Radio as sonic morale booster was particularly important during the holidays. In this article we revisit Christmas recordings of Command Performance, The Jack Benny Show, and other radio programs.

Alberta Hunter was already a seasoned performer when she and the “Rhythm Rascals” traveled to the “forgotten” China-Burma-India (CBI) theater as the first African American entertainers to visit there, and she later sang for Eisenhower himself. Her service in World War II, however, is but one of many extraordinary stories of this highly regarded woman’s life.

Willa Brown may not be a household name, but her accomplishments and legacy are nothing short of astounding. The first African American woman to hold a commercial pilot’s license in the United States and teacher of hundreds of future Tuskegee Airmen has a fascinating and inspiring life story.

In 1973 a devastating fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed about 17 million military personnel files. A loss with long-lasting repercussions, it affects our understanding and knowledge of many individual WWII stories.

Anne Mergen was the only female editorial cartoonist of her time. Her work captured the social and political atmosphere of the WWII years and beyond.

The swing youth in Nazi Germany were teenagers whose love for jazz and affinity for British and American pop culture stood in stark contrast to German nationalism, uniformity, and military regulation.

Radio Broadcasts from the days leading up to V-E Day give a fascinating insight into thoughts, concerns, and celebrations as the war in Europe came to an end.

Sophie Scholl and the White Rose movement, while less known to Americans, is a powerful example of youthful resistance to the Nazi Regime.

AFN, the American Forces Network, was radio at its best: as the audible link to home for many soldiers fighting in Europe, it was a musical distraction, a news service, a way to stay up to date on sports, and finally, an unintended ambassador of the American way of life.