Created in 1981, “Goodbye Dear, I’ll Be Back In A Year” is a U.S. National Guard recruiting film that celebrates the rich history of the Guard. The film, which takes its title from a popular WWII song, takes a look back at the mobilization of eighteen infantry divisions of the National Guard in 1940. These units formed the core of the U.S. military in the early days of the war, and members of the 18 Guard divisions fought in every front of the war and in every major battle that the USA was involved in.

The film opens with images of Adolph Hitler (:24) and Nazi troops on the march. Winston Churchill is shown during the crisis days of the Battle of Britain (1:01) President Franklin Roosevelt preemptively mobilizes eighteen Guard divisions on September 16th, 1940 (1:07). Veteran James Brown (1:53) of the Georgia Guard was a part of the 101st Regiment. Dan Smith (2:20) from the Illinois National Guard recalls the year 1938 when he served as an O-38 aircraft crew chief. Joe Gill (2:40) from the Texas National Guard, 36th Division, explains that he felt he’d be mobilized for one year. Donald Oars (3:01) of the Washington Guard. Men are seen undergoing the induction process (3:21) and receiving their uniforms. Twenty-eight air squadrons were also mobilized (3:50). Footage follows of some of the 300,000 inductees (4:00) and basic training (4:18). Fred Daugherty (4:30) of the Oklahoma Guard, 45th Infantry Division. Felix Sparks (5:05) of the Colorado National Guard was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, then a primitive camp (5:24). Raymond Wilkinson (5:32) of the Massachusetts Guard speaks about their morale. A National Guard Armory (5:46). Paul Lemesters (5:58) of the Indiana Guard discusses transitioning from civilian life to that of a soldier. Donald Oars (7:11). In September of 1940, Oars was a member of the 41st Division stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington (7:35). Zoeth Skinner (7:42) of the Oregon Guard was a part of the 41st, one of the first five divisions to be mobilized. Tents set up at Fort Stewart are shown (8:55) as well as enlisted men moving supplies (9:02). The USA was ill-prepared for war. Equipment for training was in short supply or inadequate and much had to be simulated or improvised (9:54). Tree branches were used as anti-aircraft guns (10:00). Flour is dropped from planes onto tanks to simulate aerial attacks (10:04). A truck with a sign that says “tank” is visible. Oars is seen at Camp Murray in Washington (10:57) in modern times and an image follows of the camp in early 1940 (11:03). Photographs show the grounds here to be flooded and muddied (11:08). A newspaper headline follows reading ‘Sick Guardsmen Live in a Sea of Mud’ (11:20). Enlisted men are seen undergoing portions of their training which took two years including wading through flooded trenches (12:51). Reinforcements are pictured with packs on their backs (14:00). Wilkinson tells a story of receiving reinforcements which were then found dead the following morning (14:29). Nazi forces in Occupied France are seen near the Arc Du Triomphe (15:08). Japanese forces hold up the Imperial Japanese flag (15:16). Zoeth Skinner (15:34) was stationed on Luzon as a part of the 194th Tank Battalion before being sent to Bataan and taking part in the Bataan Death March in April of 1942 (16:05). Oars points to tracks behind him (16:11) which had been the same tracks that the 161st Infantry loaded onto at North Fort Lewis, which would eventually take them to the Southern Pacific theater of the war. Bombs are seen dropping on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 (16:53). The Japanese Imperial Navy’s striking force (17:10). General Jacob L. Devers (18:11) and Former Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson (18:41) are heard discussing the involvement of the 18 Divisions of the National Guards which had been mobilized. Lindsay Henderson (19:03) is seen from the Georgia National Guard. President Truman is pictured awarding a member of the National Guard with the Medal of Honor (20:01) and the faces of the other 13 members of the National Guard who received the same medal follows (20:08). The film then presents the logos of all eighteen Guard divisions (20:50). A quote is then read from General George Patton concerning the Thunderbird Division (25:01) which fought at Anzio and in Central Europe and liberated Dachau: “Born at Sea, baptized in blood, your fame will never die. The 44th Division is one of the best, if not the best, in the history of American arms.” The end (27:18).

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com