75th Anniversary of the End of World War II
Explore articles, web series, podcast episodes, live webinars and more from the Museum for the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
"To Sustain, Not Destroy": Operation Swift Mercy and POW Supply
At the end of the war, more than 12,000 American POWs were scattered in camps across the Pacific in desperate shape. From August 30-September 20, 1945, in Operation Swift Mercy, B-17s and B-29s flew 1,000 missions and dropped 4,500 tons of supplies to American troops no longer prisoner, but still trapped.
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Article TypeMurdered Warriors: The Chasselay Massacre, June 1940
German troops invading France in the spring of 1940 committed widespread atrocities, especially against Black African colonial troops. One of the worst massacres took place at the town of Chasselay on June 20.
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Semper Fi: US Marine, WWII Veteran, Historian Ed Bearss
Ed Bearss, a US Marine who was severely wounded in combat in 1944 and went on to become a great Civil War historian, passed away on September 15, 2020, at the age of 97. He stood for the finest values and traditions of the US Marine Corps.
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Frank Buschmeier, 100th Bomb Group
Frank Buschmeier discusses his capture and subsequent imprisonment after his B-17 was shot down during a mission to Merseberg, Germany in July 1944.
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Private First Class Jacklyn H. Lucas: 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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Murdered Warriors: The Chasselay Massacre, June 1940
German troops invading France in the spring of 1940 committed widespread atrocities, especially against Black African colonial troops. One of the worst massacres took place at the town of Chasselay on June 20.
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Forgotten Fights: Assault on Fortress Cherbourg, June 1944
The US 79th Infantry Division led the way in assaulting Cherbourg’s Fort du Roule on June 25, 1944, and two Americans would receive Medals of Honor for their heroic conduct.
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Forgotten Fights: The Second Jassy-Kishinev Offensive and the Destruction of German Sixth Army
German Sixth Army, destroyed in the Battle of Stalingrad, was destroyed a second time in August 1944 by a Soviet offensive into Romania—with important help from the US Air Force.
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The Berlin Airlift: View From the Cockpit
The Berlin Airlift Part One: From the position of the cockpit, WWII pilots Chuck Childs and Gail Halvorsen commit themselves to one of the greatest examples of humanitarian aid.
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Four Forgotten American Memoirs of World War II
Thousands of men and women wrote memoirs detailing their experiences in World War II. Here are four lesser known examples that merit a second look.
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The Points Were All That Mattered: The US Army’s Demobilization After World War II
When World War II ended in Europe, American soldiers feverishly began calculating how soon they might go home based on a newly instituted point system.
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Tsar Bomba: The Largest Atomic Test in World History
The combined force of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings was minuscule in comparison to the Tsar Bomba, the most awesome nuclear weapon ever detonated.
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Sacrifice: The 333rd Field Artillery at the Battle of the Bulge
Manning 155mm howitzers, African American gunners sacrificed themselves to defend fleeing infantry. Eleven of them were murdered by the Waffen SS, and then forgotten by the US Army.
Pacific Theater of Operations
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Combat in Twilight: Rod Serling's World War II
Rod Serling, the creative genius behind The Twilight Zone and other memorable film and television productions, was both haunted and inspired by his experiences as a US Army paratrooper during World War II.
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"To Sustain, Not Destroy": Operation Swift Mercy and POW Supply
At the end of the war, more than 12,000 American POWs were scattered in camps across the Pacific in desperate shape. From August 30-September 20, 1945, in Operation Swift Mercy, B-17s and B-29s flew 1,000 missions and dropped 4,500 tons of supplies to American troops no longer prisoner, but still trapped.
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Private First Class Jacklyn H. Lucas: 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.
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The Homeward Bound Pennant
To celebrate the end of the war and the journey back to the United States, US Navy ships often flew long pennants to commemorate their time overseas.
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Full Circle: The Japanese Surrender in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945
Every aspect of the Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri was carefully choreographed, with one eye on the past and another on the future.
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Benevolence in Tokyo Bay: The USS Benevolence (AH-13)
The USS Benevolence was one of three hospital ships in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. The ship served as a haven and first stop in rehabilitation for thousands of Allied POWs.
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Liberating the Philippines: 75 Years After by Cecilia Gaerlan
The final liberation of the Philippines at the end of World War II released Filipinos from years of torment—but recognition of their courage and sacrifice was slow in coming.
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A Survivor at the Surrender, USS West Virginia
Severely damaged by Japanese torpedoes at Pearl Harbor, USS West Virginia returned to service in October 1944. When the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945, she was in Tokyo Bay, a symbol of the resilience of the United States Navy.
