Media Resources & Press Coverage
Journalists, bloggers, and academics can find materials here as well as on our other About pages for use in press coverage of The American Soldier in World War II project.
Contact
We’re always happy to grant interviews. Contact project director Dr. Ed Gitre for comment.
Quick Facts
- Project Title: The American Soldier in World War II
- Project Director: Dr. Edward J.K. Gitre, Assistant Professor of History, Virginia Tech
- Funding, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, Virginia Tech, $25,000, 7/1/2021 – 6/31/2022
- Funding, Data & Decisions Destination Area, Virginia Tech, $15,000, 7/1/2020 – 6/31/2021
- Funding, National Endowment for the Humanities, $349,864, 5/1/2019 – 7/31/2021
- Funding, National Endowment for the Humanities, $49,846, 7/1/2016 – 5/31/2019
- Number of surveys conducted by the US War Department Army Research Branch (ARB) on the site: 86
- Number of soldiers surveyed by the ARB between 1941 and 1945: Approximately half a million
- Approximate number of microfilm images of surveys digitized by the US National Archives: 65,600
Images
Download high- and low-resolution images to use in online and print stories about The American Soldier in World War II project. Images include sample handwritten responses by WWII soldiers, logos of contributing organizations, and other related illustrative material.
Press Coverage
Gitre, Edward J.K., Brandon Kramer, Chase Dawson, and Gizem Korkmaz. "Across the Color Line: Using Text Networks to Examine Black and White US Soldiers’ Views on Race and Segregation during World War II." Current Research in Digital History 6 (May 2023).
Delmont, Matthew F. "Review: The American Soldier in World War II." Reviews in Digital Humanities 3, no. 12 (December 2022).
Mittelstadt, Jennifer. "The American Soldier in World War II." Journal of American History 109, no. 3 (December 2022), 738–40.
Duncan-Smith, Nicole. “‘Aren’t You Overstating?’: Chris Wallace and ‘1619 Project’ Creator Nikole Hannah-Jones Debate if ‘The Great Generation’ Was Racist” Atlanta Black Star, April 10, 2022.
Badia, Fèlix. “Supremacistas contra Hitler.” La Vanguardia, January 21, 2022.
Goldman, Samuel. "The Myth of the Greatest Generation." The Week, December 23, 2021.
LaMar, Scott. “Thousands of WWII Soldiers’ Opinions Released to the Public.” Smart Talk, WITF (interview with Advisory Board Member Jefferson Pooley), December 22, 2021.
Ruane, Michael E. "‘Greatest Generation’ Survey on Race, Sex and Combat during World War II Runs Counter to Its Wholesome Image." Washington Post, December 20, 2021.
Gitre, Edward J.K. "Uncensored WWII-era Surveys Show US Troops' Surprising Thoughts about Japan after the Attack on Pearl Harbor." Business Insider, December 7, 2021.
Wellock, Bill. "World War II Institute Partners with Florida Historic Capitol Museum for Exhibit on Florida’s Role in War." Florida State University News, December 7, 2021.
Adkins, Andrew G. “Historians Launch Website Offering Uncensored Views from American Soldiers in World War II,” VTx: News & Stories from Virginia Tech, December 6, 2021.
Gitre, Edward J.K. "The US Military Is Under Fire over How It Handles Race. Uncensored WWII-era Surveys Show US Troops Struggling with the Same Issue 80 Years Ago." Business Insider, November 11, 2021.
Mach, Jimmy. “Cool Tech,” radio interview with Ed Gitre and Joe Forte, Dave Nemo Weekends, July 25, 2021.
Irby, Suzanne. “Researchers Are Pulling Movements out of Microfilm with Digital History.” VTx: News & Stories from Virginia Tech, July 19, 2021.
Bland, Susan. “Bringing History to Life.” VTx: News & Stories from Virginia Tech, February 5, 2021.
Book, Audra. “Student Digs Into WWII Archives to Learn About Soldiers’ Social Attitudes.” UVA Today, October 16, 2020.
King, Leslie. "Band of Brothers." illumiNation, March 2, 2020.
Woody, Christopher. “Results of WWII Survey of US Army Soldiers' Opinions.” Business Insider, October 11, 2019.
Gitre, Edward. “The American GI in WWII, Uncensored.” The Conversation, May 22, 2019.
Gitre, Edward J.K., "An Uncensored Digital History of the Black GI in World War II." Recovering Black History (blog), February 26, 2019.
“Become a Part of History with Crowdsourced Project, ‘The American Soldier in WWII.’” Military News, May 8, 2018.
Ugarte, Rodrigo. “Understanding the American Soldier: The SSRC and Social Science in World War II.” Items, May 8, 2018.
Harris, Robbie. “What They Were Thinking: WWII Soldiers’ Insights to Become Public Data Base.” Radio IQ WVTF, May 8, 2018.
Morris, Will. “WWII in a New Light: Anonymous Soldier Surveys Tell Stories of Morale, Race Relations.” Stars and Stripes, May 7, 2018.
“Victory in Europe Day to Be Commemorated with National Effort to Make Available Insights of American Soldiers during World War II.” VTx: News & Stories from Virginia Tech, May 1, 2018.
“Edward Gitre Receives XCaliber Award.” VTx: News & Stories from Virginia Tech, April 23, 2017.