Vietnam Combat Artists Program

U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Program
U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Program
	LOOKING DOWN THE TRAIL Watercolor James Pollock, CAT IV, 1967 Courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Army
Active	(June 1966–1970)
Country	United States of America
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Army

In June 1966, the Army Vietnam Combat Artists Program was established as part of the United States Army Art Program, utilizing teams of soldier-artists to make pictorial records of U.S. Army activities in the course of the Vietnam War for the annals of military history. The concept of the Vietnam Combat Art Program had its roots in World War II when the U.S. Congress authorized the Army to use soldier-artists to record military operations in 1944.^[1]

During the Vietnam Era, the U.S. Army Chief of Military History asked Marian McNaughton, then Curator for the Army Art Collection, to develop a plan for a Vietnam soldier art program. The result was the creation in 1966 of the U. S. Army Vietnam Combat Art Program under the direction of the Office of Chief of Military History and McNaughton's office. Her plan included involving the U.S. Army Arts and Crafts Program, then headed by Eugenia Nowlin. McNaughton's office relied on Nowlin and her cadre of local Army Arts and Crafts directors to solicit applications from soldiers, which were forwarded to McNaughton's office at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, where selection and team assignments were made.^[2] The U.S. Army provided logistics support as the teams of artists were sent to Vietnam and then to Hawaii.^[3]

Artists interested in joining the program were asked to submit applications through the Army Arts and Crafts Program facilities nearest their unit.^[4] Applications were to contain samples of drawings, photographs of paintings and a resume. Selections were made by a committee composed of designated representatives from the Office, Chief of Military History and the Adjutant General's Office. Supervised by Army Art Curator Marian McNaughton.^[2] The program was the joint responsibility of the Office, Chief of Military History, and the Adjutant General's Office with support from the Office, Chief of information.^[3]

^ "Portrait of an Army" General Gordon R. Sullivan, Editor; Marylou Gjernes, Art Editor. (Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C. 1991), pp. 177-179.
^ ^a ^b McNaughton, Marian R. Telephone Interview with James Pollock 10 August 2003. (During the Vietnam War era McNaughton was Curator of Paintings, Army Art Collection, Office Chief of Military History).
^ ^a ^b "Announcement of US Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program for FY 1968 including overview and application instructions", U.S. Army CIRCULAR No. 28-30,(Publication from Headquarters Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., 20 July 1967).
^ "US Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program Fact Sheet Dated 15 July 1967." U.S. Army Official Publication, (Prepared by United States Army in the Republic of Vietnam (USARV) Command Historian 15 July 1967).

[Gordon-1] "Portrait of an Army" General Gordon R. Sullivan, Editor; Marylou Gjernes, Art Editor. (Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C. 1991), pp. 177-179.

[interview-2] McNaughton, Marian R. Telephone Interview with James Pollock 10 August 2003. (During the Vietnam War era McNaughton was Curator of Paintings, Army Art Collection, Office Chief of Military History).

[circular-3] "Announcement of US Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program for FY 1968 including overview and application instructions", U.S. Army CIRCULAR No. 28-30,(Publication from Headquarters Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., 20 July 1967).

[4] "US Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program Fact Sheet Dated 15 July 1967." U.S. Army Official Publication, (Prepared by United States Army in the Republic of Vietnam (USARV) Command Historian 15 July 1967).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]