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David Ellis [2006]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: 744th Military Police Battalion; Army Reserve
  • Location of Service: Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Iraq
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/43057

View full service history

"Jesus was very clear. He didn't care if you were a Samaritan, a Roman, or a Jew… He ministered where there was a need. And I felt that that's the attitude I had to take with me." (Video Interview, 37:58)

In 1982, David Ellis was living in Massachusetts, a married minister with the United Church of Christ, when he decided to join the Army Reserves. Just over 21 years later, that decision would take him to Iraq, when his unit was activated for duty in the invasion. Attached to a military police battalion, Ellis encountered mostly positive reactions to America's presence in the early days of that war--though he does not minimize the danger his men were in on a daily basis. He practiced what he called a "ministry of presence," as he "loitered with intent" around the men to let them know he was available to talk about their concerns. His unit was responsible for sorting out captured Iraqis, both innocent and guilty; he had several encounters with one very high-value prisoner: Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • David Roy Ellis Collection

Names

  • Ellis, David Roy
  • Dalton Council on Aging
  • Jacobs, Sue
  • Cooney, John P.
  • Thomas D. Fenn
  • John W. Ostresh

Home State

  • Pennsylvania

Headings

  • -  Ellis, David Roy
  • -  Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Iraq War, 2003-2011

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: 744th Military Police Battalion; Army Reserve
    • Location of Service: Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Iraq
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
    • Dates of Service: 1982-2005
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a chaplain.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2006-08-23)
  • Photograph: Digital print [1 item] -- Photograph (collected 2003)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-08-23)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/43057

Cite as

  • David Roy Ellis Collection (AFC/2001/001/43057), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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:

Ellis, David Roy, Dalton Council On Aging, Sue Jacobs, John P Cooney, Thomas D. Fenn, and John W. Ostresh. David Roy Ellis Collection. 1982. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.43057/.

APA citation style:

Ellis, D. R., Dalton Council On Aging, Jacobs, S., Cooney, J. P., Thomas D. Fenn & John W. Ostresh. (1982) David Roy Ellis Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.43057/.

MLA citation style:

Ellis, David Roy, et al. David Roy Ellis Collection. 1982. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.43057/>.