THIS STORY IS FEATURED IN THE 2024 NEW FRONTIERS MAGAZINE
By TODD GOTTULA
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Tatiana (Moore) Painter’s passion for history and learning began at an early age, fostered by a family that prioritized education.
“One of the first movies I remember loving as a kid was ‘Pearl Harbor.’ Although I now know it’s not historically accurate, it helped spark my interest in World War II,” Painter said. “I really formed an interest in this historical event when I learned that I had a great-grandfather who served during World War II.”
The winner of UNK’s 2024 Graduate Student of the Year Award, Painter was recognized for her research on public history. She shared a glimpse of her work at UNK’s Student Research Day, where she presented her thesis project “Public History in Western Nebraska: Interpreting the History of the Sioux Ordnance Depot.” That paper focused on the Sioux Ordnance Depot in Sidney, an ammunition storage site built by the U.S. government in 1942.
For 25 years, it provided employment for a variety of individuals, contributed to the county’s economy and became an important site in Nebraska’s military history. After closing in 1967, the site maintains most of the 800 original storage igloos and several buildings. Painter’s work provides a glimpse into the history of this military installation and its impact on the area.
Her fascination with history deepened in third grade during a project where she researched another country.
“My mom suggested that I research South Korea because that is where my granny was from. I do not think I fully understood what that meant at the time, but as I got older, I learned how significant this information was,” she said.
Her grandmother met and married an American GI in Korea then immigrated to the United States, where she assimilated into American culture.
“We did not do much with our Korean heritage when I was growing up. When I was old enough to understand how unique this was for my family, I dove into this part of my identity and developed an interest in the Korean War, too,” Painter explained.
She visited her granny’s hometown in Busan, South Korea, just last year, an experience she described as surreal.
Painter’s journey into family history continued beyond her third-grade project.
“In eighth grade, my dad helped me do our genealogy for the Moore side of my family. I spent lots of time talking to my grandparents and even visited my great-great-aunt. I traced our family tree back to Europe and discovered that a family tradition I thought was recent had started generations ago. These early trips into historical research began my interest in the field.”
Why were you attracted to your research topic? What motivated you?
My desire to help people and tell untold stories drove this project. During finals week of fall 2022, my fiancé (now husband), an active-duty Marine stationed in Japan, called me. He was then the boss at the USMC’s Recruiting Substation Kearney in Nebraska. He told me a woman named Alta Yung had come into the office seeking information about a challenge coin related to the Sioux Ordnance Depot and asked if I could help her.
I contacted Ms. Alta, who explained that she found a medal with her dad’s name on it but could not find the Sioux Ordnance Depot in Alaska, where she believed he was in 1942. She sent me her father’s employment records, letters and other artifacts. With an extended break from classes, I started researching. We discovered that her father worked for Inland Construction Company, which, alongside Peter Kiewit, developed the Sioux Ordnance Depot in Sidney, Nebraska, in 1942. Her father was part of the construction crew before moving to Alaska for Inland Construction. Ms. Alta was thrilled with the connection and wanted to present the findings to her siblings.
While helping Ms. Alta, I uncovered a piece of Nebraska history that was not well-known outside of western Nebraska. The Sioux Ordnance Depot was a 20,000-acre property operating for 25 years northwest of Sidney, with a firehouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a local museum room dedicated to its history. My previous research on the Kearney Army Air Field and my adviser’s interest in the Nebraska home front during World War II led me to decide to research the Depot. This story, integral to Nebraska’s World War II history, revealed additional stories with national connections that needed to be told.
What were your biggest discoveries?
Two years ago, I would have highlighted the connection between the ammunition storage site and the medal or the Sioux Ordnance Depot itself. Today, the biggest discoveries are the diverse groups of people employed at the Depot and the stories of former employees and their descendants.
World War II history often emphasizes men going to war and women joining the workforce. However, at the Sioux Ordnance Depot, the workforce included not only women but also groups not usually mentioned. One notable group were Japanese Americans, especially those who came from the incarceration camps. Over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were held in 10 confinement sites. I discovered that these individuals were employed by the government outside of the camps, a lesser-known fact, and that Nebraska was connected to this historical event.
