Honoring our Veterans

November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the courageous women and men who have served in the United States military. Marines come ashore near Da Nang Air Base on March 8, 1965. (National Archives, RG 127; National Archives Identifier 26382181) The National Archives is proud to have … Continue reading Honoring our Veterans

Heroes Work Here

The National Archives is home to an abundance of remarkable records that chronicle and celebrate the rich history of our nation. It is a privilege to be Archivist of the United States—to be the custodian of our most treasured documents and the head of an agency with such a unique and rewarding mission. But it … Continue reading Heroes Work Here

National Archives Operations during COVID-19: Mission Critical Functions Continue

The National Archives is committed to the health and safety of our visitors and staff, and we continue to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While our museums and facilities are closed to the public, we are continuing to perform mission essential emergency services to support our nation and citizens. These mission … Continue reading National Archives Operations during COVID-19: Mission Critical Functions Continue

Remembering “Remembering Vietnam”

Our exhibit commemorating the Vietnam War closed last week after a 15-month run in our Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery. We used the records in our holdings as well as interviews with historians, American and Vietnamese military and civilians to describe twelve critical episodes in the Vietnam War from Truman Sides with France (1946-53) to the … Continue reading Remembering “Remembering Vietnam”

“Remembering Vietnam” this Veterans Day

November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the courageous men and women who have served in the United States military. This year, the National Archives will host a week-long commemoration to honor and pay tribute to Vietnam War veterans. Vietnam-era helicopters will once again be on display … Continue reading “Remembering Vietnam” this Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Every day at the National Archives, we hear extraordinary stories from veterans and their families. Veterans Day presents us with a great opportunity to highlight an important collection within the National Archives: Official Military Personnel Folders, which document the actions of our nation’s military veterans. It fills us with great pride to be able to … Continue reading Veterans Day

The Family Bible

The National Archives has many fascinating records documenting our history. Some of the most fascinating are contained in our Pension Files documenting veterans’ claims, or claims from their families, for benefits starting with the Revolutionary War. For a wife or parent to qualify for benefits on behalf of the deceased soldier they needed to supply … Continue reading The Family Bible

We Salute You

Veterans Day has special meaning for us at the National Archives where we hold the almost 112 million individual personnel files and medical records of the men and women who have served in the military. Housed in St. Louis, Missouri and Valmeyer, Illinois, more than 800 staff process, protect, and service those records to ensure … Continue reading We Salute You

American Archives Month

October is American Archives Month, a time when we celebrate the work that archivists all over the country do to ensure that the records of their institutions are created, collected, and protected in a manner that allows their clientele to find what they need.  Here at the National Archives that means ensuring that citizens can … Continue reading American Archives Month