Cantigny First Division Oral Histories Collection
Encyclopedia
The Cantigny First Division Oral Histories http://libx.bsu.edu/collection.php?CISOROOT=/CtgnyOrHis are a collection of video oral history
interviews with veterans of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army
, commonly known as the Big Red One. The First Division was the first permanent division in the regular Army, and is recognized by its ability to improve battlefield performance through learning experiences and its exceptional “esprit de corps.”
The project preserves the memories of soldiers whose military service occurred around the globe. These oral histories provide first-hand resources for scholarly research in military history
and US history. They address veterans’ experiences during the time periods of the Vietnam War
, the Persian Gulf War
, the Korean War
, and the Cold War
.
In 2008, Ball State University
History professors Dr. Michael William Doyle and Dr. David Ulbrich trained Ball State University
students in oral history techniques and military history. Under their supervision, students J. Chris Reidy, Steven Brown, and Rachel (Fulton) Coleman conducted interviews with forty First Division veterans residing in Indiana
, Ohio
, and Kentucky
. The Ball State University Teleplex videotaped the interviews and they were transcribed by Ball State University
Libraries staff.
High-definition video
and transcripts of the interviews are available online via the Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository
(DMR). The online video, Conversations across Generations: The Cantigny First Division Oral History Project Summer 2008, summarizes the project.
The Cantigny First Division Oral Histories project was funded by a grant from the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation with administrative support from the staff of the First Division Museum at Cantigny
. Copies of the interviews and transcripts are also available at the Robert R. McCormick Research Center at the First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois
. and Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections in Muncie, Indiana
.
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
interviews with veterans of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, commonly known as the Big Red One. The First Division was the first permanent division in the regular Army, and is recognized by its ability to improve battlefield performance through learning experiences and its exceptional “esprit de corps.”
The project preserves the memories of soldiers whose military service occurred around the globe. These oral histories provide first-hand resources for scholarly research in military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
and US history. They address veterans’ experiences during the time periods of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
In 2008, Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
History professors Dr. Michael William Doyle and Dr. David Ulbrich trained Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
students in oral history techniques and military history. Under their supervision, students J. Chris Reidy, Steven Brown, and Rachel (Fulton) Coleman conducted interviews with forty First Division veterans residing in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The Ball State University Teleplex videotaped the interviews and they were transcribed by Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
Libraries staff.
High-definition video
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
and transcripts of the interviews are available online via the Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository
Digital Media Repository
Established in 2004, the Digital Media Repository is an innovation of Ball State University Libraries. The DMR is a publicly-accessible collection of more than 130,000 digital artifacts in sixty-four browsable and searchable collections...
(DMR). The online video, Conversations across Generations: The Cantigny First Division Oral History Project Summer 2008, summarizes the project.
The Cantigny First Division Oral Histories project was funded by a grant from the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation with administrative support from the staff of the First Division Museum at Cantigny
Cantigny
Cantigny is a park in Wheaton, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago. It is the former estate of Joseph Medill, and his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publishers of the Chicago Tribune, and is open to the public...
. Copies of the interviews and transcripts are also available at the Robert R. McCormick Research Center at the First Division Museum in Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
. and Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections in Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
.
See also
- Digital Media RepositoryDigital Media RepositoryEstablished in 2004, the Digital Media Repository is an innovation of Ball State University Libraries. The DMR is a publicly-accessible collection of more than 130,000 digital artifacts in sixty-four browsable and searchable collections...
- 1st Infantry Division (United States)
- CantignyCantignyCantigny is a park in Wheaton, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago. It is the former estate of Joseph Medill, and his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publishers of the Chicago Tribune, and is open to the public...
- Ball State UniversityBall State UniversityBall State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
- Alexander M. Bracken LibraryBracken LibraryThis article is about the library in Muncie, Indiana. For the library in Kingston, Ontario see Bracken Health Sciences Library.The Alexander M. Bracken Library is the main library on the campus of Ball State University...
External links
- Ball State University http://www.bsu.edu/
- Ball State University Libraries http://www.bsu.edu/library/
- Ball State University Libraries' Digital Media Repository http://libx.bsu.edu
- Ball State University Libraries' Archives and Special Collections http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/archives/
- Ball State University Department of History http://www.bsu.edu/history/
- Cantigny First Division Oral Histories http://libx.bsu.edu/collection.php?CISOROOT=/CtgnyOrHis
- First Division Museum at Cantigny http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org
- McCormick Foundation http://www.rrmtf.org