GPO’s Gift Guide Series: Books for a Special Soldier

December 17, 2018

We know you’re probably busy hanging stockings with care, prepping milk and cookies, and writing letters to the North Pole, but we’re back with another installment of GPO’s gift guide series, and this is our most important gift idea yet! So grab a cozy sweater, take a seat by the fireplace and read this post. Today we’re talking about gift ideas for the active serviceman or servicewoman.

Whether they’re deployed or at home this Christmas, make your favorite soldier a care package to show how much you love them. Some ideas for the package are listed below.

Hot cocoa mix
Mini Christmas tree or menorah
Stringy lights
Holiday cookies
An ornament of something they love
A stocking filled with personal items like floss, a toothbrush, and chapstick
Wacky holiday sweater or Santa hat
Hand-written letters and cards
Hand-made holiday crafts
Framed photo of friends or family members

Don’t forget the entertainment … like books and magazines! Check out the below publications your special soldier might enjoy finding in their gift.

Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History, a professional military magazine, published four times a year by the U.S. CMH, is devoted to informing the military history community about new work on the Army’s history. Issues include illustrated articles, commentaries, book reviews, and news about Army history and the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Quarterly issues feature thoughtful illustrated articles about the history of the U.S. Army, incisive book reviews by experts in the field of military history, insightful commentaries, and news notes providing the latest information about CMH activities and publications.

The U.S. Army in the World War I Era is part of the U.S. Army Campaigns of World War I series. Drawn mostly from CMH’s two-volume textbook, American Military History, the pamphlet provides an overview of the decades leading up to the United States joining the World War and the country’s experiences during the eighteen months of involvement in the war. The conflict capped a period of reform and professionalization that transformed the Army from a small dispersed organization rooted in constabulary operations to a modern industrialized fighting force capable of global reach and impact.

American Military Heritage provides an illustrated historical collection about Army biographies and traditions.

Those serving our country give us the gift of freedom every day. Now, it’s their turn to get a gift. Let them know how much you care and how thankful you are for their service. May all our military families have a safe and happy holiday!

More from our Gift Guides Series:

GPO’s Gift Guide Series: Books for the Great Outdoorsman

GPO’s Gift Guide Series: Books for the Environmental Enthusiast

Click here to shop our Holiday Gift Guides for everyone on your list.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

8 Comments | Center of Military History, Department of Defense, Gifts, Military History, U.S. Army | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

On the Anniversary of the British Surrender at Yorktown, Read This Book

October 16, 2018

October 17 is an important date in American history. Not sure why? The Government Publishing Office, as always, is here with a publication to enlighten you.

On October 17, 1781 (that’s 237 years ago), Lord Cornwallis of Britain surrendered his army at Yorktown. March to Victory: Washington, Rochambeau, and the Yorktown Campaign of 1781, a publication by Dr. Robert Selig, walks readers through the American troops’ march to victory in the Revolutionary War and the large role the French played in helping America gain its independence.

Throughout this booklet learn the endearing details of the relationship between General George Washington and French commander General Rochambeau. Despite having reservations, Rochambeau pledged to use all the resources at his disposal to support Washington’s plan. France promised both to fight and also to agree to no separate peace until Britain formally recognized American independence. To work together to defeat the British under the command of Lord Cornwallis, these French and American military commanders had to overcome formidable barriers of culture, language, tactical doctrine, and political agendas. They used translators to work out plans, including the plan to commence an operation against the British, with Washington focused on an attack in New York and Rochambeau preferring an operation against British forces in the South. In the end, Rochambeau promised his full cooperation in an attack on New York City at the wish of Washington.

Despite having been enemies just 15 years earlier in the French and Indian War, the respect among the French and American troops grew steadily the more they worked together. Jonathan Trumbull, Washington’s private secretary, wrote, “The Junction of the two armies [which] is formed at this Place, & has commenced with high seeming Cordiality & Affection, demonstrated by constant Acts of Conviviality & social Harmony.” Baron Closen of the French army wrote, “I admire the American troops tremendously! It is incredible that soldiers composed of men of every age, even of children of fifteen, of whites and blacks, almost naked, unpaid and rather poorly fed, can march so well and withstand fire so steadfastly.”

General George Washington soon realized, however, that without additional massive reinforcements and material, as well as the assistance of a powerful fleet, an assault on New York had little chance of success. He became convinced it was best to head south. He wrote in his diary that he “could scarce see a ground upon which to continue my preparations against New York, and therefore I turned my views more seriously (than I had done before) to an operation to the southward.”

