Robert Sidney

Robert Sidney [right] and Irving Berlin [October 1945] War: World War II, 1939-1946 Branch: Army Rank: Master Sergeant Place of Birth: New York, NY

During World War II, "This Is the Army" was the Army's light-hearted all-soldiers revue-style entertainment, written by Irving Berlin and put on by GIs and for GIs around the globe, from 1942 through 1945. Robert (Bob) Sidney's collection takes us behind the scenes of that unlikely yet memorable show, and reveal another side of wartime. Sidney, a dancer/choreographer, was transferred to the This Is the Army Detachment in the Army's Special Services Division, to become the principal choreographer for the show. The racially-integrated company of 150 men formed a special bond, sometimes performing under terrible conditions. The members of the road company remained on detachment under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who felt the show reminded American soldiers of home.