Military

Images of America: Garrard County in World War II depicts the citizens of a small, rural central Kentucky county who served their nation in war-torn areas worldwide and on the home front. Images courtesy of veterans and their families show the sacrifices made and honor those who served. With photographs of all branches of the armed services, the county's war story is told in representative vignettes at numerous fronts. Through interviews, news accounts, and letters, many veterans' stories of courage, humor, and despair come to life. Here at home, patriotic efforts began in 1940 when school children made "bundles for Britain" and continued throughout the war years with residents sacrificing at home to spend every available dime on war bonds. In fact, in 1943, Garrard Countians bought more bonds per capita than citizens in any other Kentucky county. To reward their patriotism and sacrifice, in March 1945, the government commissioned the USS Garrard, an attack transport ship. A member of the crew donated to the county's historical society photos of the ship and his diary. Survivors of the USS Garrard held a reunion here in 2002.

Once a place of war, then a place of health, and finally, preservation, Fort DuPont has had a long and interesting history.

Fort DuPont is named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont and located on the Reeden Point tract, land initially granted to Henry Ward in 1675. The first fortification built was the Ten Gun Battery during the Civil War, a heavily armed earthwork fortification dedicated to protecting the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal--as Sgt. Bishop Crumrine wrote in 1864, "These guns command the channel and could blow to atoms any vessel rash enough to attempt to pass.'? In the decades to follow, the battery at Delaware City was gradually modernized into a formidable military post that remained active through World War II. Declared surplus in post-war peacetime, the site reopened in 1948 as the Governor Bacon Health Center, and by 1996, over 300 acres were reestablished as Fort DuPont State Park.

After four bloody years of Civil War battles in the Shenandoah Valley, the region's inhabitants needed to muster the strength to recover, rebuild and reconcile. Most residents had supported the Confederate cause, and in order to heal the deep wounds of war, they would need to resolve differences with Union veterans. Union veterans memorialized their service. Confederate veterans agreed to forgive but not forget. And each side was key to the rebuilding effort. The battlefields of the Shenandoah, where men sacrificed their lives, became places for veterans to find common ground and healing through remembrance. Civil War historian and professor Jonathan A. Noyalas examines the evolution of attitudes among former soldiers as the Shenandoah Valley sought to find its place in the aftermath of national tragedy.

The Washington National Guard boasts a rich and illustrious history. From Neah Bay to Asotin and from Spokane to Grays Harbor, citizen soldiers and airmen have served and sacrificed in both local communities and exotic places: Spokane and Luzon, Whidbey Island and Calexico, American Lake and Bordeaux, Mount St. Helens and Afghanistan. Their story is now brought vividly to life in these photographs and stories. It is offered not only for history buffs but also for the thousands of current and past National Guard members, families, friends, and neighbors touched by their service to state and nation.

Marvel at the mettle of Montanans in World War I.

World War I continued with fury in the spring of 1918 as American Yanks endeavored to play the key role in stemming the German tide. Montana’s Marines suffered the bloodiest day in their history as they became “Devil Dogs,” charging through hell on earth at Belleau Wood. Locals in the Wild West Division stormed “over the top” into the Argonne Forest, while nurses, “hello girls,” Navy Yeomanettes and YMCA workers blazed new gender roles. And young Seaman Mike Mansfield, future legendary senator, served on convoy duty against lurking German U-boats.

Award-winning historian Ken Robison illuminates the story of young and vibrant Montanans of all ethnicities as they fought for elusive democracy, at home and abroad, in this world war to end all wars.