In early August 1781, French military officer Marquis de Lafayette drafted a report to Washington letting him know that Cornwallis and his men were settling in on the banks of the York River. But to trap the British army, a naval force would be necessary. Again, the Americans turned to the French in their time of need. Rochambeau informed Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse, the commander of the French fleet, of the demand for ships, and de Grasse agreed to send a fleet to Chesapeake. De Grasse’s fleet of 36 ships outnumbered that of the British, who had only 18. However, de Grasse promised to keep his fleet there only until October 15. So, the two commanders in chief hastily adjusted their plans to march south knowing that time was of the essence.

To throw off the British, Washington had a few tricks up his sleeve. He ordered ships for Staten Island and had bake ovens built in New Jersey. Made-up stories about movements and plans were intentionally leaked to the troops, in the hopes that they would be overheard by spies and passed onto the British headquarters. And by dispersing the French and American armies on multiple different routes south, the allies continued their antics to try to confuse their enemy. It wasn’t until early September that the British realized Cornwallis and his troops were in danger. By then, the first units of the Continental Army had already reached the northernmost part of the Chesapeake Bay.

During the march south, several American soldiers quit due to the fact that Robert Morris, financier of the American Revolution, did not have the funds to pay them. Once again, the French stepped in. On September 7, Morris asked Rochambeau if he could lend the Americans money to compensate the troops. Rochambeau gave him almost half the amount left in his treasury. This was the first and only time many Continental soldiers received hard money during their years of service to their country, and to say they were thrilled would be an understatement.

In early September George Washington invited Rochambeau and his staff to stay at his Mount Vernon home. The two commanders continued their journey together and arrived at Williamsburg on September 15 to wait for the arrival of their troops. With a little teamwork, they met with de Grasse and convinced him to keep the French fleet in America until the end of October, buying them more time. After being supplied ships to help them finish out their journey to Virginia, members of the Continental Army were the first to arrive in Virginia. They docked at Archer’s Hope, marched into Williamsburg and camped behind the College of William and Mary. Yes – the college, which was founded in 1693, was already there at that time! The French met them about one week later. Once the French and American troops were all back together again (now in the South), the armies of Washington and Rochambeau finally set out for Yorktown.

Beginning on October 3, 1781, a series of attacks and counterattacks ensued among the British and the French and American forces. On October 16, the British managed to seize two French artillery positions, but the effort ultimately proved unsuccessful. So, they tried it another way and attempted to break the encirclement the French and Americans had created. But as troops were being ferried across the York River to conduct the attack, Mother Nature intervened. A storm disrupted the British operation. Cornwallis began to realize that the Americans and French held a decisive advantage. On October 17, a British officer waved a white handkerchief in surrender. The next day, two British officers met with an American and a French counterpart to negotiate surrender terms. The British government recognized the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War in 1783.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read the full story of the March to Victory. Order this publication from the Center of Military History at the GPO Bookstore today.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Military History, U.S. Army | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

NEW PICATINNY: THE FIRST CENTURY (EBOOK)

September 13, 2018

Picatinny (Arsenal) details the researching, developing, and engineering of the United States Army weapons and munitions facility programs located in New Jersey that have prepared American troops for over a century. With the recent publishing of the FREE eBook edition of Picatinny: The First Century, Government Book Talk interviews its historian-author, Patrick J. Owens, for a firsthand account of the history of the Picatinny Arsenal.

GBT: What inspired your organization to write the book?

Agency: Inspiration is too grandiloquent a word for the motivations which led to this book.  The organization supported publication of the book to make the outside world aware of the varied and significant contributions Picatinny Arsenal has made to national defense, especially in the area of munitions production and development.

The historian shared in this motivation.  Moreover, he was facing the fact of his own aging and wished to leave an ordered record of what he knew about Picatinny history before too many brain cells decayed.

A third reason was the overwhelming desire of old men to tell stories, and many of his most interesting involve Picatinny.

GBT: How did you come up with the title?

Owens: The title followed from the period covered, from the installation’s founding in 1880 to its centennial.  The choice of terminal date was due, first of all, to the fact a book needs to end sometime.  Second, by 1980, Picatinny had assumed its present duties, research, development, and engineering of all Army armaments and munitions.  Telling how it came to assume these duties gave the narrative a sense of direction.

GBT: What is the overall message you want readers to grasp?

Owens: Hopefully, readers will realize building the installation and performing its multiple tasks was not easy.

GBT: What is the single “don’t miss” chapter, page, chart, or fact in you publication and why?

Owens: The chapter most readers will probably single out covers the explosion in 1926 which leveled Picatinny, Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Depot, and surrounding communities.  This is certainly the chapter highest on drama.

