KSV News: Short Round 030
Preserving All Hard Copy Red Clay Magazines- The Saga Continues
In the prior Short Round newsletter, we discussed how we were able to scan and digitize our physical collection of all Red Clay magazines. In this Short Round newsletter, we will discuss the challenges of where and how to preserve our hard copy magazines, newsletters and articles.
The challenge of locating the entire Red Clay collection (Short Round 028), moving it to a single secure interim location, getting the magazines digitally scanned and re-bound (Short Round 029), then holding the collection securely in one temporary place (my basement) awaiting a new home was simply enormous!
But when you then set out to find a physical home for our paper Red Clay collection which has fire and environmental protection, public access, climate controls and these for perpetuity, the challenges become staggering. We want our physical Red Clay+ hard copies to be preserved for future generations of our families, academics and Marine Corps historians. Our first person Red Clay articles are priceless and unique in the Khe Sanh historical record because most of the authors actually lived the history. The first person author, who lived what he is writing about, is a rare attribute for historical records.
We analyzed and contacted several possibilities for preserving our Red Clay magazine paper collection, including a couple of colleges that have significant collections of Vietnam materials. I also checked in with a USMC friend at the Library of Congress to see if they would have an interest (they did not).
Fortunately, I just had recent interactions with the Chairman of the Marine Corps Association (MCA), LtGen Charles Chiarotti – absolutely good people- the finest!. I posed the question to him of how to best preserve our Red Clay paper treasure. He pointed me toward two different entities that would be perfect for housing our physical Red Clay magazines. And both were Marine Corps entities!
Who knew: The Marine Corps Association (MCA) had actually published our Red Clay magazine for a period of time. Makes sense – they also publish Leatherneck Magazine and the Marine Corps Gazette. And MCA also has a library collection that includes all of their own magazines along with many other publications All their accepted publications will be retained in secure, climate controlled vaults which will be held in perpetuity for Marine Corps historian and others. Home Run!!
BUT…. even better!!!!!!!
Literally 400 meters from LtGen Chiarotti’s MCA headquarters office in downtown Quantico, across a new traffic circle, sits the Gen Alfred Gray Marine Corps University. And, within the University is housed the Marine Corps History Division containing the BGen Edwin H. Simmons History Center. This is now THE center for all USMC history records and documents going forward.
With an introduction from LtGen Chiarotti in fist, I set forth to meet with Shawn P. Callahan, Ph.D. who is THE Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division. That to make our case to him that our physical Red Clay Magazines would be a worthy addition to The USMC Division Archives, for perpetuity! Dream come true…. maybe!
More of our Red Clay saga in upcoming Short Round #031……
SF
Bob Koury: Website & Digital Manager