As American ground forces fought for control of Okinawa in the spring of 1945, Japanese Kamikaze pilots wreaked a grim toll on American naval forces.

Read the story of restoring the Museum’s Sherman tank to operating condition.

The British conquest of East Africa, culminating in the May 1941 Battle of Amba Alagi, marked one of WWII's most decisive campaigns.

Originally designed by an eccentric engineer for hurricane rescues, it became the LVT used for armored landings in both the Pacific and European theaters.

The iconic bomber of the European theater, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, carried the fight to the Germans in the skies over Europe.

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. 

By VE-Day, 1.6 million American soldiers stood on German soil. Their first months in the land of their former enemy were marked by a number of surprising observations and interactions.

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.

Between May 13 and May 15, 1945 the 8th Air Force conducted Operation Revival. The target was Stalag Luft I and the objective was to evacuate nearly 8500 Allied POWs via stripped-down B-17s, along with some C-46s and C47s.

Curator of Oral History Joey Balfour offers some suggestions for interviewing friends or loved ones at home.