The photos of the damage are the items most likely to catch the notice of a browser thumbing the book and move him or her to actually peruse the text.

This is the only blast to rate an entire chapter but not the only blast in the book.  When you work with explosives, explosion is always a risk.  Each chapter discusses at least one occasion when risk became reality.

GBT: What was the hardest part of writing the book?  What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

Agency: The hardest challenge in any writing is for the author is to force the seat of his pants into the seat of a chair and begin filling white space with black characters.

Otherwise, the author of this work was very fortunate in having ample and various research materials close at hand.  Many workers and residents through the years were very good about recording their work, and many of the installation’s newspapers and other publications survive to allow putting names and, often, faces with deeds.  These cover not only big accomplishments, but daily life on the arsenal.

The author could not have brought the events surrounding the 1926 explosion, assuming he gave them life, if a local historian had not compiled a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the days immediately following the event.  Many of the newspapers no longer and exist, and few of those remaining are scrupulous archive keepers.

The author was very fortunate in the services he received from local libraries and historical societies.

Previous historical studies of Picatinny were very useful, especially the architectural surveys that allowed him to sound knowledgeable when discussing pediments and cornices.

GBT: Do you have anything particular that you want to say to you readers in parting, a memorable quote.

Owens: No.  If there is nothing memorable in over 300 pages, it is too late to redeem the situation now.

Patrick J. Owens

Historian (retired)

Picatinny Arsenal

About the Agency/Organization

GBT: What are the next upcoming unclassified projects for your organization?

Agency: Picatinny continues to accomplish much in the way of armament and munitions research and development, so there should be ample material for Picatinny: The Second Century.  However, despite science’s efforts to extend the human life span, it is doubtful the present writer will be up to literary composition in the 2080s.

Picatinny has a historical section on its website, and the Picatinny archaeologist maintains another website on the history of installation buildings.  The latter is part of Picatinny’s historic preservation work.

GBT: What steps is your agency taking to promote this book?

Agency: It is distributing promotional copies to local colleges, libraries, and historical societies.  It is especially hopeful about the historical societies as generators of book orders.

GBT: What other steps in addition to this book to get the word out about this topic?

Agency: The present Picatinny historian continues writing and speaking to local groups on the subject.  He may, even, sneak in references to this book.

GBT: Did you personally learn anything from this book and what was it?

Agency: This book was part of learning experience which began when its writer became historian for a science and engineering organization.  His education had stressed the humanities, but, though he remained Picatinny’s token technophobe, he became more comfortable with technical topics.  Much credit is due the countless technical people who showed patience with the historian’s ignorance.

HOW DO YOU OBTAIN PICATINNY: THE FIRST CENTURY (EBOOK)?

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Trudy Hawkins, Senior Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

 

 

Leave a Comment » | Department of Defense, Digital Publishing, ebooks, Military History, U.S. Army | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Remembering the Attack on the Aleutian Islands

May 31, 2018

While most people know something about the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, few are aware of the Japanese attack and invasion of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands from June 3 to 7, 1942. Attu is the westernmost of the Aleutian Islands and one of the Near Islands. On Attu Island, the Japanese captured 42 residents of Attu, including the island’s school teacher. Forty people were transported to Otaru, Hokkaido Island, Japan. They were held as prisoners of war from September 1942 until 1945. Twenty-one people died during their internment, including four babies, born in Japan. In 2012, the National Park Service published Nick Golodoff’s Attu Boy. Golodoff was six when his family was captured and sent to Japan. This book combines transcriptions of the oral histories of Attu survivors with Golodoff’s memoir. Sadly, during the war, Golodoff’s village was destroyed, and the United States Government opted to annex the island for military purposes. The Aleuts were not allowed to return.

Today, Attu is part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and the Alaska National Maritime Wildlife Refuge. Want to read more about the Aleutian Islands in World War II? See the Army Corps of Engineer’s View to the past which recounts the history of the Army on Amaknak Island and Unalaska Island. And to learn more about the experience of the native people, check out The National Park Service’s publications, Forced to leave the removal of the Unangax̂ of Unalaska, 22 July 1942 and Lost Villages of the Eastern Aleutians: Biorka, Kashega, Makushin.

In June 1942, the United States launched its first offensive in the Pacific, the Aleutian Campaign. From June 1942 to May 1943 Japan held the Island of Attu. The Battle of Attu took place May 11−30, 1943. With Canadian support, U.S. forces defeated Japanese forces in what was the second deadliest battle in the Pacific Theater. More than 3,000 Japanese and Americans died fighting on Attu. Attu: the Forgotten Battle, a new book by John Haile Cloe, explores that battle and its impact on the island. Aleutian Islands from The U.S. Army Center of Military History provides an overview of the Aleutian Islands Campaign.

