The collection of Keig E. Garvin, contains an oral history transcript of an interview provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Keig Garvin served in the Army in the North African and European (ETO) Theaters as a trombonist in the US Army Band of Washington, D.C. The collection includes a manuscript by Keig Garvin entitled "'Through My Eyes'" about his time with the Army in the African and European Theaters. It is a collection of memories and letters from Garvin to his wife. The letters were sent from the African Theater as the band traveled around the region. The letters and memories are full of information relating to time spent in camp and also time spent traveling from one area to another. The band also spent some time in the European Theater, beginning in 1944 and lasting until the end of the war. In the time that the band was in Europe, significant time was spent in London, Paris, and Germany. The collection contains a one-page bio of Garvin; a logbook of the Army Band; and a manuscript, "The History of the Trombone," written by Garvin with various correspondence from Garvin's days with the Army Band. Also, the collection contains a French-English dictionary, as well as a French-language book, "Sous Paris la Botte des Nazis" (Paris Under the Nazi Boot"). Garvin talked about his experiences in troop ships in North Africa, playing for soldiers as they were about to head off to invade Sicily, and also playing for the troops in Italy. He also describes D-Day and his witnessing the long line of planes flying off to France. Garvin talks about the squabbling that took place between Harry Buther and the Army Band.