Additionally, African American troops were stationed at the Depot to address employment shortages, with Japanese Americans from incarceration camps replacing the soldiers. This aspect of the Depot’s history was not frequently discussed and was an important story to tell.
Another significant discovery was the employment of people with physical disabilities at the Depot. Disability history before World War II is rarely discussed. The Depot’s recognition for hiring people with disabilities was one of the most surprising findings in my research.
How do you measure success as a researcher?
Public history and teaching are similar because as a teacher, you must find ways for students to relate to the content to help them better learn the skills and concepts they need. As a public historian, you need to find ways for the public to connect with the content you present. If you can’t make them care about a topic, then they won’t find an interest in it. In history, we ask these questions often. “Why should people care about this cool thing I care about?” If I can answer that and make it known, I feel successful. When people relate to the content, they learn better. My goal is to find and highlight those connections.
Describe a perfect day “in the field” researching:
A perfect day “in the field” often involves time in an archive with files, newspapers, photographs and maps, building a base knowledge. It may also feature stops at historical sites pertinent to my research. My best days in the field include interviews. The conversations flow naturally, one question leads to another, I learn new information, and my interview subject feels excited. Not all of my oral history interviews go this way, but the ideal ones do! Any chance to interview someone with a connection to the Depot ranks among perfect days “in the field.”
What do you want people to take away from your research?
One thing I’ve learned about public history is that to do it well, you need to form genuine relationships with the community you’re working with, researching and assisting. The goal of public history is to take traditional academic history – interesting topics, untold stories and amazing discoveries – and make it understandable and consumable for the public. How will people who aren’t academically involved know about these discoveries unless we share them? I’ve been blessed to form solid relationships with the local community, its historical society and the people connected to the Depot. If nothing else, my research has solidified the importance of community and relationships.
What stands out about UNK’s research programs and your experience here?
UNK’s research programs are incredible. From my first semester to the last, I worked on several research projects through the Undergraduate Research Fellows program and the Summer Student Research Program. I explored newer fields of history (digital history) while learning traditional historical research. These programs helped me cultivate my initial interest in historical research and apply classroom learning. They also helped me develop skills I used in my classes. Ultimately, UNK’s research opportunities helped me see that I would enjoy grad school and the research work it required.
What stands out about UNK’s research programs is that they can be student-driven. My first project was a faculty-presented topic, but all subsequent projects were developed from my own interests. I am incredibly thankful to have had such wonderful faculty who supported me and helped me explore my ideas.
What line of work are you currently in? What are your career goals?
I am currently a full-time graduate student. Before pursuing my master’s in public history, I was a high school social studies teacher. My dream job is with the Department of Defense’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency. I want to use my research skills to help bring our service members home.
The POW/MIA Accounting Agency program, which I discovered toward the end of my undergraduate studies, inspired me. History often focuses on the past, but this program made it immediate and significant. While not everyone can relate to having a missing family member, most appreciate the chance to return home. I’d love to use my skills to contribute to this cause. With my military connections, I understand the importance of bringing service members home, and I want to help make that happen.
TATIANA (MOORE) PAINTER
Hometown: Norfolk/Norfolk Senior High School
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Education (history education) with minors in English writing emphasis and mathematics, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2020; Master of Arts in public history, UNK, anticipated graduation December 2024.
Honors/Awards: Winner of UNK’s 2024 Graduate Student of the Year Award; Best graduate student paper in military history for “Welcome Home: The Social and Economic Impact of the Sioux Ordnance Depot on Sidney, Nebraska,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 2023; First-place award for Graduate Oral Presentation in Professional & Applied Studies, “Public History in Western Nebraska: Interpreting the History of the Sioux Ordnance Depot,” at UNK’s Student Research Day, 2024.
Areas of Research/Specialization: My main research areas of interest are in Nebraska’s World War II home front history and the history of Asian war brides from the wars of the mid-20th century. I have an interest broadly in World War II home front history, the Korean War and Asian American history. My research increasingly focuses on oral history, as well. Additionally, I’ve conducted qualitative research on summer learning camps. My background is in history education, so no matter what my interest is at the time, I love being able to find ways to share the things I’ve learned with other people.