Major Fleet-Versus-Fleet Operations in the Pacific War, 1941-1945, a publication of the Naval War College, explores three major naval operations of World War II initiated by imperial Japan that resulted in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway/Aleutians, and the Philippine Sea.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Department of Defense, Military History, U.S. Army, World War II | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Vietnam War Veterans Day – March 29

March 29, 2018

On March 29, 1973, President Richard Nixon welcomed home the last of the combat military members from the Vietnam War. In honor of that day, we now celebrate their return and the sacrifices our soldiers made to serve our nation proudly overseas. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) offers access to the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, which designated March 29 as Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Day, through the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

GPO’s govinfo offers the original Presidential Proclamation for Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974. As well as several other items from Congressional Records during the period.

The Vietnam War era saw the American citizens sick of decades of foreign wars, and who blamed the soldiers who fought them upon their return. Because of this unfavorable environment, the Vietnam War Veterans waited decades for their sacrifices to be formally recognized.

More than 2.7 million Americans served in uniform in Vietnam, with more than 58,000 of those service members killed during the war. The Tet Offensive played an important role in weakening U.S. public support for the war in Vietnam.

In January of 1968, during the lunar new year (or “Tet”) holiday, North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack against a number of targets in South Vietnam.

The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses before finally repelling the communist assault. This was widely considered the final straw in an already unpopular American war, and led to the withdrawal of all American forces a few years later.

GPO has printed several publications throughout the years that illustrate the intricacies of this contested war.

GPO’s Government Bookstore offers many publications that can help you pay homage to this unique history. Some of those include:

  • Combat Operations: Staying the Course, October 1967-December 1968 describes the twelve-month period when the Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese allies embarked on a new and more aggressive strategy that shook the foundations of South Vietnam and forced the United States to reevaluate its military calculations in Southeast Asia. Hanoi’s general offensive-general uprising brought the war to South Vietnam’s cities for the first time and disrupted the allied pacification program that was just beginning to take hold in some rural areas formerly controlled by the Communists. For the enemy, however, those achievements came at a staggering cost in manpower and material; more importantly, the Tet offensive failed to cripple the South Vietnamese government or convince the United States to abandon its ally. As the dust settled from the Viet Cong attacks, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered his military commanders to press ahead with their current strategy unchanged apart from some short-term tactical adjustments and a modest increase in the U.S. troop deployment. His decision to stay the course seemed to bear fruit as the allies repaired their losses and then forged new gains throughout the summer and autumn of 1968. Even so, the allied situation at the end of this period appeared to be only marginally better than it had been in late 1967; the peace talks in Paris had stalled, and American public opinion had turned decisively against the war.
  • Melvin Laird and the Foundation of the Post-Vietnam Military, 1969-1973 . Melvin Laird became President Richard Nixon’s secretary of defense in January 1969. His challenging agenda included two goals: withdrawing the U.S. military from Vietnam and reshaping U.S. the armed forces for the future. He worked toward ending the inequitable draft system and replacing it with an all-volunteer force of regulars supported by National Guard and Reserve components. Laird’s tenure was also marked by battles with Congress and the administration over the defense budget and the antiballistic military system as well as efforts to strengthen alliances with NATO, East Asian allies, and Israel.
  • Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965-1973 . In Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965-1973, Jeffrey J. Clarke describes the U.S. Army advisory effort to the South Vietnamese armed forces during the period when the U.S. commitment in Southeast Asia was at its peak. The account encompasses a broad spectrum of activities at several levels, from the physically demanding work of the battalion advisers on the ground to the more sophisticated undertakings of senior military officers at the highest echelons of the American military assistance command in Saigon.
  • U.S. Army Campaigns of the Vietnam War: Taking the Offensive, October 1966-September 1967 . Taking the Offensive, October 1966–September 1967, by Glenn F. Williams, begins with a discussion of Operation ATTLEBORO in Tay Ninh Province. The largest allied operation to date in the war, ATTLEBORO forced the 9th PLAF Division to abandon its attack on Suoi Da Special Forces camp and cost over 1,000 enemy lives. Additional action in War Zone C, including Operations CEDAR FALLS, JUNCTION CITY, and JUNCTION CITY II, highlight the U.S. Army effort to disrupt the network of camps and supply stores of the North Vietnamese main force units through ground and air assault. Operations in Binh Dinh Province — THAYER I, THAYER II, PERSHING, and LEJUNE — continued to inflict heavy losses on the enemy. The efforts of the U.S. Army throughout Vietnam during this time allowed for growing political stability in South Vietnam leading up to the 3 September 1967 election. This pamphlet contains twelve maps and fifteen illustrations.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Scott Pauley is a Writer and Editor in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management offices.

