M
requests as early as possible, and should also consider using a
researcher-for-hire to expedite the process. Students can find
links to researcher services on the NPRC website.
Conclusions
ilitary history often suffers from an undeserved
reputation as a field that “glorifies” warfare, which
may cause students and teachers to shy away from
it. The paradox of war is that in it we find examples of both the
best and worst of human behavior. The history of warfare is the
history of unimaginable brutality alongside incredible bravery
and sacrifice. Although military historians are often drawn to
the heroic elements of history, most manage to walk the line
between recognizing greatness and glorifying the context.
Many students are drawn to military history because it is
Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays was the first female general in the
United States. Brigadier General Elizabeth Hoisington, Chief of the
Women’s Army Corps, was promoted minutes later. Now in retirement,
General Hays lives in Arlington, VA. (Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Army
Heritage and Education Center)
• Kansas City, Missouri, Central Plains Region
• New York City, New York, Northeast Region
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic Region
• Riverside, California, Pacific Region
• San Bruno, California, Pacific Region
• Seattle, Washington, Pacific Alaska Region
The Archives also includes the National Personnel Records
Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. The records at the NPRC
are difficult to access for a number of reasons. The general
public can only gain access to records that are 62 years old
or older. Access to records less than 62 years old is limited to
veterans or veterans’ next-of-kin.
Another reason the general public may have trouble gaining
access to records at the NPRC is the damage caused by a major
fire at the center in 1973. Flames, smoke, and water destroyed
an estimated 13-to-18 million personnel files. Students
hoping to get sources from the NPRC should submit their
exciting. There is no sense in denying the allure of battle, of
the stories of dedicated men and women engaged in a deadly
serious business. Nor should we deny the tendency of youth to
gloss over the horrors of war, for this is not a tendency that will
abate if the topic of war is ignored. Oscar Wilde commented
that “[a]s long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have
its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease
to be popular.” In other words, there is no better way to cure
a young mind of the tendency to glorify war than to engage it
in the actual study of war. The irony of military history is that
it is the very cure for the illness that critics fear it will cause.
Military history offers students and teachers unique and
nearly limitless opportunities to engage in high-quality
scholarship and develop outstanding NHD projects. The U.S.
Army Heritage and Education Center’s catalog is available
online at www.usahec.org, and includes thousands of finding
aids covering a myriad of topics. Teachers seeking further
advice on how to help their students pursue topics in military
history are welcome to contact me.
For topic suggestions, links to military history resources, and
a bibliography, go to www.nhd.org/themebook.htm.
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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2015
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