The 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
Explore the 80 days of content commemorating the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor by Museum Historians and Curators.
The Legacy of Courageous B-17 Pilot Colin Kelly
Collin Kelly’s story of bravery during the first bombing missions in the Pacific flourished at a time when nearly all war news was grim.
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Article TypeWannsee Conference: The Master Plan for the "Final Solution"
The Nazis chose the serene setting for one of the most infamous meetings in world history, where they discussed their plans for the “Final Solution.”
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The Allied Responses to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944
The Warsaw Uprising created a rift between Stalin and his Western Allies, which some historians argue anticipated the Cold War.
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First Washington Conference: ARCADIA
The First Washington Conference, code-named ARCADIA, from December 22, 1941 to January 14, 1942, set the strategic direction for the Anglo-American war effort and established the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Profile of a Hero: Medal of Honor Recipient Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger
Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger received the first Medal of Honor of World War II.
Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941
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A Shared Enmity: Germany, Japan, and the Creation of the Tripartite Pact
Shared enmity toward Franklin D. Roosevelt’s United States of America is what brought Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan together again in the early fall of 1940 to certify a new agreement.
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Recovered and Identified on the USS Oklahoma
AMM2c Durell Wade made the ultimate sacrifice manning his battlestation on USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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The USS Arizona’s Last Salvo
In a strange case of life after death, the resurrected guns of the USS Arizona fired at the end of the war.
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Review of Bodies of Memory: Narratives of War in Postwar Japanese Culture, 1945-1970
Yoshikuni Igarashi examines the impact of World War II and Japan’s defeat on postwar Japanese memory.
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Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua, US Navy: Medal of Honor Series
As USS Arizona burned on December 7, 1941, Lt. Commander Fuqua displayed true courage under fire.
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Kaho’olawe: The Pacific’s Battered Bullseye
Once a bombing range, one Hawaiian island is on the long road back.
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Remembering to Forget: A Japanese Pilot’s Memory of World War II
Takeshi Maeda, a Japanese Imperial Naval pilot, guided his bomber to Pearl Harbor and released a torpedo that helped sink the USS West Virginia. Years later, he became a leading figure in reconciliation efforts between Japan and the United States.
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Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and the Anti-Comintern Pact
The signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact between Germany and Japan in 1936 was one of the truly momentous and horrifying conjunctures of the twentieth century.
European Theater of Operations
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10 Notable World War II Books of 2021
Must-reads of 2021 picked by historians and scholars in the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.
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Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and the Anti-Comintern Pact
The signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact between Germany and Japan in 1936 was one of the truly momentous and horrifying conjunctures of the twentieth century.
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American Billy Fiske—One of the Few
Pilot Officer Billy Fiske was the first US citizen to travel to the United Kingdom at the onset of World War II to join the Royal Air Force, and was one of seven American pilots to take part in the Battle of Britain.
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The Hesse Heist: The Accused Are Tried
The final installment of the story of the Hesse Heist covers the trials of Nash, Durant, and Watson.
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Child Memories from the Occupation and Liberation of Paris
As an adult, Janine Simone Hopkins was encouraged by her family to record her experiences and reflections of her life in Paris during the German occupation.
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Operation Jubilee: The Raid at Dieppe
Attached to Canadian and British forces, the first Americans to see ground combat in Europe witnessed disaster at Dieppe.
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The Soviet Occupation of Austria
How Soviet occupation policy in Austria took shape warrants more attention.
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Year Zero: Restocking the Post-war Zoo
This article examines how World War II marked an important moment in the political history of modern zoos.
Pacific Theater of Operations
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The Legacy of Courageous B-17 Pilot Colin Kelly
Collin Kelly’s story of bravery during the first bombing missions in the Pacific flourished at a time when nearly all war news was grim.
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10 Notable World War II Books of 2021
Must-reads of 2021 picked by historians and scholars in the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.
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Review of Bodies of Memory: Narratives of War in Postwar Japanese Culture, 1945-1970
Yoshikuni Igarashi examines the impact of World War II and Japan’s defeat on postwar Japanese memory.
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Veteran and Friend of the Museum Armando “Chick” Galella
Veterans Day profile of Pearl Harbor Survivor and friend of the Museum Armando “Chick” Galella.
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Kermit Tyler: A Call That Would Live in Infamy
On December 7, 1941, Kermit Tyler was called about aircraft approaching Pearl Harbor and told the radar tech not to worry about it. His reply has been debated for the past 80 years.
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What Can We Learn About World War II From Black Quartermasters?
This article looks at the experiences of four Black GIs—two in the European theater and two in the Pacific theater—in the Quartermaster Corps, the Army’s chief logistics branch.
