African American seamen delivering shells and loading the anti-aircraft gun aboard a vessel on the Atlantic patrol
Credit: The New York Public Library
Credit: The New York Public Library
Lasting from September 1939 to September 1945, World War II, or the Second World War, was a global war, as well as the largest and bloodiest war in history. The global war involved a majority of the world's countries, which formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies – the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the Soviet Union; and the Axis powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan. Both the European and Pacific theaters saw intense fighting and witnessed some of the most significant events in world history including the Holocaust, the usage of atomic weapons, and the end of well known dictators.
On September 3rd, 1939, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany in response to Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1st, marking the beginning of World War II. In Europe, the first weeks involved Germany using their blitzkrieg methods against Poland. France and Belgium were attacked by Germany in May of 1940 in the north. Known as the Battle of France, German forces moved around the Maginot Line and overran Belgium and France. Claiming victory with the help of Italy, its ally, German forces took control of France.
After France’s defeat, Germany focused on the defeat of the United Kingdom. The Battle of Britain was the German attack against the U.K., involving the British Air Force facing off with the German Air Force. During the battle, British cities and towns were largely damaged by German bombers. Unable to defeat the U.K., Germany focused its attention on the Soviet Union. In Operation: Barbarossa, Hitler’s forces attacked the Soviet Union, which pushed through the Soviet Union before, stalling at the edge of Moscow. The Battle of Stalingrad, where German forces attempted to capture the city using blitzkrieg strategies, was a fierce battle of World War II. After the failure of Operation: Barbarossa, Nazi Germany spent the rest of the war being pushed back.
Although sending military supplies to the U.K., the United States was determined not to get involved in the war. That all changed in the early morning of December 7th, 1941. On that morning, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, located 4,000 miles from Japan. The attack started at 7:55am, when hundreds of Japanese fighter planes flew over Pearl Harbor. When the attack was over, 2,403 lives were lost and 1,000 people were wounded. Eight battleships, three cruisers and destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, a mine layer, and over 180 aircraft were damaged badly. The USS Arizona and USS Utah were the only ships that were never brought back to the surface and remain underwater today. Japan hoped the attack would disable the U.S. fleet and prevent its involvement in the war; it had the opposite effect. In a speech to the U.S. Congress on December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7th, “a date which will live in infamy.” He then declared war on Japan, marking America's entry into World War II. Following America’s entrance to the war, Germany declared war on the U.S on December 11th, 1941.
American soldiers played an important role in the European Theater. They assisted the lead to push open a second front and began the process of the defeat of both Nazi Germany and Italy. In the successful invasion of Sicily and Italy, Allied forces pushed out the Axis Powers’ divisions and were able to get their merchant ships into the Mediterranean. To begin the liberation of France, the Allied nations launched the Normandy Invasion, officially known as “D-day.” Code-named Operation Overlord, the invasion began on June 6th, 1944, with “amphibious landings, naval bombardment and an assault by airborne forces.” In this invasion, 156,000 soldiers from the U.S, the U.K, and Canada landed on five beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno. Although they faced difficulties from the Nazis, the invasion was a success. Germany had a last offensive ready, known as the Battle of the Bulge. This last crucial battle of the Europe Theater was a German attack into the Ardennes Forest region. Those who fought in the last battle of the European Theater are remembered as they faced an attack in a difficult landscape in the winter.
When the Allied forces forced their way through Poland, they discovered the concentration/death camps that had been built as part of the Holocaust. Unlike the command officers, who knew about the camps, soldiers were horrified by what they saw. Scared of the arrival of the Allies, the Nazis attempted to murder many prisoners before leaving or took them on a death march. Other times, they would leave and abandon the camps in the process. The U.S Army made people from local towns go through the camps after they were liberated to see the victims’ corpses. Their intention was to make people witness what they supported instead of going against Nazi regime. The Majdanek Camp was the first to be liberated by the Soviet Union, with the liberation of Auschwitz occurring later on. In April 1945, the U.S liberated Buchenwald and Dachau.
