Known as a tropical paradise today, for many sailors before December 7, 1941, it was just another port of call during their naval service.

Attached to Canadian and British forces, the first Americans to see ground combat in Europe witnessed disaster at Dieppe.

From coaling station to naval base, Pearl Harbor’s strategic importance in the Pacific was widely recognized.

Eduardo Peniche came to the United States to obtain an education and became a decorated war veteran and proud American in the process.

Hawaii was paradise, but military cooks often supplied the old favorites for soldiers and sailors who were stationed far from home.