Eligible population, dont even meet the basic requirements to get into todays army. 99 of todays recruits have a High School Diploma or equivalent. An era where 79 of High School Students graduate. Thats 21 times lower rate of dropouts than the national average. Overall, todays recruits are healthier, more physically fit than the vast majority of peers and must adhere to zero tolerance policy on drugs and criminal issues. It is actually statistically easy tosh gier to get into coll enlist, not become an officer, but enlist in the army. Life of a soldiers no secret to them. They join knowing they will endure hard times then will endure sacrifice. They will be charged to keep us safe. The few that make the cut to get in, are willing to make that sacrifice, they are not always easy to find. If it was easy to find, we one need an entire command to recruiting. Those that get in, those that make the cut to get in and make the next cut, to get through training and into a unit, they become par
[applause] thank you, glenn. Id also like to thank carlene and pauline, all the Hudson Library team. Its been great meeting some of you in the audience too. Ive had a really wonderful visit here. Its great to be back home in ohio, you know its good to shake off inside the beltway every now and then. You know . Washington right . As we heard George Custer was from 80 miles south of here. If you have a chance, you can go visit him. Also grant Sherman Sheridan all have ohio roots one way or another, either born or raised here. As a friend from mississippi said, you have a lot of bloody bastards from your state. [laughter] i guess it depends on what side youre on, but [laughter] anyway. One question i get about my book the real custer, is why is that the title . What makes your book the real custer . There are a lot of custer books. I think the easiest way to answer that question is to say thats what the publisher wanted. [laughter] so okay, thats the title. But i think its really better t
Accounts of the horrors within the prison. This is part of the Gettysburg Institute annual summer conference. It is about an hour. [applause] the conference last year, you know, i circumstances conspired so that i was a fleeting head on the screen and im very pleased this morning to actually be present and projecting images of prisoner of war camps and military prisons on the screen instead of me. I dont think i represent well that big. Im going to negotiate a very, very dangerous set of rapids this morning. The professor at georgia southwestern state university, who is married, in fact, to one of my employees, dr. Glen robins, he says and i agree completely, generally, you can either talk about andersonville or the other military prisons of war. It becomes emotionally difficult to try to do both. And i will explore that. And i am going to weave in between the two a little bit. A note on semantics before i start any further. I hesitate to use the acronym p. O. W. In a civil war context
Burning of washington during the war of 1812 this thursday from author and historian anthony pitch at an event hosted by the smithsonian associated. Our live coverage starts at 6 45 p. M. Eastern. And more next saturday, august 23rd as we take you live for a Panel Discussion on the events of 200 years ago. Thats live at 1 00 p. M. Eastern here on American History tv on cspan3. Next on the civil war, author cethen levin discussed the role of the u. S. Colored troops in the civil wars battle of the crater and the way their contributions were remembered in the years following the civil war. Organized by Petersburg National battlefield, this is an hour and ten minutes. Im chris bryce, chief of interpretation with Petersburg National battlefield. For those of you who have been with us for the last couple com 150th anniversary of the battle of the crater, thank you, and welcome to those who have not attended the program this evening. I want to, before we get started, thank yous, specifically
Not particularly. Of course, as meade calls the court of inquiry, hes decided whos going to be on the court, and theyre all people who dont like burnside, from the battle of fredericksburg in 1862 and the mud march in 1863, so they already have a negative opinion of burnside. Hes the civil wars worst general. And meades recorder is one of his own Inspector General from his staff. So none of them are going to say, meade, youre to blame, or grant, youre to blame. They heap the blame on burnside and rightfully with ledlie and ferrero. Yes, sir . In the film version of the battle, in the movie they made of cold mountain, its depicted of all the troops black and white kind of pouring into the crater, being trapped there. Thats been told in other stories, too. Is there any truth to that or is that really a problem that people went into the crater and couldnt get out, or is that just a legend . In case people didnt hear, question is did troops, white and black, rush through the crater into th