The Veterans Heritage Site Foundation held a ceremony to honor WWII veterans who lived in the Smoky Mountains on Saturday, June 15 in Townsend, TN. Veterans invited our Director, Dr. Chris Magra, to speak about the history of the war and the ways in which the conflict changed the Smokies.
Center Director Dr. Chris Magra gave an invited lecture at the Blount Mansion in Knoxville, TN on September 28. He talked about his own research on one of the founders of the state of Tennessee. William Blount was an ardent Federalist, and he was one of a few dozen men to sign the United States […]
The Center was honored to interview Captain William Robinson on Friday, August 8, 2023. He is the longest held enlisted P.O.W. in American history. He was held prisoner in Vietnam for over seven years. You can listen to this Tennessean’s story on our YouTube Channel. Just click here.
The Center was honored to be invited to participate in the War Dog Ceremony at the UTK Veterinary College of Medicine on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Center Director Dr. Chris Magra talked about World War II and the history of war dogs. The U.S. Army officially started its K-9 Corps on March 13, 1942, in […]
The Center was honored to interview William Phelps this week. He was born and raised in Tennessee, and he was drafted into the U.S. army during World War II. Phelps served with the 101st Airborne Division at some of the most momentous moments of the war. He was there for D-Day. He helped liberate the […]
Major Kevin Mason (ret.) joined the Center for an interview on June 20, 2023. He attended Greeneville Middle School in Greeneville, TN from 1967 to 1968. He earned his M.A. in U.S. history in the UTK history department between 1995 and 1998. He and his wife plan to retire to Loudon, TN. Mason had a […]
There are people in this world who love adventure. They travel to distant lands. Sometimes they hang out of various aircraft with a camera. And they have a load of stories to share. Meet USAF Master Sergeant (Ret.) Bill Conner. He currently works at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base. Before joining the Air National […]
It’s always a great day when a veteran comes to the Center for an interview. There are lessons to be learned from these stories if we but listen. Nick McCall was born and raised in Franklin, Tennessee. He entered the ROTC program at Vanderbilt University near his hometown. Although his father wanted him to become […]
The Center received a generous donation this week from George Zepp and the Keen Family. They provided us with three boxes full of World War II materials owned by William George Keen, an Army Air Force lieutenant. Donations such this have enabled Center researchers to piece together the stories of people from Tennessee who have […]