A sailor had a simple request—he just wanted to relax with a few beers after months at sea.

The shamrock is the symbol of Ireland and a recurring theme in The National WWII Museum’s collection.

USS Mason was the first US Navy fleet vessel crewed by a majority of African American sailors.

A look past the pages of a written letter home.

A small notebook by Charles Don Page records the defining moment in 212 men’s lives under the Imperial Japanese Army.

Pursuing his passion for flight, William Holloman II enlisted in the only unit that would let him fly—the Tuskegee Airmen. He joined as a fighter pilot with the famous “Red Tails” of the 332nd Fighter Group.

From rural Mississippi to Iwo Jima, Joseph LaNier confronted racism in society and service.

To celebrate the end of the war and the journey back to the United States, US Navy ships often flew long pennants to commemorate their time overseas.

This is the story of Michael McShane and how he survived the sinking of the SS Athenia, the first ship torpedoed by a U-boat in World War II.

An anti-shipping sweep conducted on July 22, 1945 was the first time US Navy ships entered the outer reaches of Tokyo bay since April 1939.