After the Battle of the Bulge, the Allies drove into Germany from all sides. During the Battle of Berlin, the Soviet Union army invaded Berlin, Germany’s capital. This invasion saw the end of Hitler’s Third Reich and the end of World War II in Europe. Before the end, many high-ranking Nazis committed suicide. On April 30th, 1945, Hitler committed suicide by gun shot, ending the Nazis’ reign in Germany. The country’s official surrender was signed on May 7th, 1945. On May 8th, there were celebrations around the world, commemorating the end of the war in Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill established May 8th as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day.
Although the war ended in Europe, it still continued in the Pacific Theater. By summer of 1944, the U.S. was getting closer to Japan. In the last, troubling year of the war in the Pacific Theater, there were issues for U.S. forces and the Japanese soldiers and civilians. The major battles that took place in the Pacific were the Battles of Midway, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Occurring in 1942, from June 3rd-7th, the Battle of Midway was a naval battle between Japan and the United States. The U.S managed to decode the Japanese’s plans and had a surprise attack against their Imperial Navy. Due to the attack wreaking havoc on the Japanese fleet, it is believed that the Battle of Midway was a turning point. The Battle of Guadalcanal is remembered for the intense fighting that took place from Aug.7th, 1942-Feb.9th, 1943. When the battle concluded, it allowed U.S. forces to start “leapfrogging,” from island to island in the South Pacific.
America invaded Saipan, an island being part of the Mariana Islands, on June 15th, 1944. The U.S wanted their B-29 bombers to be within a distance to strike mainland Japan. During the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea, American and Japanese forces fought a sea and air battle. For Japan, keeping Saipan was crucial in stopping the U.S. During the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea, American and Japanese forces fought a sea and air battle. Out of 30,000 Japanese soldiers, less than 1,000 of them were alive when the battle ended. Through propaganda, officials from the Japanese government encouraged the entire Japanese population to commit suicide when the time came.
On February 19th, 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima commenced. The U.S. wanted to capture the island, so they could use the airfields for their B-29 flyers and use Iwo as a “staging area,” for the Invasion of Japan. This battle is where a very famous photo was taken; on Mt.Suribachi, 5 U.S Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the American flag. Taking place from Apr.1st-June 22nd, 1945, Okinawa was the very last and brutal conflict in all of World War II. The Kakazu Ridge, Sugar Loaf Hill and Kunishi Ridge saw the battle last for 82 days. The number of casualties from both the U.S and the Japanese convinced. President Harry Truman that America’s invasion of Japan would have over a million casualties on both sides.
At the Potsdam Conference, the U.S. gave out an ultimatum to Japan in the Potsdam Declaration. The terms were to form a new, democratic and peaceful government or face devastation. Japan's emperor, Hirohito, refused to accept the terms.
The two atomic bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were from the Manhattan Project, the effort to develop atomic weapons, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. In the early morning hours of July 16th, 1945, the Trinity Test was the first detonation of their atomic bomb in a remote location. Scientists then developed two types of bombs: a uranium bomb called “Little Boy,” and a plutonium bomb called “Fat Man.”
At 8:15am on August 6th, 1945, “Little Boy,” was dropped during Hiroshima’s rush hour and exploded. The bomb took more than five square miles of the city and the lives of 70,000 people. Shadows of those who were quickly killed were preserved on concrete or stone. The first bombing failed to get Japan to surrender, as they treated it like a regular bombing. As a result, “Fat Man,” was dropped in Nagasaki, at 11:02am, on August 9th. Despite destroying more than three square miles and taking another 70,000 lives or more, it was more powerful than “Little Boy.” In Japanese time, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender on August 15th. On September 2nd - known as Victory Over Japan or V-J Day - the official surrender was signed on the USS Missouri between General Douglas MacArthur, the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the Japanese Army’s Chief of Staff, Yoshijiro Umezu.
On September 3rd, 1939, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany in response to Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1st, marking the beginning of World War II. In Europe, the first weeks involved Germany using their blitzkrieg methods against Poland. France and Belgium were attacked by Germany in May of 1940 in the north. Known as the Battle of France, German forces moved around the Maginot Line and overran Belgium and France. Claiming victory with the help of Italy, its ally, German forces took control of France.
