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Eugene Daniel [1993]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division
  • Location of Service: Camp Polk, Louisiana; Africa; Italy; Germany; European Theater
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/12668

View full service history

"The whole thing there was to try to keep these men's minds occupied lest they go berserk with the monotony of the thing." (Audio Interview, 21:49)

In two lectures, from 1980 (on audio) and 1993 (on video, with questions from his audience of students), Eugene Daniel tells the harrowing story of how he came to be captured in North Africa by German soldiers in February 1943. He spent the remainder of the war in several POW camps, one of which was the basis for Stalag 17 and another the basis for The Great Escape. In some ways, Daniel's life changed less than that of other men, as medical personnel and chaplains were the only captives allowed to exercise their duties.

Interview / Recording

More Resources

Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection
Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection

Names

  • Daniel Jr., Eugene Lewis
  • Johnson, Sallie Daniel

Home State

  • North Carolina

Headings

  • -  Daniel Jr., Eugene Lewis
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division
    • Location of Service: Camp Polk, Louisiana; Africa; Italy; Germany; European Theater
    • Highest Rank: Major
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1946
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran joined ROTC in 1925 was appointed Cadet Second Lieutenant 1929, commissioned Second Lieutenant US Army 1933 and served active duty infantry 1941. Eugene Daniel was Chaplain US Army 1941-1945, Prisoner of War 1943-1945, received a Discharge 1946 and retired from the Army Reserve in 1970.

Materials

  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Speech (collected 1980-02-03)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Self-interview (collected 1993-05-13)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1985)
  • Manuscript: Biographical information [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/12668

Cite as

  • Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection (AFC/2001/001/12668), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

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:

Daniel Jr., Eugene Lewis, and Sallie Daniel Johnson. Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.12668/.

APA citation style:

Daniel Jr, E. L. & Johnson, S. D. (1941) Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.12668/.

MLA citation style:

Daniel Jr., Eugene Lewis, and Sallie Daniel Johnson. Eugene Lewis Daniel, Jr. Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.12668/>.