 

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Department of Defense, Military History, U.S. Army, U.S. History, Vietnam | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

The Shaping of Allied Military Strategy During the Crisis Years of WWII

February 1, 2018

The “Big Three” at Yalta. Seated, left to right: British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and their staffs at the Argonaut Conference in February 1945. Image courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The U.S. Department of Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff History Office recently released a series of eBooks focusing on the Inter-Allied conferences held during World War II.  The conferences documented within this series were led by senior military leaders from the United States and Great Britain working in concert to make vitally important decisions for the combined WWII effort during the period of uncertainty facing Allied Forces in both the European and Asian conflicts.

Download for free this series of eBooks detailing the inner-workings of these historic conferences from the U.S. Government Bookstore.

Here are a few examples in the series.

The Arcadia Conference: December 1941–January 1942. Two weeks after the United States entered World War II, the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942. Working together President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill made the initial crucial decisions for the combined war effort at this important meeting. One of these established the Combined Chiefs of Staff, comprising the high-ranking officers who would become the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and their British counterparts. It was this consultative body of top military leaders that would refine the Allied military strategy and approve all significant military decisions for the duration of conflict. The most consequential decision reached at Arcadia was that of “Germany first,” making the defeat of Germany the prime Allied objective. Additionally, plans to invade North Africa, which would come to fruition in November 1942 with Operation Torch, were extensively studied and discussed.

The Post-Arcadia Conference: January–May 1942. Only nine days after the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) again convened for a series of twenty meetings between January 23 and May 19, 1942. During these meetings, the CCS focused on the situation in the Southwest Pacific area known as the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) area, which included Burma; support of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek; and the possibility of a German attack on England.

Seated: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill with the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Casablanca Conference on January 22, 1943. Image courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Casablanca Conference: January 1943. During the first month of 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill met at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca in French Morocco for a ten-day conference to plan the next stages of the war against the Axis. Accompanied by the French generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, the two leaders and the Combined Chiefs of Staff mapped out the grand strategy for both the European and the Pacific theaters.

Interested in learning more about these and other WWII Inter-Allied conferences? Visit the U.S. Government Online Bookstore to download the entire series here.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Trudy Hawkins is a Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

 

Leave a Comment » | Department of Defense, ebooks, Military History, World War II | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Marine Corps Birthday–10 November

November 9, 2017

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Marines were established by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress. In commemoration of this important day, Major General John A. LeJeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921. This order is read aloud each year by every Marine Corps Command to honor the founding of the Marine Corps. Other celebrations include an annual birthday ball which is held at installations around the world.

In honor of the Marine Corps 242nd birthday, GPO offers a look at publications dealing with the United States Marine Corps and its rich history.

Those interested in uniforms should consult, The eagle, globe, and anchor, 1868-1968, which traces the history of the Marine Corps emblem and uniforms.

Diversity is important to the Marine Corps, two books:  Pride, progress, and prospects: the Marine Corps’ efforts to increase the presence of African-American officers (1970-1995) and Path Breakers U.S. Marine African American officers in their own words look at efforts to increase the number of African-American officers.

Free a Marine to fight: women Marines in World War II, History of the Women Marines, 1946-1977, and Women Marines in the 1980s look at women in the Marine Corps.

Herringbone cloak-GI dagger: Marines of the OSS uncovers the hidden role the Marines played in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Marines engage in international and humanitarian relief efforts. Humanitarian operations in northern Iraq, 1991 with Marines in Operation Provide Comfort looks at one such operation.

Camp Pendleton: the historic Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores and the U.S. Marine Corps in Southern California, a shared history, a new history of an iconic installation, maps the history of the Marine Corps in California.

For additional books on the Marine Corps, the U.S .Government Bookstore has:

Among Heroes: A Marine Corps Rifle Company on Peleliu discusses the 1944 World War II,  Pacific Battle of Peleliu.

The United States Marine Corps in the World War. In 1919, then-Major Edwin N. McClellan was charged with researching and writing the official history of Marines in the First World War. First published in 1920, the 2015 reprint includes additional information on key leaders, as well as, images not included in earlier editions.

U.S. Marines and Irregular Warfare, Training and Education, 2000-2010 is a brief history recounting how the U.S. Marine Corps adapted to fight the Global War on Terrorism during 2000–2010.

Pathbreakers: U.S. Marine African American Officers in Their Own Words discuss how African American military officers navigated their way through successful careers in the United States Marine Corps.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

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