After France’s defeat, Germany focused on the defeat of the United Kingdom. The Battle of Britain was the German attack against the U.K., involving the British Air Force facing off with the German Air Force. During the battle, British cities and towns were largely damaged by German bombers. Unable to defeat the U.K., Germany focused its attention on the Soviet Union. In Operation: Barbarossa, Hitler’s forces attacked the Soviet Union, which pushed through the Soviet Union before, stalling at the edge of Moscow. The Battle of Stalingrad, where German forces attempted to capture the city using blitzkrieg strategies, was a fierce battle of World War II. After the failure of Operation: Barbarossa, Nazi Germany spent the rest of the war being pushed back.
Although sending military supplies to the U.K., the United States was determined not to get involved in the war. That all changed in the early morning of December 7th, 1941. On that morning, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, located 4,000 miles from Japan. The attack started at 7:55am, when hundreds of Japanese fighter planes flew over Pearl Harbor. When the attack was over, 2,403 lives were lost and 1,000 people were wounded. Eight battleships, three cruisers and destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, a mine layer, and over 180 aircraft were damaged badly. The USS Arizona and USS Utah were the only ships that were never brought back to the surface and remain underwater today. Japan hoped the attack would disable the U.S. fleet and prevent its involvement in the war; it had the opposite effect. In a speech to the U.S. Congress on December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7th, “a date which will live in infamy.” He then declared war on Japan, marking America's entry into World War II. Following America’s entrance to the war, Germany declared war on the U.S on December 11th, 1941.
American soldiers played an important role in the European Theater. They assisted the lead to push open a second front and began the process of the defeat of both Nazi Germany and Italy. In the successful invasion of Sicily and Italy, Allied forces pushed out the Axis Powers’ divisions and were able to get their merchant ships into the Mediterranean. To begin the liberation of France, the Allied nations launched the Normandy Invasion, officially known as “D-day.” Code-named Operation Overlord, the invasion began on June 6th, 1944, with “amphibious landings, naval bombardment and an assault by airborne forces.” In this invasion, 156,000 soldiers from the U.S, the U.K, and Canada landed on five beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno. Although they faced difficulties from the Nazis, the invasion was a success. Germany had a last offensive ready, known as the Battle of the Bulge. This last crucial battle of the Europe Theater was a German attack into the Ardennes Forest region. Those who fought in the last battle of the European Theater are remembered as they faced an attack in a difficult landscape in the winter.
When the Allied forces forced their way through Poland, they discovered the concentration/death camps that had been built as part of the Holocaust. Unlike the command officers, who knew about the camps, soldiers were horrified by what they saw. Scared of the arrival of the Allies, the Nazis attempted to murder many prisoners before leaving or took them on a death march. Other times, they would leave and abandon the camps in the process. The U.S Army made people from local towns go through the camps after they were liberated to see the victims’ corpses. Their intention was to make people witness what they supported instead of going against Nazi regime. The Majdanek Camp was the first to be liberated by the Soviet Union, with the liberation of Auschwitz occurring later on. In April 1945, the U.S liberated Buchenwald and Dachau.
After the Battle of the Bulge, the Allies drove into Germany from all sides. During the Battle of Berlin, the Soviet Union army invaded Berlin, Germany’s capital. This invasion saw the end of Hitler’s Third Reich and the end of World War II in Europe. Before the end, many high-ranking Nazis committed suicide. On April 30th, 1945, Hitler committed suicide by gun shot, ending the Nazis’ reign in Germany. The country’s official surrender was signed on May 7th, 1945. On May 8th, there were celebrations around the world, commemorating the end of the war in Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill established May 8th as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day.
Although the war ended in Europe, it still continued in the Pacific Theater. By summer of 1944, the U.S. was getting closer to Japan. In the last, troubling year of the war in the Pacific Theater, there were issues for U.S. forces and the Japanese soldiers and civilians. The major battles that took place in the Pacific were the Battles of Midway, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Occurring in 1942, from June 3rd-7th, the Battle of Midway was a naval battle between Japan and the United States. The U.S managed to decode the Japanese’s plans and had a surprise attack against their Imperial Navy. Due to the attack wreaking havoc on the Japanese fleet, it is believed that the Battle of Midway was a turning point. The Battle of Guadalcanal is remembered for the intense fighting that took place from Aug.7th, 1942-Feb.9th, 1943. When the battle concluded, it allowed U.S. forces to start “leapfrogging,” from island to island in the South Pacific.