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The Legacy of John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”
Seventy-five years ago, journalist John Hersey’s article “Hiroshima” forever changed how Americans viewed the atomic attack on Japan.
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The Strange Saga of the B-32 Dominator
This little-known aircraft was part of the last air battle of World War II.
Home Front
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First Washington Conference: ARCADIA
The First Washington Conference, code-named ARCADIA, from December 22, 1941 to January 14, 1942, set the strategic direction for the Anglo-American war effort and established the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Salvage For Victory: World War II & Now
On January 10, 1942, the United States launched one of its most important and also most memorable domestic initiatives of the entire war: the “Salvage For Victory” campaign.
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Making Automobiles Last During World War II
Civilian workers struggle to keep their cars running amid strict wartime restrictions.
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The Declaration of the United Nations in the Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
On January 1, 1942, 26 countries signed the Declaration of the United Nations and 21 more countries formally joined the alliance prior to the end of World War II.
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Hope for Next Year: New Year’s Letters From World War II
Many American servicemen and women expressed hopes for the next year in wartime New Year’s mail.
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Money Matters: The Short Snorter Saga
The vestige of a peculiar tradition, short snorters served as both wartime souvenir and membership certificate to a special club.
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10 Notable World War II Books of 2021
Must-reads of 2021 picked by historians and scholars in the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.
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Winston Churchill's Christmas Meeting with FDR
An interview with Anthony Tucker-Jones, author of the newly released Churchill: Master and Commander.
Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II
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Profile of a Hero: Medal of Honor Recipient Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger
Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger received the first Medal of Honor of World War II.
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Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua, US Navy: Medal of Honor Series
As USS Arizona burned on December 7, 1941, Lt. Commander Fuqua displayed true courage under fire.
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Corporal Tibor Rubin, US Army: Medal of Honor Series
Twice a prisoner, and initially denied our nation’s highest honor due to antisemitism, Tibor Rubin was finally awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005.
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Ace of Aces, Major Richard Bong: Medal of Honor Series
Known as the “Ace of Aces,” Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy aircraft.
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Lieutenant Richard Miles McCool, Jr., US Navy: Medal of Honor Series
Seriously wounded aboard LCS-122 off Okinawa in June 1945, McCool’s steadfast leadership and disregard for his own safety saved the lives of his crew and his ship.
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Staff Sergeant Walter David Ehlers, US Army: Medal of Honor Series
A combat veteran when he landed on Omaha beach on June 6, 1944, Walt Ehlers had made a promise to his mother, which often left him at odds with the morality of a soldier’s duty.
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Second Lieutenant Yeiki Kobashigawa, US Army: Medal of Honor Series
On June 2, 1944, Yeiki Kobashigawa, 100th Infantry Battalion, led an incredible attack on the Germans in Italy. Fifty-six years later, he received the Medal of Honor for this action.
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Sergeant Jose Calugas: Medal of Honor Series
Medal of Honor recipient, trained and buried in the United States, native son and hero of the Philippines, Jose Calugas went “beyond the call of duty” during the Battle of Bataan.
Women of World War II
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A Final Resting Place at America’s Most Hallowed Grounds: The Arlington 14 From the Six Triple Eight
Just when you thought that most of the stories of the legendary all-black female military unit from World War II had been told, along comes the recent discovery that 14 of the 855 women from the “Six Triple Eight” have a final resting place at America’s most hallowed grounds, Arlington National Cemetery.
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Delta Shipbuilder Mildred Aupied
Mildred Aupied seized the opportunity for new skills and a better wage as a welder at Delta Shipbuilding Company.
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The Future of Womanpower: Women’s Military Corps After the War
Despite their contributions during the war, the end of the conflict brought uncertain years for women in military service.
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Women Airforce Service Pilot Hazel Ying Lee
Hazel Ah Ying Lee was the first Chinese American woman to join the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during World War II.
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Nurse POWs: Angels of Bataan and Corregidor
The “Angels of Bataan and Corregidor,” 77 American military nurses taken prisoner in the Philippines, provided lifesaving care to the civilian POWs in the Santo Tomas and Los Banos Internment Camps where they were held from 1942-1945.
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Curator’s Choice: Glamour Goes to War
In 1944, Glamour magazine published a profile on Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd Class Primrose “Pat” Robinson, who served with the WAVES from 1943-1945.
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Wings to Beauty: Aviation Pioneer Jacqueline Cochran
Brash, beautiful, and driven, aviatrix Jackie Cochran rose from a childhood of poverty to record-breaking heights in aviation.
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When Silence Is More Forceful Than Words: Geneviève Guilbaud and the Power of Remembrance
Geneviève Guilbaud has lived a life of remembrance, an existence always directed against the forgetting and trivialization of the horrors of Nazism.
