WWII Marine Killed on Saipan Finally Returned Home to Louisiana
More than 80 years after the Battle of Saipan, DNA analysis helped identify and account for Marine Sergeant Frank L. Schmaltz. He was finally brought home to Louisiana and laid to rest with full military honors.
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Article TypeThe Chełmno Death Camp
It was at Chełmno that the Nazis tested various methods of exterminating people en masse while they sought an alternative to the Einsatzgruppen’s mass shootings.
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Mystery of the Disembodied Bow of Ironbottom Sound
The New Orleans not only lost her bow, but she staggered away from Ironbottom Sound with over 180 men in her crew dead or missing. But like the city for which she was named, quitting was never an option.
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The Anti-Axis Art of Antonio Arias Bernal
Antonio Arias Bernal’s art reminds us that World War II was also a war of ideas, fought with pens and brushes as much as with troops and firearms.
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George E. Hardy, One of the Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Dies at 100
Lieutenant Colonel George E. Hardy flew 21 combat missions during World War II, piloting P-51 Mustang aircraft, often escorting heavy bombers as part of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
V-E Day: Victory in Europe
On May 8, 1945, thousands of people took to the streets in cities around the world to celebrate news of Germany's surrender and the end of World War II in Europe.
European Theater of Operations
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George E. Hardy, One of the Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Dies at 100
Lieutenant Colonel George E. Hardy flew 21 combat missions during World War II, piloting P-51 Mustang aircraft, often escorting heavy bombers as part of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
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John ‘Lucky’ Luckadoo, Last Surviving Pilot of ‘Bloody Hundredth,’ Has Died
John “Lucky” Luckadoo served as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber copilot, flying difficult and dangerous combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe with the 100th Bomb Group—the legendary "Bloody Hundredth."
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The Blitz of 1940
While the RAF fought in the skies overhead, British civilians in towns of southern England endured regular visits from German bombers in what came to be known as “the Blitz."
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Intermarriage, the 1943 Rosenstrasse Protests and Social Constraints on Hitler's Power: A Conversation with Nathan Stoltzfus, PhD
Historian Nathan Stoltzfus has done so much to throw light on intermarriage in Nazi Germany and the remarkable stories of resilience and resistance of everyday people.
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First American Pope Is the Son of a D-Day Veteran
Louis M. Prevost, the father of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, participated in the landings in Normandy and Southern France during World War II.
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Over-the-Shore Logistics of D-Day
Within 48 hours of the amphibious assault, over 130,000 GIs and some 17,000 vehicles came ashore. With more troops and equipment arriving daily, the amount of supplies required to support this force grew exponentially.
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Robert Capa's Iconic Images from Omaha Beach
Early on the morning of June 6, 1944, photojournalist Robert Capa landed with American troops on Omaha Beach. Before the day was through, he had taken some of the most famous combat photographs of World War II.
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From Utah and Omaha: Souvenirs from D-Day
A look at the personal objects American soldiers collected during the D-Day landings, revealing how everyday items became lasting symbols of war, survival, and memory.
Pacific Theater of Operations
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Article Type
Mystery of the Disembodied Bow of Ironbottom Sound
The New Orleans not only lost her bow, but she staggered away from Ironbottom Sound with over 180 men in her crew dead or missing. But like the city for which she was named, quitting was never an option.
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Article Type
WWII Marine Killed on Saipan Finally Returned Home to Louisiana
More than 80 years after the Battle of Saipan, DNA analysis helped identify and account for Marine Sergeant Frank L. Schmaltz. He was finally brought home to Louisiana and laid to rest with full military honors.
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Article Type
US Intelligence Failures at Pearl Harbor
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was a shock to the Americans, but it was preceded by serious intelligence failures
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‘Let George Do It’: A Marine’s Medal from Guadalcanal
The George Medal may not be regulation, but for those that received it, it is as real and as earned as any decoration Uncle Sam ever struck in bronze.
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America's last WWII 'ace' pilot dies at 103
Donald McPherson earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his service as a US Navy Pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the final battles of World War II.