America invaded Saipan, an island being part of the Mariana Islands, on June 15th, 1944. The U.S wanted their B-29 bombers to be within a distance to strike mainland Japan. During the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea, American and Japanese forces fought a sea and air battle. For Japan, keeping Saipan was crucial in stopping the U.S. During the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea, American and Japanese forces fought a sea and air battle. Out of 30,000 Japanese soldiers, less than 1,000 of them were alive when the battle ended. Through propaganda, officials from the Japanese government encouraged the entire Japanese population to commit suicide when the time came.
On February 19th, 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima commenced. The U.S. wanted to capture the island, so they could use the airfields for their B-29 flyers and use Iwo as a “staging area,” for the Invasion of Japan. This battle is where a very famous photo was taken; on Mt.Suribachi, 5 U.S Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the American flag. Taking place from Apr.1st-June 22nd, 1945, Okinawa was the very last and brutal conflict in all of World War II. The Kakazu Ridge, Sugar Loaf Hill and Kunishi Ridge saw the battle last for 82 days. The number of casualties from both the U.S and the Japanese convinced. President Harry Truman that America’s invasion of Japan would have over a million casualties on both sides.
At the Potsdam Conference, the U.S. gave out an ultimatum to Japan in the Potsdam Declaration. The terms were to form a new, democratic and peaceful government or face devastation. Japan's emperor, Hirohito, refused to accept the terms.
The two atomic bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were from the Manhattan Project, the effort to develop atomic weapons, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. In the early morning hours of July 16th, 1945, the Trinity Test was the first detonation of their atomic bomb in a remote location. Scientists then developed two types of bombs: a uranium bomb called “Little Boy,” and a plutonium bomb called “Fat Man.”
At 8:15am on August 6th, 1945, “Little Boy,” was dropped during Hiroshima’s rush hour and exploded. The bomb took more than five square miles of the city and the lives of 70,000 people. Shadows of those who were quickly killed were preserved on concrete or stone. The first bombing failed to get Japan to surrender, as they treated it like a regular bombing. As a result, “Fat Man,” was dropped in Nagasaki, at 11:02am, on August 9th. Despite destroying more than three square miles and taking another 70,000 lives or more, it was more powerful than “Little Boy.” In Japanese time, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender on August 15th. On September 2nd - known as Victory Over Japan or V-J Day - the official surrender was signed on the USS Missouri between General Douglas MacArthur, the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the Japanese Army’s Chief of Staff, Yoshijiro Umezu.
Rondo Scharfe
Ronald “Rondo'' Scharfe was born in September 1927 and grew up in Chicago. Using fake identification, he joined the U.S. Navy at sixteen years old. Scharfe was in Rhode Island, Mississippi and New Orleans before going overseas to the invasion of Iwo Jima on February 19th, 1945. Offshore of Iwo Jima, Scharfe’s boat rammed into an obstruction underwater; After being picked up, he made it to the beach; only 14 of the 36 men on his boat survived the battle. After the war, Rondo Scharfe became a fireman in Chicago and then a smoke jumper. After his retirement as a fireman, he never thought much about the war to this day. |
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Neal McCallum
Marine Corporal Neal McCallum, a survivor of the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill, was born in March 1927. In 1944, he managed to convince his father to sign for him to volunteer for the U.S Marines at age 17; three years after America entered World War II. After two months of training at Parris Island, South Carolina, Cpl.McCallum was transferred to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he was assigned to the 29th Marine Regiment. On August 1st, 1944, the 29th Marine Regiment boarded the USS Morton, where they joined with the 22nd and 4th Marine Regiment, forming the 6th Marine Division. While in Okinawa, Cpl.McCallum received a gunshot wound on his calf on May 19th, 1945 and was flown out to Guam; then on a ship to San Francisco, where he was sent to a US Navy Hospital in Virginia; he was in the when the war ended. On December 12th, 1947, he was discharged after being on active duty for 42 months. |
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Harold Brown
