January Lecture Series at the National Archives
Press Release · Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Washington, DC

In January, the National Archives and Records Administration presents a special U.S. Military Lecture series with topics relating to military history, the Pacific Theater of World War II, a new design for military landpower, and the impact of militarization on American society.

The programs are free and open to the public and will take place in Room 105 at the National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, unless otherwise noted. The public may verify times and dates by calling the National Archives public events line at (202) 501-5000. TDD users may call (202) 501-5404.

Tuesday, January 8 - U.S. Military Lecture Series
Major Donald Vandergriff (USA) will discuss his book, Spirit, Blood, and Treasure: The American Cost of Battle in the 21st Century. The military history of the United States is marked by a national defense that tends to look toward and prepare for the war that was just fought. This anthology, edited by Major Vandergriff, is organized along the lines of what the influential military theorist John Boyd called "People, Ideas, Hardware," with each chapter relating to one of those themes. Contributors to this book include active and retired military officers, noncommissioned officers, and defense specialists, some of whom will join Major Vandergriff for the question and answer session. Major Vandergriff is an active-duty army officer currently serving as deputy director of the Army ROTC at Georgetown University. Noon. Reservations are recommended; call (202) 208-7345. And at the National Archives at College Park, located at 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, on Tuesday, January 22 at noon.

Wednesday, January 9 - U.S. Military Lecture Series
Professor Robert Smith Thompson will discuss his book, Empires on the Pacific: World War II and the Struggle for the Mastery of Asia. By moving China to center stage, Thompson expands the traditional boundaries of the Pacific Theater of World War II. He reasons that the United States meant to replace Britain as the dominant power in Asia and saw Japan as a direct threat to that dominance. Thompson's analysis alters the standard narrative of the war in the Pacific, and what followed in the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. Dr. Thompson serves on the faculty of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina. Noon. Reservations are recommended; call (202) 208-7345.

Thursday, January 17 - U.S. Military Lecture Series
Colonel Douglas MacGregor (USA) will discuss his book, Breaking the Phalanx: A New Design for Landpower in the 21st Century. Strategic responsiveness in the 21st Century means organizing ground forces with air and naval forces that can come into action before the peace is lost. This work proposes the reorganization of America's ground forces on the strategic, operational and tactical levels. Colonel MacGregor's central proposal is the simple thesis that the U.S. Army must take control of its future by exploiting the emerging revolution in military affairs. And while ground forces must be equipped with the newest weapons, new technology will not fulfill its promise of shaping the battlefield to American advantage if new devices are merely grafted on to old organizations that are not specifically designed to exploit them. Colonel MacGregor currently serves at the National Defense University. 7 p.m. Reservations are recommended; call (202) 208-7345.

Tuesday, January 29 - U.S. Military Lecture Series
Professor Catherine A. Lutz will discuss her book, Homefront : A Military City and the American Twentieth Century. Dr. Lutz profiles Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of the army post Fort Bragg, to gain insights into the impact of militarization on American society. Dr. Lutz's history of Fayetteville reveals the burdens that military preparedness creates for all of us, and identifies military preparedness as an invisible yet profound shaper of American life in the twentieth century. Dr. Lutz is professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Noon. Reservations are recommended; call (202) 208-7345.

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.

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