Oral History Project
| Lost Legacies... |
 Pennsylvania State Archives Described as a "transcendental experience," Civil War Veterans meet at Gettysburg in 1913. Tragically, few historians were present to record their personal stories. |
| About The Drop Zone Since our inception, The Drop Zone has pioneered oral history on the internet by creating a new paradigm for how oral and "e-histories" |
| A Bridge Between Generations |
| The Drop Zone Virtual Museum, the first
On-line WWII Museum, exists to preserve and share the legacies of America’s WWII
Airborne and Ranger veterans. Paratroopers, Glidermen and Rangers, Marine Raiders and the OSS were America's elite. They spearheaded World War II’s most crucial battles. They have left us a compelling legacy of honor, courage, valor, sacrifice and dedication. The Drop Zone Oral History Project does not exist to glorify war or to satisfy military romantics. It is designed to emphasize the contribution of an elite group of men from a generation that experienced the greatest challenges of the twentieth century. The objective of this website is to create a mosaic of oral histories and photos that when looked upon in totality is representative of the airborne, Ranger and Marine experience during WWII. |
| Creating a New Paradigm |
| The Drop Zone uses the power of the
Internet. Some of these stories were gathered from
veterans through e-mail. We use an email-based discussion group called The Virtual Reunion
that provides veterans with an on-line forum to share their recollections and personal
stories. These stories are archived, indexed and form an important tool for verifying
events. |
| Education |
| Today’s young people have a limited understanding of WWII history. The experiences of individuals are often lost in a curriculum that stresses the larger-than-life issues that caused the war. Now, from right within the classroom, teachers can use the Drop Zone as an interactive teaching tool. |
 Harry Akune (far right) a Japanese-American who jumped on "the Rock" as an interrogator. Akune gathered valuable intelligence that saved lives and shortened the battle. |
| Verification |
| We understand the importance of accurate information. We help veterans validate and verify all information before it is published on the Drop Zone. We make use of an assortment of unit journals, morning reports, as well as other primary and secondary source material at our disposal. |
| Future Projects |
| Over time, we intend to expand the scope of the Drop Zone to include the voices of the men who fought along side the airborne i.e. French Resistance, Filipino Scouts as well as the Axis forces that fought against them. |
 Bradley Biggs,the first commissioned African-American paratrooper officer, with his fellow Triple Nickles at Fort Bragg, 1943. (Biggs)
A WORLD WAR II VIRTUAL MONUMENT Read about our concept of a World War II Virtual Monument. In August the Drop Zone met with the American Battle Monuments Commission to discuss our idea of a World War II Virtual Monument. As an on-line "Living Monument" it will capture and preserve the testimonies, oral histories, and photos of America’s World War II veterans before they are lost to the ages.
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 Members of the 509 Parachute Infantry Battalion. |
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| Volunteers | |
| The Drop Zone Virtual Museum is run by volunteers. Patrick O'Donnell historian and founder of the Drop Zone, has interviewed over 1,400 WWII Airborne, Ranger, Marine, OSS veterans. He has written two best selling books published by Simon & Schuster/Free Press: BEYOND VALOR and INTO THE RISING SUN. BEYOND VALOR is also the winner of the Colby Award for outstanding Military History. The books are selections of the Book of the Month Club, History Club and Military History Club. Mr. O'Donnell was also a historical consultant for Dream Works with the mini-series "Band of Brothers." Several other volunteers also support the site. O'Donnell recently completed OPERATIVES, SPIES, and SABOTEURS an agent-level history of the OSS. Contact: 703-568-2511 | |
| Achievements | |
| The site and books have been in scores of national television, radio and newspaper articles. However, our greatest achievement is the respect and praise we've received from the veterans who were there. | |
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