Tuskegee Airman Lieutenant Colonel Harold Brown was a high school student when World War II broke out. In 1942, he immediately signed up for flight training at Tuskegee after graduating high school; he was accepted in Dec.1942. A couple weeks after his acceptance, Lt. Col.Brown was on his way to Mississippi for basic training in January of 1943. He then became an aviation student and then a cadet 4 ½ months later at Tuskegee, Alabama. After graduating flight school on May 23rd 1944, Lt. Col.Brown was deployed overseas in September 1944. On his 30th mission, the purpose was to go after ground targets like locomotives. During the mission, he got caught in a big explosion and debris knocked down his engine, which ran long enough so he could parachute out. When he landed, Lt. Col.Brown was picked up by German soldiers and became a POW. On April 29th, his prison camp was liberated by George Patton, whose troops were getting close to the camp. It took 4-6 weeks before Lt. Col.Brown left the prison camp and was transported to Camp Lucky Strike. During the Korean War, he was an Electronic Officer, installing radar systems. Although Lt. Col.Brown was close to where the fighting was occurring, he did not experience combat in Korea. In 1965, he retired as a military Colonel after staying in the military for 22 years. For his service in World War II, Lt. Col.Brown received the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. Lt. Col.Harold Brown passed away on January 12th, 2023. He will be greatly missed. To learn more about Lt. Col.Brown, check out his book, "Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman." |
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Melvin Hurwitz
Staff Sergeant Melvin Hurwitz, a B-17 radio operator and gunner of the B-17 “Flying Fortress”. He is one of 4 boys to a Russian immigrant family in Westminster, MD. Soon after entering college, SSGT.Hurwitz went into the U.S Army Air Corps in August 1943. He was sent to the Corps’ training centers across the U.S. He was assigned to the 863rd Bomb Squadron and 493rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force in Dill Field, FL. SSGT.Hurwitz’s unit was then deployed to England late in the war and flew 4 combat missions. His plane also dropped food supplies to the starving Dutch citizens and returned French P.O.Ws from Austria. While awaiting orders in Clovis, NM to the Pacific Theater of Operations, the war had ended. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1945. |
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Bill Casassa
Sergeant William “Bill” Casassa was born in September 1925 in Fitchburg, MA. After the United States entered World War II, SGT.Casassa volunteered for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) on July 21st, 1943; he was then called for active duty in February 1944. After being assigned to the 638th Tank Destroyer Battalion, they were deployed overseas on September 4th, 1944; they landed in France 11 days later. In November, the 384th Tank Destroyer Battalion was assigned to support the 84th Infantry with the attack on Germany; the Battalion was officially attached to the 84th Infantry in December. SGT.Casassa was present in the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle in Europe during World War II. During the final campaign of the war, SGT.Casassa and his unit took the city of Hanover, Germany and, in doing so, liberated the Ahlem Concentration Camp. After detaching from the 84th Infantry Div. in July and returning to the U.S, he underwent training in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. While doing so, the atomic bombs were dropped in August 1945, ending the war. SGT.Casassa was discharged on February 2nd, 1946. With the Best Defense Foundation, he returned to Berlin, Germany and visited the concentration camp he liberated. |
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Tom Rice
Paratrooper Thomas Rice of the 101st Airborne was born on August 15th, 1921 in Coronado, CA. On November 17th, 1940, he joined the U.S Army at Fort Rosecrans. In 1943, Paratrooper Rice attended Camp Toccoa, GA; after 18 months of training, he joined the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the 101st Airborne Division. He was then deployed to England in 1944 to prepare for Operation Overlord; on June 6th, of the same year, he and his unit jumped into the German activities in Normandy. Soon after all the beaches in Normandy were secured and the Allied Forces could land, Paratrooper Rice's division returned to England and re-equipped and prepared for Operation Market Garden on September 17th, 1944. He and the 101st Airborne was present during the Battle of the Bulge and took over the defense of Bastogne. With the Best Defense Foundation, Paratrooper Rice returned to the Netherlands for the 75th anniversary of its liberation and to Pearl Harbor for the 80th anniversary of the attack. He is one of the coolest veterans I have ever met. In 2019, he jumped out of a plane in Normandy on the 75th anniversary of D-day, in the Netherlands for the 75th anniversary of Operation: Market Garden, and jumped out of one for his 100th birthday! Paratrooper Tom Rice passed away on November 17th, 2022 at 101. He will be greatly missed. |
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John Pildner Sr.
