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Collection Veterans History Project Collection

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Todd Tyler Christmas, Fort Hood, TX [March 2004]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Service Unit/Ship: 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division; Texas Army National Guard
  • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
  • Location of Service: Iraq; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Hood, Texas
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/110957

View full service history

"He had all kinds of plans for the future, so those words, those plans that he was making, are what we carry on today." (Video interview with Becky Christmas, 43:27)

Growing up on his family's ranch in New Mexico, Todd Christmas knew from a young age that he wanted a career in the military. He served in the National Guard during college, and after graduation earned a commission as an air defense artillery officer. Christmas participated in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003 and survived a year-long deployment there. Promoted to captain in 2004, he loved serving in the Army and was recognized by those he served with for his leadership and mentorship abilities. On November 29th, 2004, Christmas and six other soldiers died in a helicopter accident near Fort Hood, Texas. His mother Becky Christmas was interviewed about her son's life, and in this interview, she reflects on the legacy of service he left behind, how their family has united in memorializing him, and how the grieving process inspired her to become active in supporting veterans as well as other families of the fallen.

Interview / Recording

Transcript

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About this Item

Title

  • Todd Tyler Christmas Collection

Names

  • Christmas, Todd Tyler
  • Ward, Kerry
  • Veterans History Project
  • Library of Congress

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • New Mexico

Headings

  • -  Christmas, Todd Tyler
  • -  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
    • Service Unit/Ship: 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division; Texas Army National Guard
    • Location of Service: Iraq; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Hood, Texas
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 2001-2004
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran, with six other soldiers, including Brigadier General Ben Allen, lost their lives in a helicopter crash on 11/29/2004 near Fort Hood, Texas.

Materials

  • Video: Digital File [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2018-04-12)
  • Photograph: Digital print [20 items] -- Photographs (collected 1978-2004)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2021-01-11)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/110957

Collection Notes

  • Becky Christmas gives an interview on behalf of her son Todd Christmas.

Online Format

  • online text
  • video
  • image

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:

Christmas, Todd Tyler, Kerry Ward, Veterans History Project, and Library Of Congress. Todd Tyler Christmas Collection. 2001. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.110957/.

APA citation style:

Christmas, T. T., Ward, K., Veterans History Project & Library Of Congress. (2001) Todd Tyler Christmas Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.110957/.

MLA citation style:

Christmas, Todd Tyler, et al. Todd Tyler Christmas Collection. 2001. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.110957/>.