GB 0099 KCLMA MFF 8 - Microform: Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA MFF 8

Title

Microform: Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories

Date(s)

  • 1971-1987, 1989 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

366 microfiche

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Senior officer oral histories were the central component of the ongoing oral history programme conducted by the US Army Military History Institute (USAMHI). Directed by the Chief, Oral History Branch, USAMHI, the objective of the programme was to interview senior US Army officers. Created in 1970 at the behest of Gen William Childs Westmoreland, then Chief of Staff, US Army, the programme was initiated to produce interviews that would serve the needs of historians as well as professional soldiers interested in leadership techniques. Interviewers were drawn from the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and were selected for their interests, education, and career patterns and the interviews were recorded on audio tape and then transcribed. Transcripts were then edited for continuity, readability, and accuracy.

Archival history

GB 0099 KCLMA MFF 8 1971-1987, 1989 Collection (fonds) 366 microfiche US Army senior officers and the US Army Military History Institute (USAMHI)

Senior officer oral histories were the central component of the ongoing oral history programme conducted by the US Army Military History Institute (USAMHI). Directed by the Chief, Oral History Branch, USAMHI, the objective of the programme was to interview senior US Army officers. Created in 1970 at the behest of Gen William Childs Westmoreland, then Chief of Staff, US Army, the programme was initiated to produce interviews that would serve the needs of historians as well as professional soldiers interested in leadership techniques. Interviewers were drawn from the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and were selected for their interests, education, and career patterns and the interviews were recorded on audio tape and then transcribed. Transcripts were then edited for continuity, readability, and accuracy.

University Publications of America, Bethesda, MD, USA

Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories is a themed microfiche collection of 96 interviews of senior US Army personnel, 1971-1986. The interviews cover the entire career of the interviewee. As biographical interviews, they emphasise the significant events in which the subject took part and the personalities with whom the subject came into contact. Many of the interviewees had long careers that spanned World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. However, many of the interviews relate to non-combat roles, including the formulation of major doctrinal and policy programmes for the US Army. Included in the collection are interviews with Gen Mark Wayne Clark, relating to his service as Commander, US 2 Corps, and liaison duties with French forces in North Africa, 1942, his position as High Commissioner of Austria, 1945-1947, and his services as Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command in Korea, 1952-1953; Gen Lucius DuBignon Clay, relating to his service as Deputy Military Governor of Germany, Commander-in-Chief, US Military Forces Europe, and Military Governor of US Zone in Germany, 1947-1949; Gen William E Dupuy, relating to the establishment of US Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) following the Vietnam War; Gen Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, relating to his staff positions with Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), his services with US Special Forces in Vietnam and Laos, and his role as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR); Gen Lewis B Hershey, relating to the US selective service system operation during World War Two and the American debate over the draft; Gen Lyman L(ouis) Lemnitzer, relating to his position on the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1945-1947, his services as Commander-in-Chief, Far East, 1955-1957, and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1960-1962; Gen Matthew Bunker Ridgway, relating to his command of US 82 Airborne Div in Sicily, Italy, and Normandy, France, 1942-1944, his position as US Commander, Mediterranean Theater and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean, 1945-1946, Commanding General US 8 Army, Korea, 1950-1951, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), 1952-1953; Gen Maxwell Davenport Taylor, relating to his service as US Military Representative to the President, 1961-1962, his views on counterinsurgency activities during the Vietnam War, US bombing tactics in North Vietnam, his role as US Ambassador to South Vietnam, and his views on Gen William Childs Westmoreland, Commander, US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 1964-1965.

The collection is arranged alphabetically according to interview subject

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form

Copies may be printed off the microfilm for research purposes and are charged at the cost to the Centre. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
English

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and published detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Margaret A Lynch (ed.), Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories (University Publications of America, Bethesda, MD, 1989)

  Date of compilation: Aug 1999 Alliances Armed forces China Clark , Mark Wayne , 1896-1984 , US General Clay , Lucius DuBignon , 1897-1978 , US General East Asia Eastern Europe Europe Field work Foreign relations Germany Goodpaster , Andrew Jackson , b 1915 , US General Higher science education Historical methods History International conflicts International relations Interviews Italy Korea Korean War (1950-1953) Lao PDR Laos Lemnitzer , Lyman Louis , 1899-1988 , US General Military doctrine Military education Military engineering Military history Military operations Military organizations NATO , North Atlantic Treaty Organization x North Atlantic Treaty Organization North Africa Officers Oral history Organizations Research work Ridgway , Matthew Bunker , 1895-1993 , General South East Asia State security US Army Viet Nam Vietnam War (1945-1975) War Warfare Western Europe Westmoreland , William Childs , b 1914 , US General World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Wars (events)

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

University Publications of America, Bethesda, MD, USA

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories is a themed microfiche collection of 96 interviews of senior US Army personnel, 1971-1986. The interviews cover the entire career of the interviewee. As biographical interviews, they emphasise the significant events in which the subject took part and the personalities with whom the subject came into contact. Many of the interviewees had long careers that spanned World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. However, many of the interviews relate to non-combat roles, including the formulation of major doctrinal and policy programmes for the US Army. Included in the collection are interviews with Gen Mark Wayne Clark, relating to his service as Commander, US 2 Corps, and liaison duties with French forces in North Africa, 1942, his position as High Commissioner of Austria, 1945-1947, and his services as Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command in Korea, 1952-1953; Gen Lucius DuBignon Clay, relating to his service as Deputy Military Governor of Germany, Commander-in-Chief, US Military Forces Europe, and Military Governor of US Zone in Germany, 1947-1949; Gen William E Dupuy, relating to the establishment of US Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) following the Vietnam War; Gen Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, relating to his staff positions with Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), his services with US Special Forces in Vietnam and Laos, and his role as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR); Gen Lewis B Hershey, relating to the US selective service system operation during World War Two and the American debate over the draft; Gen Lyman L(ouis) Lemnitzer, relating to his position on the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1945-1947, his services as Commander-in-Chief, Far East, 1955-1957, and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1960-1962; Gen Matthew Bunker Ridgway, relating to his command of US 82 Airborne Div in Sicily, Italy, and Normandy, France, 1942-1944, his position as US Commander, Mediterranean Theater and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean, 1945-1946, Commanding General US 8 Army, Korea, 1950-1951, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), 1952-1953; Gen Maxwell Davenport Taylor, relating to his service as US Military Representative to the President, 1961-1962, his views on counterinsurgency activities during the Vietnam War, US bombing tactics in North Vietnam, his role as US Ambassador to South Vietnam, and his views on Gen William Childs Westmoreland, Commander, US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 1964-1965.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically according to interview subject

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be printed off the microfilm for research purposes and are charged at the cost to the Centre. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and published detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Margaret A Lynch (ed.), Armed Forces Oral Histories: US Army Senior Officer Oral Histories (University Publications of America, Bethesda, MD, 1989)

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area