Private First Class John Pildner Sr. of the 290th Anti-Tank Company, 75th Infantry Division and a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge was born in January 1926 in Erie, Pennsylvania. After being drafted into the U.S Army, he was sent to Camp Rucker, AL and was assigned to the 66th Division. Then, PFC.Pildner’s orders changed; he was assigned to Camp Breckenridge, KY, where he was to the 290th Anti-Tank Company. While overseas, he and his Company traveled through Luxembourg heading to Operation: Market Garden in Belgium. PFC.Pildner never forgot walking over bodies while laying mines in Lamour Hill during the Battle of the Bulge. He participated in the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in December 2019 in Bastogne, Belgium. PFC.Pildner was given the privilege of going to Pearl Harbor for the 80th anniversary of the attack. By interviewing him, I’m glad that I increased his sense of hope for the future of America. PFC.John Pildner passed away on January 21st, 2024. He will be missed greatly Responses recorded: 1-26-22 |
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Andre Chappaz
Army Engineer Corporal Andre Chappaz of the 1885th Engineer Battalion was born in San Francisco, CA in September 1925. He was raised in France until returning to San Francisco with his family. Cpl.Chappaz was an art student until he was called to serve in the U.S Army; Cpl.Chappaz served with the 1885th Engineer Battalion. While he was deployed in the Pacific during the war, he chronicled his experiences through his drawings while serving in Okinawa and Guam. While Cpl.Chappaz was overseas, he helped build airfields for B-29 bombers on the Mariana Islands and Ryukus. After the war, he returned to Art School and then worked as an advertising artist working in design and illustrations. With the Best Defense Foundation, he returned to the Pacific in 2019. He also went to the 80th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gil Nadeau Signalman Gilbert Nadeau was born in April 1926 in Beverly, MA. On December 7th, 1941, he learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor from the radio; he described that everyone in America “wanted to kick butt, we wanted to win the war, come home and go on with our lives.” Signalman Nadeau had to wait until he was sixteen and had permission to join the military; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in January 1944. After completing boot camp, he became a signalman to a gun ship called Landing Craft Support (LCS). He and his command saw combat in the Philippines during the Invasion of Borneo and the Invasion of Okinawa. During his final combat mission in Okinawa, he witnessed and survived kamikaze attacks. His unit returned to the Philippine Islands in preparation for the Invasion of Japan when the Battle of Okinawa concluded; Japan surrendered before the invasion could happen. Signalman Nadeau continued to serve in the Navy until he was honorably discharged in 1954. |
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Bud Anderson
Colonel Clarence “Bud” Anderson was born January 1922 Oakland, CA. While attending college, he learned to fly at age 19, gaining his private pilot’s license in 1941. In January 1942, Col.Anderson entered the US Army Aviation Cadet Program and received his wings and commission in September of 1942. He flew in the 357th Fighter Group “Yoxford Boys” and was the highest scoring ace in the 363rd Fighter Squadron. During World War II, Col.Anderson served two combat tours, escorted heavy bombers across Europe in the P-51 Mustang from November 1943 to January 1945. After retiring in 1984, he received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015 with all the American Fighter Aces; was awarded the Air Force Association Lifetime Achievement Award in September of 2017. For more information about Col.Bud Anderson, go to https://toflyandfight.com/ |
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Peter MacDonald Sr.
