Even though the fighting ended in Europe with VE-Day on May 8, 1945, the effects of the war and its legacies continue up to this day. 

During World War II, the US government waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the public. “Rosie the Riveter” and many other wartime propaganda posters remain relevant 75 years later.

After delivering vital parts to the island of Tinian for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was struck by two enemy torpedoes on July 29, 1945. The ship sank in twelve minutes.

In his Museum oral history, Senior Chief Radioman Walter Nelson recounts the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Diagnosed with Hansen’s disease and unable to access medication in Japanese-occupied Philippines, Josefina Guerrero decided to join the guerrilla movement and become a spy. Her disease allowed her to move untouched by the Japanese, providing critical intel to American forces as they moved towards the Battle of Manila.