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Robert Sidney [right] and Irving Berlin [October 1945]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/30174

View full service history

During World War II, "This Is the Army" was the Army's light-hearted all-soldiers revue-style entertainment, written by Irving Berlin and put on by GIs and for GIs around the globe, from 1942 through 1945. Robert (Bob) Sidney's collection takes us behind the scenes of that unlikely yet memorable show, and reveal another side of wartime. Sidney, a dancer/choreographer, was transferred to the This Is the Army Detachment in the Army's Special Services Division, to become the principal choreographer for the show. The racially-integrated company of 150 men formed a special bond, sometimes performing under terrible conditions. The members of the road company remained on detachment under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who felt the show reminded American soldiers of home.

Interview / Recording

More Resources

[ With Malice Towards Some [introduction and chapter one] ]
[ Letter from Irving Berlin [July 10, 1945] ]
[ Handwritten schedule for "This is the Army." ]
[ "This is the Army" detachment mailing list ]
[ "This is the Army" itinerary [July 1942 to September 1945] ]

Show more resources (1)

[ "This is the Army" detachment statistics, up to August 28, 1945 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Robert Sidney Collection

Names

  • Denk, Clare
  • Sidney, Robert

Home State

  • California

Headings

  • -  Sidney, Robert
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-05-18)
  • Manuscript: Biographical information [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2008-04-02)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2008-03-10)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2006-03-07)
  • Manuscript: Biography [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Correspondence [6 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1944-1945)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2003)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [5 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 1943-1945)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1944-09-28)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [126 items] -- Photograph (collected 1943-1945)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2007-07-25)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/30174

Cite as

  • Robert Sidney Collection (AFC/2001/001/30174), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Wars & Conflicts

Service Branch

Highest Rank

Service Entrance

Discharge Status

Gender

Home State

Interviewee

Interviewer

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Denk, Clare, and Robert Sidney. Robert Sidney Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.30174/.

APA citation style:

Denk, C. & Sidney, R. (1942) Robert Sidney Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.30174/.

MLA citation style:

Denk, Clare, and Robert Sidney. Robert Sidney Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.30174/>.