Oral History in the Army

Oral history is one of the most important tools used by U.S. Army historians. Oral history has been used by the army as a means of recording information since before the army even existed as the organized institution that we know today. Soldiers involved in the battle of Lexington were called before the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1775 to offer their accounts of that day. Oral histories also provide first-hand experiences that provide soldiers and strategists the means to learn about the failures and triumphs of their predecessors. Because of these benefits, in the mid-1980's the U.S. Army Center of Military History began working towards the creation of a handbook outlining the principals of conducting oral history interviews. In 1992, the first edition of the U.S. Army's handbook, Oral History: Techniques and Procedures, was published, and in 2006 a revised edition was released which incorporated new techniques and updated information. (Lofgren, Stephen J. , U.S. Army Guide to Oral History)