By bill and we are just thrilled that we were able to host you here at the decatur house. Thank you so much for choosing us to host your event. [applause] you are watching American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan three. To join the conversation, like us on facebook. This weekend, the cspan city store has partnered with Time Warner Cable to learn about the history and literary life of lincoln, nebraska. She was given almost every literary award possible, except for the nobel prize. She was known for some of her masterpieces like the professors house, a lost lady, and many others. In 1943, she made a will, which had some restrictions. She left behind at least 3000 letters that we know about. In her will, she says she left it to the discussion of her trustees to decide whether or not the enforcer preference. They believe that as educational institutions, they would share her heritage. An important figure in the history of nebraska was solomon butcher. Solomon butcher was a photographer in western nebraska. He took photos from about 1887 until the early 1890s of homesteaders. He was able to tell the story. I will show you one of my favorite images of the collection. It is actually a photograph of sisters. It was for sisters who each took a homesteader claim. This shows women homesteaders. It was the first time that women could own land on their own. It did not want to their husbands or to their fathers. Single women could own their own land. That was a big deal with the homesteader asked. Each of the sisters took a homestead, near their fathers ranch. The each built a small house on the homestead, which was part of the homestead act. They would take turns staying in each others house and working in each others farm. The sisters really pull together pulled together and made an nebraska. Watch all of our events from lincoln today. Each week, American History tvs real america brings you archival films that tell the story of the 20th century. This is england before june 6, 1944. From these shores the United Nations were soon to launch the greatest military expedition of its kind in history, the cross channel investigation of europe indonesianvasion of europe against the not the power. Fast preparations were being made. Guns, half tracks, ambulances. Yes, ambulances. In the midst of all this preparation and training for this structure, there went on an opposite kind of preparation preparation for the business of saving a life, of easing pain. Through the endless english months, Ground Forces work with europe. They endure the battle conditions and learn the prime importance of speed. As the grand strategy was mapped, they drafted their plans to fit. This position of hospital facilities in england would be as follows. In the north scattered over a wide area, General Hospitals. Large institutions completely equipped. Then, there would be a series of transit hospitals. It would pass all the casualties of arriving in england. It would be classified and routed to the chair and dashed to the various hospitals in the north. Close to the beaches and ports they would be holding hospitals, fully equipped for emergency surgeries. Here, serious cases could receive attention immediately upon arrival in england. These were the plans. This was the reality. The General Hospital, the transit hospital, the holding hospital. Better equipped than many a Permanent Institution back home. The tent stood empty. Ready, waiting for the day. June 6, dday. A great plan is put to the test. The enemy lies in wait as they are determined to stop us. First american soldiers hit the beach. The medics have moved in with them and their work begins. Aid stations are established on the spot. An astounding record starts piling up. 80 to 90 of the wounded received medical care within 10 minutes of being hit. Immediately the business of evacuation begins. Worst wounds get first priority. Right back they go to the boats that landed them. This is part of the plan, where the lsgs are unable to come in close enough and the smaller craft are used for the wounded. The ships receive human cargo. All along the beaches they wait, as the fighting develops every means is used to hasten the removal of wounded from the battle. The jeep of all trades is pressed into service and proves itself again. Through it all the slogan of speed remains the keynote. The lsts used in the normandy invasion were designed to become a hospital ships as soon as their fighting cargoes have been deposited to shore. In the home brackets were , installed for the litters. Each lst could accommodate 200 or more patients. In the first days of the invasion, 90 of the wounded were evacuated on these ships. The dead rest of exhaustion. Elsewhere, a life is being saved. Some wounds cant wait. An experienced army surgeon for our regular medical staff. Soon it will be england again. And rest, care, and safety. The routing of the ships have carefully been planned to avoid congestion as each ship disembarked its wounded those cases needing immediate surgery were moved to the nearest holding hospital. As soon as they were transportable again they were moved inland to the transit serving the area. All these were moved from the landing point of the transit hospital. From there they were routed special train to the north. Every preparation for these moves have been made. Ambulance companys strong out strung out along the coast were under the control of evacuation officers at each preceding area. 5000 of these vehicles stood by ready for immediate service. Others pull up directly onto the beaches. No time is lost in moving out the wounded to specially trained cemetery companys take on the litter jobs. This position has been decided. Man helps man and american teamwork proves itself once more. And the job is shortly done. The emergency cases move out first. It is only a matter of minutes before a dangerous wound has been xrayed. A decision made. As it is safe for him to travel, he moves out, setting on from the transit hospital. In normandy the fighting has moved inland. Now the order has reversed. The eighth man does the watching and waiting. In addition the american corpsman is qualified to administer morphine and plasma and render other services to the wounded. All this is creating a mass difference in the saving of life. Evacuation by walking soon gives way to the fast evacuation by jeep. The trained corpsman demonstrates his value. This frees the doctors time to pay more attention to the serious cases. The wounded are brought to a collecting station. There are facilities for further emergency treatment if needed. The primary job is the transporting of the wounded to the clearing stations. This is located far enough to the rear. Medical officers expert in judging the conditions of casualties determined their disposition. Urgent cases needing specialized types of surgery are turned over to the yield hospital, which is set up close by. The great majority of operations are for perforating abdominal wounds. Whole blood flown in from england consolidates the gains made by lifesaving plasma at the front. The first Evacuation Hospital goes up in france. This is the largest most elaborate type used in the combat zone. Nevertheless, it is ready to receive patients in 30 minutes, and the operating starts in two hours. Three of them going on at once. Skilled army nurses look after the patients. There is such comforts as mattresses and hot food. Cases requiring prolonged periods of convalescence are sent back to england. Playing evacuations expected to begin has actually begun on dday plus three. We are flying more than 1000 wounded per day. Sea evacuation has been almost entirely supplanted. The air trip takes about an hour. It has become a common occurrence for a soldier wounded in france in the morning to be resting in a General Hospital in england by evening. From the Landing Field the patients are shuttled to the transit hospital. The last leg of the journey begins. 16,000 casualties handled by one group and only 15 deaths. What is making records possible is the conditions the patients are arriving due to the splendid work of units along the line. Some 76,000 wounded were handled by the medical apartment. In world war one 8 of these men have not survived. Today, less than 3 are being lost. So the careful planning of months bears fruit and men who knew the battlefield but a few short hours back, knew the pain and suffering, now know the care and comfort and hope that the best in modern medicine can bring. Each week, American History tv sits in on a lecture with one of the Nations College professors. You can watch the classes here. Next, barred college Bard College Professor sean m