Archives Library Information Center (ALIC)

Military Resources: Military History



General

America's Military Women - The Journey Continues
A discussion of women's contributions to the military services.

Guides and Indexes: Military History
This Library of Virginia site offers access to digital documents on wars from the American Revolution through the Persian Gulf War.

Instances of Use of United States Forces Abroad, 1798-2013
This Congressional Research Service publication, hosted on the web by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), "lists hundreds of instances in which the United States has used its Armed Forces abroad in situations of military conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes. lists instances in which the United States has used its armed forces abroad in situation of conflict or potential conflict."

Military History Resources
Extensive collection of links to information about all aspects of military history.

"An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military Service"
This article written by Trevor Plante appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of Prologue. It describes how to find an ancestor’s military service record.

"The President as Commander-in-Chief"
The feature article from NARA’s Calendar of Events by Kahlil Chism highlights Presidents who have had to exercise their powers as Commander-in-Chief at the outbreak of war.

SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) "provides military expenditure data by country" since 1988.

 

Department of Defense

Department of Defense
Official web site of the U.S. Department of Defense. Go to About the Department of Defense for information about DOD’s mission, organization, lists of defense agencies, history, and Frequently Asked Questions.

U.S. Department of Defense: Publications
Includes Current Releases, Reports, and Publications Archive. Also provides links to other publication sources.

 

Aviation History

The Aerodrome: Aces and Aircraft of World War I
Includes biographies of the aces of the First World War, as well as information on the planes they flew and battles they fought.

Air Force
Official site of the U.S. Air Force.

Air Force Historical Research Agency
The AFHRA is the repository for Air Force historical documents. "It consists today of over 70,000,000 pages devoted to the history of the service."

Air University Library
List of bibliographies on aviation-related topics. Check the Great Warrior Leader/Thinkers webpage for biographical information about famous flyers.

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Museum is located at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.

The Tuskegee Airmen Archive
"The purpose of the Tuskegee Airmen Archive is to collect and preserve as part of a national effort the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, who broke the race barrier in military aviation for African Americans and other minorities." Housed at the University of California Riverside Libraries.

Women Pilots with the AAF, 1941-1944
Study from the Army Air Forces Historical Office of the women who flew with the Army Air Forces during World War II.

 

Army History

Army Publishing Directorate
The official site to link to army publications, including administrative departmental publications and forms, doctrinal and training publications, technical and equipment publications, engineering publications, and medical publications.

Papers of the War Department, 1784-1800
War Department files destroyed by fire in 1800 have been reconstituted from archives nationwide and are now available in a fully searchable digital database.

"Researching Service in the U.S. Army during the Philippine Insurrection"
An article in NARA’s publication, Prologue, by Trevor K. Plante, on the records in NARA of Army members who served in the war that lasted from 1899 to 1902 in the Philippines.

U.S. Army Center of Military History
An important resource for military researchers.

U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC)
USAHEC is an institute of the U.S. Army War College, dedicated to the study of the U.S. Army.

 

Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard History

African American Navy Experience
Includes photographs, biographies, and "Interesting Reads."

"Black Men in Navy Blue during the Civil War"
A history of black participants in the Navy during the Civil War. An article from the NARA publication, Prologue, by Joseph P. Reidy.

"Documenting United States Naval Activities during the Spanish-American War"
An article from the NARA publication, Prologue, by Richard W. Peuser.

DoD USS Cole Commission Report
Report on commission formed to report on improvements of U.S. policies and practices for deterring, disrupting, and mitigating terrorist attacks on U.S. forces in transit.

Fast Attacks & Boomers: Submarines in the Cold War
A site on the history of submarines by the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History

Haze Gray & Underway
A site devoted to navies and ships. Includes the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

National Archives Catalog

History Hub

Military Reference Reports  

Naval History and Heritage Command
This office is "responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. Naval history and heritage."

Naval War College Review
A periodical from the Naval War College. View current issue or browse past issues. Index available for articles from 1948 to present.

Navy
Official website of the United States Navy.

"Racial Identity and the Case of Captain Michael Healy, USRCS"
An article from the NARA publication, Prologue, by James O’Toole.

U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
Preserves the heritage of the U.S. Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies: the Revenue Cutter Service, the Life-Saving Service, the Lighthouse Service, the Bureau of Navigation and the Steamboat Inspection Service.

U.S. Marine Corps
The official website of the United States Marine Corps.

U.S. Marine Corps History Division
The History Division preserves the official history of the United States Marine Corps.

"U.S. Marines in the Boxer Rebellion"
An article from the NARA publication, Prologue, by Trevor K. Plante.

Vietnam War  

WWI Portal

WWII Casualty Lists

 

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