive and they have a detailed guide on how to conduct an interview with a veteran and submit the recording. A camcorder or voice recorder is all you need to record your interview–no editing is needed. It’s a great way to open a conversation that can be difficult to begin, but has the potential to be healing once it’s been done.

Online they have an interview kit, explanatory videos, and interviews with veterans: http://www.loc.gov/vets/

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It was in World War II and during “The Blitz” which was the sustained bombing of Great Britain by Nazi Germany between September 1940 and May 1941 that “Meals on Wheels” was born. In London alone a million houses were destroyed or damaged and over 50,000 innocent men, women and children lost their lives. Many people who had lost everything including their homes lost the ability to cook food for themselves. That is where the Women’s Volunteer Service for Civil Defence, (WVS, later known as WRVS), provided food for these people.

The “Meals on Wheels” name originated and was derived from the Women’s Volunteer Service related activities of bringing meals to servicemen in the war. Today, the evolution of “Meals on Wheels” into the modern day programmes that deliver mostly to the housebound elderly for free or with donations started with the concept of delivering meals to those unable to prepare their own meals in the war.

In 1947, after World War II in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, “Meals on Wheels” very first home delivery was made by the Women’s Volunteer Service. To keep the meals warm in transit WVS in the early days used straw bales, blankets and even old felt hats and many early services used old prams (baby carriages) to transport the meals.

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Article by jekky

HistoryThe Air Field was designed by the African American architect Hilyard Robinson and built in 1941. Construction began on July 12, 1941. Training flights began in November of the same year, even though construction was nowhere near completion. A graded (but not yet paved) portion of the north/south runway was used to conduct initial flight training.The earliest depiction of the Tuskegee AAF airfield which has been located was on the August 1942 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). It depicted uskegee as a commercial or municipal airport.Tuskegee AAF was assigned to the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Force Training Command. It was commanded by the 318th Army Air Force Base Unit. By the end of 1942, Tuskegee had a total of 3,414 personnel. The March 1943 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart labeled the airfield as uskegee Army Flying School, and indicated that the field had a control tower. By September 1943, Tuskegee had 4 runways & a total of 225 buildings.Aircraft used at Tuskegee during WW2 included the PT-17 biplane basic trainer, BT-13 monoplane advanced trainer, AT-6 Texan advanced trainer, and P-40 Warhawk (used for fighter transition training).Twin-engine training commenced at Tuskegee in 1943, at first using the AT-10. The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields described Tuskegee AAF as having a 5,000′ hard-surface runway As constructed during WW2, Tuskegee AAF consisted of 4 asphalt runways (the longest being 5,200′), taxiways, a ramp, and a large number of buildings north of the fieldDuring WW2, Tuskegee AAF had 2 satellite airfields: Griel Auxiliary #1, and Shorter Auxiliary #2 (still in use today as Shorter Airport). These 2 auxiliary airfield were not depicted on the November 1944 Birmingham Sectional Chart but they did appear on the April 1945 Birmingham Sectional Chart. The 1945 Birmingham Sectional Chart also depicted a “Tuskegee Institute #1″ airfield, a few miles southeast of the town of Tuskegee, but no trace has been identified of this airfield on recent aerial photos.The AT-10 twin-engine trainer was replaced at Tuskegee by the TB-25 Mitchell in 1945. The last pilot class graduated at Tuskegee in 1946, bringing the total number of pilots trained at the base to 992.Tuskegee AAF was inactivated in 1946, and the property reverted back to the town of Tuskegee. Many of the base’s buildings were moved into the town, and 2 of the hangars were relocated.Although the 1962 Birmingham Sectional Chart depicted Sharpe Field as having 4 paved runways (with the longest being 5,000′), the Aerodromes table included the remark “North/South only usable runway.”Sharpe Field was reopened as a civilian airport at some point between 1945-62, as that is how it was listed in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory. Sharpe Field was described as having a single 5,000′ asphalt Runway 18/36, and the operator was listed as Sharpe Aviation ServiceThe Tuskegee airfield was evidently closed once again at some point between 1965-71, as it was not listed among active airfields in the 1971 Flight Guide.In 1976, an attempt was made to reuse the abandoned base as an oil refinery, but this did not work out. It was depicted as an abandoned airfield on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.The site of Tuskegee AAF was purchased by the Bradbury Family Partnership in the year 2000 time frame. It is strictly a private development, however, in 2003 that Sharpe Field was once again listed as an active private airfield. Only one runway was listed as being active, the 5,300′ asphalt Runway 14/32. The owner was listed as the Bradbury Family Partnership, of Woodstock, GA.The purpose of the airfield having been reactivated is unknown, although the old ramp area was used as an asphalt plant for a number of years. Some of the equipment can still be seen on the ramp area. FacilitiesSharpe Field covers an area of 2,600 acres (1,052 ha) at an elevation of 253 feet (77 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 14/32 which measures 5,300 by 46 feet (1,615 x 14 m). See alsoAlabama World War II Army Airfields ReferencesUnited States Air Force portalMilitary of the United States portal Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 19422002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for AL73 (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2009-07-02.^ Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Tuskegee Army Airfield / Sharpe Field External linksAerial photo of Sharpe Field; also showing Moton Field to the southeastResources for this airport:AirNav airport information for AL73ASN accident history for TGEFlightAware airport information and live flight trackerSkyVector aeronautical chart for AL73v  d  eTuskegee AirmenLocationsMoton Army Air Field  Tuskegee Army Air FieldAircraftP-40 Warhawk  P-39 Airacobra  P-47 Thunderbolt  P-51 MustangUnits99th Fighter Squadron  100th Fighter Squadron  301st Fighter Squadron  302d Fighter Squadron  332d Fighter Group  477th Fighter GroupPilotsBenjamin O. Davis, Jr. (Leader)   Lee Archer  Henry Cabot Lodge Bohler  Edgar Bolden  George L. Brown  Roscoe C. Brown  Eugene Calvin Cheatham, Jr.  Alfonza W. Davis  Gene Derricotte  Charles Dryden  Julius Freeman  Oliver Goodall  Percy Heath  Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr.  Alexander Jefferson  Charles William Ledbetter  John Mosley  Wendell O. Pruitt  Isaiah Edward Robinson, Jr.  Wilmeth Sidat-Singh  Vernon Sport  Chuck Stone  Percy Sutton  Roger Terry  Lucius Theus  George Watson  Henry Wise Jr.  Coleman YoungIncidentsFreeman Field MutinyFilmsHenry Browne, Farmer  Wings for This Man  The Tuskegee Airmen  Black Eagle (Wild Card character)  Hart’s War  Silver Wings and Civil Rights:The Fight to Fly  Red Tail Reborn  Flight of the Red Tail  Red TailsLegacyTuskegee Airmen, Inc  Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site  Red Tail ProjectSee alsoGolden Thirteen  Buffalo Soldier  U.S. Army Black Panthers  366th Infantry Regiment  United States Colored Troops  African American military historyv  d  e Army Air Forces Training CommandAAFTraining CenterNortheastConnecticut  Delaware  Illinois  Indiana  Iowa  Kentucky  Maine  Maryland  Massachusetts  Michigan  Minnesota  Missouri  New Hampshire  New Jersey  New York  Ohio  Pennsylvania  Rhode Island  Vermont  Virginia  West Virginia  WisconsinNorthwestColorado  Idaho  Kansas  Montana  Nebraska  North Dakota  Oregon  South Dakota  Utah  Washington  WyomingSoutheastAlabama  Arkansas  Florida  Georgia  Louisiana  Mississippi  North Carolina  South Carolina  TennesseeSouthwestArizona  California  New Mexico  Nevada  Oklahoma  Texas Categories: 1941 establishments | Airports in Alabama | Macon County, Alabama | USAAF Southeast Training CenterHidden categories: Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