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Arthur Van Haren Jr., Mexican American WWII Fighter Ace
Arthur Van Haren Jr. became one of World War II’s top Navy fighter aces, even as his Mexican American heritage went unrecognized.
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My Day: The End of World War II
In her August 15, 1945, My Day column, Eleanor Roosevelt reflects on the mixed emotions following the announcement of peace, mourning the war’s losses while urging world leaders to use atomic energy for the benefit of all humanity and to work toward a unified, peaceful future.
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My Day: The Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
In her August 10, 1945, My Day column, Eleanor Roosevelt reflects on the Atomic bombing of Nagasaki, urging an end to discrimination and calling for faith in humanity’s ability to meet the challenges of the atomic age.
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The Anti-Axis Art of Antonio Arias Bernal
Antonio Arias Bernal’s art reminds us that World War II was also a war of ideas, fought with pens and brushes as much as with troops and firearms.
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How New Orleans Became Home to America's National WWII Museum
Visitors often ask, “Why is the Museum in New Orleans?” The answer to this simple question requires an understanding of the city’s involvement in World War II, politics, and American memory.
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The Spirit of Service at The National WWII Museum
Volunteers have helped keep things running smoothly at the Museum since it opened in 2000—and a very special group has been here from the very beginning.
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Hedy Lamarr’s WWII Invention Helped Shape Modern Tech
Regarded as the “most beautiful woman in the world,” Hedy Lamarr was not only a famous Hollywood actress who sold millions in war bonds during World War II, she was an inventor. Her creations included a frequency-hopping radio communications device for Allied torpedoes during the war.
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Eleanor Roosevelt’s My Day Column after FDR's Death
In her first My Day column after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death on April 12, 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt reflects on the sorrow following his passing, honors his commitment to justice, and urges the world to unite in building a lasting, just peace.
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The Legacy of WWII Tattoos: Stories of Ink, Sacrifice, and Memory
Each tattoo inked on the skin of those who lived through World War II tells a unique story, reflecting both personal experiences and collective history.
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The GI Bill and Planning for the Postwar
Well before the war ended, President Franklin D. Roosevelt envisioned a plan for veterans to return home and better their lives through the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. But administering the massive welfare program required navigating social and political challenges.
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The Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22
Although the Washington Naval Conference concluded nearly two decades before the attack on Pearl Habor, its outcome shaped the course of World War II in the Pacific between the United States and Japan.
Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II
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The Trail of Valor: The Red Arrow Division on the Villa Verde Trail
Over 119 days of skirmishes, which included hand-to-hand combat and engagements with the enemy at close range in caves and thick jungles, the Red Arrow Division earned an incredible 28 Silver Stars, 20 Distinguished Service Crosses, and four Medals of Honor.
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The Depths of Courage: Howard Gilmore and the USS Growler
Commander Howard Gilmore’s story is certainly one of extraordinary valor, dedication, and sacrifice.
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Jefferson DeBlanc and the Air Battle for Guadalcanal
When Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc entered Guadalcanal, the United States had been fighting a defensive campaign against Japanese attempts to retake Henderson Airfield and dominate the surrounding seas.
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Rudolph B. Davila's Medal of Honor
Second Lieutenant Rudolph B. Davila, of Spanish-Filipino descent, received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions near Artena, Italy, during World War II.
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Manuel Pérez Jr.’s Medal of Honor
After parachuting on Tagaytay Ridge, Manuel Pérez participated in the horrendous fighting with the Japanese in the Philippines' capital city of Manila, the scene of some of the bloodiest urban combat of the war.
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A 'Gallant Stand' at Monte Battaglia: Manuel V. Mendoza’s Medal of Honor
For what he did on October 4, 1944, Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza garnered a special place in the history of Nazi Germany’s defeat.
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Johnnie David Hutchins's Medal of Honor
The loss of Johnnie David Hutchins was devastating to his family, but his moment of bravery almost certainly saved other parents and siblings from experiencing that same loss in the fall of 1943.
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John Joseph Parle's Medal of Honor
Navy Ensign John Joseph Parle risked his own life to save a ship and ensure a successful Allied amphibious invasion of Sicily in 1943.
