As dozens of their players left the gridiron for battlefields overseas, the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh joined forces to keep the decimated NFL squads up and running.

Torn and warped by Japanese bullets, this piece of protective gear is a rare testament to the ferocious fighting of the oft-forgotten Aleutian Islands Campaign. 

Without the structure of an official branch of the military, the US Merchant Marine would have to rely on the strength of their numbers leveraged through labor unions to protect themselves.

Company E far exceeded the simplistic expectations of “Americanization” that marked its beginning, and its men went on to prove what it meant to be truly American. 

As 1943 turned to 1944, PT-305 departed New Orleans, and she would not be back for more than six decades. 

On July 23, 1944, a celebration marked a milestone in production for Higgins Industries, which had just finished its 10,000th boat for delivery to the US Navy. 

During World War II, surgeons and medical assistants created new treatments and procedures in plastic surgery that are still used in modern practice. These techniques not only improved soldiers’ physical appearance, but also their morale, by restoring their sense of pride and confidence.

The US military was a nearly unstoppable force during WWII, but the challenges of weather and natural disasters meant that the power of American bombs and bullets could pale in comparison to the power of nature.

A single squadron of Mexican flyers completed nearly 800 sorties—individual aircraft combat missions—in the waning days of World War II.

Staff Sergeant Robert Wolf served with the 343rd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Division, in both the European and Pacific theaters. On his dog tags he added a mezuzah.

POWs were a major focus of the war crimes trials in the Pacific. Former POWs like Sgt. Peter Dzimba were called on to speak for those who could no longer speak for themselves.

A sailor had a simple request—he just wanted to relax with a few beers after months at sea.