African American Experiences in World War II
Explore profiles, oral histories, photographs, and artifacts honoring African American contributions to World War II from the Museum's collection.
Before Montgomery: Bayard Rustin and the Fight for Racial Justice During World War II
For civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, World War II was a crucial time when he explored nonviolent direct action as a philosophy and a method for challenging racial inequality.
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Article Type“We Made it, Friend” The First African American Female Officers in the US Navy
In December 1944, Harriet Pickens and Frances Wills became the first African American WAVE officers.
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Medgar Evers: US Army Veteran and Civil Rights Leader
Medgar Evers was one of more than a million African Americans who served in the US military during World War II. He returned home only to face daily discrimination and paid the ultimate price for his fight against inequality.
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Japanese American Incarceration Education Resources
The Museum highlights educational resources for teachers and students that can be used to explore Japanese American incarceration.
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Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Rufus G. Herring: Medal of Honor Series
In the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history, 27 Marines and sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for action on Iwo Jima. No other campaign surpassed that number.
European Theater of Operations
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The SixTripleEight: No Mail, Low Morale
On February 3, 1945, the US Army sent over 800 black women overseas to England aboard the SS Ile de France. Their mission unknown to them.
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“Keep ‘em Rolling”: 82 Days on the Red Ball Express
African American truck drivers of the Red Ball Express kept American units supplied in the race across France during the summer and fall of 1944.
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Coordinating the Destruction of an Entire People: The Wannsee Conference
On January 20, 1942, a group of Nazi leaders met to coordinate a continent-wide genocide.
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The Destruction of Monte Cassino
A stalemate on the Gustav Line in January 1944 brought about one of the more controversial Allied decisions of Italian campaign.
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Otto Ohlendorf, Einsatzgruppe D, and the ‘Holocaust by Bullets’
As the leader of Einsatzgruppe D, Otto Ohlendorf was responsible for the murder of 90,000 Soviet Jews, Roma, and Communists.
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The Capture and Execution of William Joyce
On January 3, 1946, ardent fascist and Nazi propaganda broadcaster William “Lord Haw-Haw” Joyce was executed following his conviction for treason.
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Miracle: The Girl from Rotterdam
A Christmas classic, Miracle on 34th Street, provides a surprisingly realistic perspective on WWII refugees.
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Chuck Yeager: WWII Fighter Ace and Record Breaking Test Pilot
Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” Yeager was best known as the first man to break the sound barrier, but during World War II Yeager was a decorated fighter ace.
Pacific Theater of Operations
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Curator's Choice: A Sailor’s Letter Home
A look past the pages of a written letter home.
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Commander George Fleming Davis, US Navy: Medal of Honor Series
Commander Davis demonstrated steadfast leadership during a kamikaze attack off of Luzon, Philippines.
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Coming To America: The War Brides Act of 1945
By the winter of 1945, millions of American military personnel were on the move, but they were not alone. More than 60,000 women wed by American servicemen during World War II hoped to leave their old homes behind and rejoin their husbands for a new life in the United States. However, for these “War Brides” restrictive American immigrations policies posed a major challenge.
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“America Remembers Wake Island and Is Proud”: The Battle That Lifted a Nation’s Morale in 1941
The valiant defense of Wake Island by US Marines, sailors, soldiers, and civilians became a potent rallying point for Americans in the dark days after Pearl Harbor.
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The Path Through the Soviet Union and China to Pearl Harbor
Historian Richard Frank explores the influence of China and the Soviet Union in the Japanese decision to attack American territories in December 1941.
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Pearl Harbor Education Resources
Free resources for your classroom to commemorate the December 7,1941 attack
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Curator's Choice: The Book of the Dead and Dying
A small notebook by Charles Don Page records the defining moment in 212 men’s lives under the Imperial Japanese Army.
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“Leave me alone! I am done for.” USS California Pearl Harbor Medal of Honor Recipients
On December 7, 1941, USS California’s crew fought bravely to save her. For their heroic actions, four of her crew were awarded the Medal of Honor.