About the Author

I am an expert from Cheap On Sales, usually analyzes all kind of industries situation, such as urine specimen cups, laparoscopic surgical instruments.

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This article is brought to you by In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS

At In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS we occasionally receive enquiries about how to trace the records of British soldiers who served in the 1814-18 Great War. We do our best to help when such a request is made, but our resources are limited and we are conscious that our best is often very slow and not always that conclusive. To help those wishing to research records of British Soldiers who served in the 1914-18 Great War we thought that it would be useful if we put together some notes on the basics of how to research this information.

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THE 95TH: THE IRON MEN OF METZ (60 minutes, documentary)

This documentary follows several veterans of the 95th Infantry Division as they recount some of their experiences, and joins them on a journey back to Europe, through the city of Metz, and as they take part in several remembrance ceremonies.

Walking back in time with them as they relive their World War II experiences brings home a greater appreciation for the struggles these men endured. The challenges they faced in taking Metz with its underground fortresses, heavy machine gun fire, ineffectual support and impossible odds are recorded by the survivors in this documentary for future generations to appreciate and learn from.

Standing with them in the cemetaries honoring their fallen comrades, dancing with them at 95th Infantry Division reunions, and thebe hind the scenes look at thier personal lives now as elderly men gives us the ability to grasp the full scope of what this film means to their lives.

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Article by WomenOf Editor

Over 60 years ago when the U.S. faced a severe shortage of combat pilots to serve in World War II, a group of incredible women stepped up to help. These “fly girls” flew light trainers, heavy four-engine bombers, transport aircraft and fighters – virtually every type of Air Force aircraft there was – on missions all around the United States to free up male pilots needed in the war overseas. They were the first women in history to fly American military aircraft and broke ground for female pilots who would later join the ranks of the U.S. Air Force. The Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) program was one of the best kept secrets of World War II. WASPs are still unknown to most Americans today, but in the summer of 2009 they gained some hard-earned recognition when President Barack Obama signed into a law a bill that awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal.

Getting the WASP program itself off the ground was a hard-won accomplishment against gender bias. It took more than a decade due to initial resistance from people in the military. In 1930 the War Department considered the idea, but chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps had called the idea of women pilots “utterly unfeasible”, because women were too “high strung”. As America moved towards war, however, this view softened. In 1939 America’s most famous female pilot, Jacqueline Cochran, wrote to then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to propose a women’s corps of pilots. By 1942 a women’s aviator program was finally launched.

As many as 25,000 women volunteered for spots but recruiting requirements were even more stringent than they were for men – women had to already have earned a pilot’s license. Ultimately, only 1,830 volunteers were accepted into the program, of which 1,074 graduated. Recruits made their way from around the country, paying their own way, to a municipal airport in Houston, Texas and later to Avenger Field near Sweetwater where they underwent the same rigorous training as their male counterparts.

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