Army History Magazine

Winter 2024 Edition

February 2024

In this Winter 2024 issue, we are pleased to offer two excellent articles, a look at two unique artifacts from the Army's collection, a visit to the newly refurbished Rock Island Arsenal Museum, and an engaging crop of book reviews.

The first article, by Christopher Kolakowski, examines the life and World War II Pacific command of Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. During his wartime service, Buckner was the senior officer in Alaska and then commanded the Tenth Army during the Battle of Okinawa. His untimely death on Okinawa made Buckner the highest-ranking officer killed by enemy fire during the war. Kolakowski, through the use of Buckner's papers and other primary and secondary sources, weaves together the story of the formidable and determined commander whose place in history and contributions to the battle have long been overlooked.

The second article, by Center of Military History cartographer Matthew Boan, tells the story of Emmor Cope, Civil War veteran and the first chief engineer and eventual superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park. Cope, a topographical engineer who served on the staff of Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, created the first maps of the Gettysburg battlefield and then dedicated more than thirty years of his life to its preservation and the memorialization of those who fought and died there.

This issue offers a glimpse at a couple of rare items from the Army's historical collection. Currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Army are two senninbari, a type of sash made for Japanese soldiers by loved ones at home. One belonged to a Nisei soldier who fought with the famed 442d Regimental Combat Team in Europe, and the other came from an unknown Imperial Japanese Army soldier in the Pacific Theater. The Museum Feature visits the recently renovated Rock Island Arsenal Museum. Originally opened in 1905, this is the Army's second oldest museum, and it just reopened after a three-year closure. Newly installed exhibits tell the story of the arsenal's contributions to victory through multiple wars and take visitors on a journey from the arsenal's founding up to its contributions to the Army's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

I'm happy to report to our readers that, with this issue, Army History is back on track in terms of publishing issues on a normal schedule. After the paper shortages and supply chain problems of the previous few years, we've worked very hard to make up time in our production processes so as to return to normal release dates. I thank everyone for their patience during this period. Special kudos go to the small staff here that strived so hard to get us back on track.

As I've done in the past, I'd like to remind potential contributors that, with the approach of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, we are especially interested in submissions concerning this conflict. Any articles covering land warfare aspects of the war will be considered. We hope to be able to publish a few stellar pieces covering this pivotal period in American history in the coming years.

Bryan J. Hockensmith
Managing Editor

Winter 2024 cover issue of Army History Magazine
Army History Magazine:
Winter 2024 Edition

[PDF, 11.1MB]

In this Issue:

"OUR FLAG WILL WAVE OVER ALL OF OKINAWA"

SIMON BOLIVAR BUCKNER'S PACIFIC WAR
By Christopher L. Kolakowski

"SUFFICIENT GLORY"

EMMOR B. COPE AND THE CREATION OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
By Matthew T. Boan

Past Issues
The complete collection of Army History Magazine.

Books Available for Review
Book reviews are part of CMH's professional quarterly bulletin, Army History. We invite you to self-nominate to submit a review of a book from among those listed here.