Welcome to a new podcast series where we revisit some of our most riveting and educational discussions on World War II. This episode is brought to you by the Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.
No newsflash in modern history has ever been greeted with such overwhelming celebration as the announcement that Japan had surrendered, effectively ending World War II, a war that Americans thought would go on indefinitely. Of all the iconic images from that day, the one that still continues to embody the spirit of the nation was of one very famous kiss between a nurse and a sailor.
Two months before Pearl Harbor, a sailor became Louisiana's first fatality in World War II.
By flipping the pages of a high school yearbook from the 1940s, students today can catch a glimpse of what their counterparts were doing on the Home Front and how the war impacted their daily lives, especially for those preparing to graduate.
The idea of using American Indians who were fluent in both their traditional tribal language and in English to send secret messages in battle was first put to the test in World War I with the Choctaw Telephone Squad and other Native communications experts and messengers. However, it wasn’t until World War II that the US military developed a specific policy to recruit and train American Indian speakers to become code talkers.
Following the Invasion of Normandy, the fighting in Italy often disappeared from the headlines.
The American Spirit Awards celebrates individuals and organizations whose work reflects the values and spirit of those who served our country during the World War II years.
Head to The Higgins Hotel for a live instrumental showcase of wartime piano music.