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Historical Content

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Featured Publication

Hurricane Maria Response

Cover of a history of Hurricane Maria response

Click book cover for digital versions.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, USACE responded. And although the Corps assisted with recovery efforts in several ways, this new book focuses on the story of the historic response to the electrical problems caused by the storm in Puerto Rico. It describes the enormous challenges and how the talented and passionate people of the Corps always step up to engineer solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges, especially in times of crisis. The innovation, hard work, and expertise of dedicated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel was instrumental in turning the lights back on in Puerto Rico.

Mission of the Office of History

Office of History seal
The mission of the Office of History is to collect, document, interpret, disseminate, and preserve the history and heritage of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The office accomplishes its mission through research and writing, a field history program, an oral history program, an extensive research collection, and a historic artifact collection.

Featured Articles

Fifty years ago, the Corps responded to the devastation of Hurricane Agnes, one of the costliest storms in the U.S. to that point. The Corps even established a new district to manage the herculean task - NEW

One hundred years ago, Army Engineers with the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds were instrumental in the process to design, build, and maintain the Lincoln Memorial - NEW

One hundred and fifty years ago Lt. George M. Wheeler, Corps of Engineers, began exploring and surveying vast expanses of the American West. CEHO commemorates the anniversary with a four-part series of articles looking at Wheeler, the survey he led, and the age of exploration in general.

Current Exhibit

Remembering the Great War. See the on-line version of an exhibit on the history of Army Engineer involvement
in The War to End All Wars, World War I, 1917-1918.

Collection in Focus

Serving in Iran during World War II — work, rest, and notable visitors.
Browse Persian Gulf Command Photo Albums to view scenes of Iran and elsewhere in the 1940s

Featured Photos - Far East District construction

Oral History Guides

Now available as PDFs and eReaders.
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Cover of an oral history guide
The Oral History Guide (in standard and short versions) is a guide to the theory and practice of oral history that provides USACE employees who are planning an oral history program with some historical background and practical advice. Available on-line as PDF or eBook versions. To request print copies, use the Contact Us feature at the bottom of the webpage and choose History as the recipient.

 

 

Far East District History

Now available as PDFs and eReaders.
Click image to access.
Cover of Far East District book
One of the latest field histories to be published is that of the Far East District, located in Korea. The book recounts the history of the district from 1957 to 2018 and its work in Korea, Japan, and elsewhere.

 

Lakes & Rivers History

Now available as PDFs and eReaders.
Click image to access.
History book cover
Another recently published field history is that of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division (LRD). The book focuses on the first decade of the division, roughly 1997 to 2007, and its evolution during that time frame. It also touches on the work undertaken by LRD's districts in the fields of civil works, military construction, emergency response, global deployment, and other mission areas.