Camp Alfred Vail, New Jersey, U.S. Army Signal Corps Radio Laboratories, Dec. 31, 1918

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. –October is celebrated as American Archives Month, with the intent of making history accessible to everyone. Did you know that the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command has an historical archive that reflects over 100 years of the history of the Signal Corps, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and CECOM?

Just a few of the highlights include a book that traveled to the Arctic with Lt. Adolphus Greely, and a journal recording observations from that 1881 trip from a Soldier who did not make it back from that ill-fated mission.

The archive is home to one of the largest collections of World War I-era photographic negatives, recording training camp life from around the country. A searchable collection of newspapers from 1917 until 2011 highlights life at Fort Monmouth. A souvenir publication given as a Christmas gift to one of the Hello Girls, who were female telephone operators sent to France in World War I, documents the contributions of women to the Army’s history.

A collection documenting the first space communication under Project Diana, and the pioneering African-American scientist, Dr. Walter McAfee, whose theoretical work made it possible, reflects the ground-breaking scientists and engineers who broke new ground every day. Records from the Army’s pigeon training and breeding program remains one of the most popular topics requested by researchers. The collection is not just a snapshot in time, though; new materials are added to the collection every day, to document the ongoing work of CECOM.

H.S. Gardiner Journal entry from Greely Polar Expedition of 1881, July 7, 1881

The CECOM History Office oversees and manages the archive, serving as institutional memory for CECOM and its predecessor organizations, providing public access to the history of the Command and developing and maintaining a physical and digital archive of material related to Command.

CECOM can trace its roots to the establishment of a Signal Corps training facility and radio research and development laboratory at Camp Little Silver/Camp Alfred Vail, New Jersey in 1917, which gained permanent status as Fort Monmouth in 1925. The archival collection reflects the broad history of technical and scientific advancements that were developed to meet the communications needs of Soldiers dating back to the founding of the Signal Corps in 1860, through the life of Fort Monmouth as “The Home of the Signal Corps” until the 1970s, and modern advancements and changes in communications and electronics technology.

Panoramic view of Col. William A. Phillips and troops at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, January 1919. Phillips was the second APG commander, following Col. G.L.H. Ruggles.

Much of the archive is accessible on the CECOM Historian website. Available at https://cecom.army.mil/Historian, the website features some of the most popular aspects of CECOM, Signal Corps, Fort Monmouth and Aberdeen Proving Ground history. A highlight of the site is a search feature that allows the user to explore and request tens of thousands of documents and photographs from the CECOM History Archive, including the collection of over 10,000 technical manuals, a popular resource for amateur radio “hams.” Along with an “Ask the Historian” link, the website allows the public the opportunity to access the resources associated with over 100 years of communications and electronics history. Individuals can search for keywords or within specific collections. Features on the website currently include the Army pigeon service and the development of communications and electronics equipment, including radar and night vision. Information is also available on how people can donate documents to the archive. Highlights include photographs from the earliest days of the Signal Corps laboratories, along with photographs of pigeons and equipment.