Americans grow up expecting that in a time of need, their country can depend on its people for volunteer service to the military. Indeed, this has been a social and at times legal expectation for the citizenship of this country since 1776. Yet, since the end of World War II United States forces have been caught up in many long term military engagements, and the military aspect of citizenship has become an increasingly marginalized one in a world where only a minority of citizens even vote.

Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense from Colonial America to the Present provides a useful framework and supporting documentary evidence for an informed discussion of the development of the American ideal of the "Citizen Soldier." Presented with insightful introductions and useful discussion questions, this concise collection of 27 primary documents takes a close look at the United States military and shows how it became entwined with the rise of American national identity.

Americans grow up expecting that in a time of need, their country can depend on its people for volunteer service to the military. Indeed, this has been a social and at times legal expectation for the citizenship of this country since 1776. Yet, since the end of World War II United States forces have been caught up in many long term military engagements, and the military aspect of citizenship has become an increasingly marginalized one in a world where only a minority of citizens even vote. Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense from Colonial America to the Present provides a useful framework and supporting documentary evidence for an informed discussion of the development of the American ideal of the "Citizen Soldier". Presented with insightful introductions and useful discussion questions, this concise collection of 27 primary documents takes a close look at the United States military and shows how it became entwined with the rise of American national identity.

"Scientific Ballooning and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility" is the product of a NASA Historical Research Project on the History of Space and Earth Sciences with oversight of the NASA History Program Office. The work focuses on the post World War II era and the development of stratospheric ballons capable of lofting 8,000 pounds or more of scientific instruments to altitudes in excess of 120,000 feet for extended periods to enable the study of Earth's atmospheric and near space environment. It is a study of the design, engineering, the science, and the people, and of the international cooperation that has made this critical scientific investigation of Earth's near space environment possible.

Texas and wildcatters--they go together. And Pattillo Higgins was the granddaddy of them all. Without him Spindletop, Texas' first gusher, would never have been drilled, and the history of the modern oil industry might have been far different. Here for the first time is his dramatic, almost mystifying story, based on his personal papers and told by his grandnephew.
It was Pattillo Higgins who showed the more famous Captain Anthony Lucas where to drill at Spindletop. He organized the Gladys City Oil, Gas and Manufacturing Company in 1892, and he located oil fields all over Texas and Louisiana--as many as 100 independent fields, some still unexplored. Although often doubted, he has never yet been proven wrong on one. In his career he gained and lost several fortunes, opened the first brick plant in southeast Texas, and operated a logging enterprise on the Neches River. He was once acquitted in a murder trial, experienced a religious conversion, and married his adopted daughter. But throughout his life the search for oil was his chief preoccupation--one he never abandoned. This is the story of a determined, dedicated individual who took large risks in order to find black gold. It firmly gives Pattillo Higgins his rightful place as one of the three or four great names in the Texas oil industry.

Rice is a staple food for a majority of the world's people. Americans, however, traditionally have consumed corn and potatoes rather than rice. It thus may come as a surprise to some Americans that rice has been produced in America for more than three centuries and during that time has accounted for much of the world's trade. Most rice is consumed where it is produced, with little entering foreign markets. American rice has been primarily a product for the international export trade, but changing technology and political environments at home and abroad have made it a volatile commodity.
Henry C. Dethloff has researched many original manuscript documents to gather the history of this American agribusiness that got its start when a British sea captain brought seed from Madagascar to the Carolinas in 1685. Plantations developed, and planters with resources for the complicated, labor-intensive production of rice made it the number-two colonial export cash crop. Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, California, and Mississippi eventually became the primary rice-growing states, and new plant varieties, further mechanization of farming, and improved pumping and irrigation systems reinvigorated the industry at the turn of the century.
In the twentieth century, the rice industry is even more tied to the political vagaries of the world and its markets than before. Events in foreign countries, trade policies, and the federal government's foreign policy have more impact on the industry than the weather in the rice fields.

These essays, based on the 1980 Agricultural History Symposium held at Texas A&M University, spotlight the long-neglected area of agricultural development in the Southwest. Focusing on Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, the book traces the history of farming from the point of view of novelists, businessmen, archaeologists, cattlemen, scientists, and politicians. The twenty-six contributing authors lucidly discuss issues ranging from the secrets of pre-Columbian agriculture to the dilemmas of the county extension agent; from the thriving rice industry to the versatility of the chili pepper; from the struggles of farmer movements to the mushrooming of agribusiness. The symposium will appeal not only to agricultural historians and scientists but also to government agents working with farmers and to students of southwestern lore. The reader gains a fresh perspective on the crises and complexities of farming, from its earliest days to the present. These thoughtful selections promote a greater understanding of the diversity of southwestern agriculture and a heightened awareness of the rich cultural heritage of southwesterners

When their country calls, Texas Aggies go to war. From the Spanish-American War and World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aggies have been in the forefront of America's armed forces, producing more officers than any other school outside the service academies. More than 20,000 Texas Aggies served in World War II, for instance, including more than 14,000 as commissioned officers. Trained in leadership and the knowledge required for warfare, Aggies have served with distinction in all branches of the military service.
In this first-ever compilation of the impressive war record of Texas Aggies, stories of individual soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines are displayed with an abundance of statistics, maps, and tables. These narratives include
- First-person accounts of Aggie heroism in battle in all the wars in which A&M former students have fought;
- The horrific experiences of some of the eighty-seven Aggies who were stationed at Corregidor and Bataan;
- The perils of five Aggies who participated in the raid over Tokyo with Jimmie Doolittle;
- The heroics of the seven Medal of Honor recipients from Texas A&M during World War II;
- James Earl Rudder's leadership of the Ranger assault at Normandy on D-Day;
- Examples of vigorous support and devotion to duty given by Aggies in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East.
"Texas Aggies Go to War" celebrates the school's distinctive Corps of Cadets and its military contributions while honoring the individual sacrifices of its members. Those who fought and those who remember them will find here a comprehensive account of the distinguished war record of this school.
This book was initiated and sponsored by a group of former students who provided funding through the Texas A&M Foundation. All proceeds from the book will be used to benefit the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.