Controlling the Ryukyu Islands would allow the Americans to finally sever Japan from its South Asian empire. 

An overlooked story of World War II and its consequences, the Graves Registration Service (GRS) worked tirelessly during the war to collect and identify the dead, providing proper burial. After the war, the GRS conducted the world’s largest search and recovery effort, leading to the identification of 280,000 fallen Americans, who were provided with a final burial in the United States or abroad based upon the surviving family’s wishes.

On June 10, 2016, The National WWII Museum and Whitney Bank will present the American Spirit Awards in the Museum’s US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. The awards gala, which will take place in New Orleans for the first time, celebrates individuals and organizations whose work reflects the spirit of those who served our nation during World War II. The 2016 honorees include New Orleans natives and representatives from across the nation, all of whom have inspired others through their own acts of courage, sacrifice, initiative and generosity.

The 17th International Conference on World War II, a program of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum, was presented by the Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of Pritzker Military Museum & Library, with additional support from the Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series on World War II Endowment Fund and the George P. Shultz Forum on World Affairs.

During World War II, a new program gave young men who refused to wear a uniform other ways to serve their country.