Navajo Code Talker Peter MacDonald Sr. was born on a Navajo reservation in Teec Nos Pos, AZ. born in 1928. At 15-years-old, he lied about his age and enlisted to join the USMC in 1944. MacDonald reached the rank of a Corporal and was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade and then, to the Sixth Marine Division to be with the Marine Corps Headquarters unit. After completing the training, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Pearl Harbor and Guam. MacDonald was then deployed to North China, where he was tasked to get all Japanese soldiers, occupying North China, to surrender. When the war in the Pacific ended, he celebrated the war by yelling and shooting small arms into the sky along with other Marines and Naval forces. After returning home, MacDonald had a Navajo ceremony, called "Nidaa," to cleanse him from the evil contamination of war that he went through. Responses recorded: 5-14-22 |
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Dorothy Jones
Yeoman Officer Dorothy Jones was born and raised in South Carolina. On December 7th, 1941, she was coming home from church with her mother and learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor through the radio. In September 1942, Yeoman Jones enlisted and was chosen to become a recruiter; she is also one of the first women to go as military personnel. In 1944, she was in Hawaii when she learned of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death. Yeoman Jones was discharged a month after Japan surrendered in 1945. With the Best Defense Foundation, she went back to Pearl Harbor for the 80th anniversary of the attack in December 2021 and the 78th anniversary of D-day in June 2022. |
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Joseph Casaburi
Private First Class Joseph Casaburi was born and raised in Harlem, New York in December 1921. Drafted in the Army-Air Force, PFC.Casaburi started in Denver as a dental assistant, until he was informed that he needed to leave for Germany. During his deployment, he lost his unit and was outnumbered by about 300 Germans to two. After spotting a house and going in, he hid by going under a bed when Germans soldiers came in to search the house; this went on for 20 minutes, until they finally left the house. Out of all the medals PFC.Casaburi received, the one he is most proud of is the Purple Heart. At the age of 101, PFC.Joseph Casaburi passed away on January 14th, 2023. He will never be forgotten. Check out his podcast on Spotify called “Uncle Joey: The First Hundred Years,” at https://open.spotify.com/show/06IMXz2hhtogWu5TSHU85f. Responses recorded: 2-22-22 |
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George Mullins
Staff Sergeant George Mullins of the 101st Airborne, C Company, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) was born in April 1925 in Kentucky. Knowing that he was going to be drafted, SSGT.Mullins volunteered in the military. During his deployment, he spent most of his time on the front lines. While in Berchtesgaden for two months, SSGT.Mullins was promoted from Private to Sergeant and then Staff Sergeant. He was injured by getting hit with shrapnel while fighting near the village of Dodwaard-Hein, and suffered a minor concussion and fatigue while in Bastogne. After the war ended, SSGT.Mullins stayed in Auxerre, France for 6-8 weeks, until he was able to go back to the U.S. In June 2017, he received the French Legion Of Honor Medal and was awarded the keys to the city of Carentan in the same year. To learn more about SSGT.Mullins' life and service in the military, check out his book, "Foxhole." Responses recorded: 9-17-21 |
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Sam Baker
Lt. Baker was born on August 26, 1922 and enlisted in the Marine Corps on April 4, 1942, at the age of 19, because he wanted to help his country fight the war. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in early 1944 and with stops at Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, Hawaii, Guam, and finally to Guadalcanal, where he joined the 6th Marine Division. He landed on Okinawa April 1, 1945. After the island was secure, The 6th Division returned to Guam to prepare for the invasion of Japan. When the war ended the 6th Division was assigned to Singtao, China, where he served until the Spring of 1946 when he returned to the U.S. for discharge at the New Orleans Marine Base. At age 95 Lt. Baker started writing and became an author for children's books. His latest book, "Oscar The Mouse," was published in 2020. As a children's book author, one of his goals is to encourage all children to learn to read. To learn more about his books, go to https//www.sambakerbooks.com. |
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Marvin Silver
Born in December 1924 in the Bronx to immigrant parents from eastern Europe, Private First Class Marvin Silver registered for draft in December 1942 and was inducted into the Army in April of 1943. He was assigned to the US Army Air Force and did basic training in Atlantic City, NJ. Afterwards, PFC.Silver was then assigned to Signal Corps and sent to Drew Fields, FL to be trained as a radar operator to track aircraft. In March 1944, he left the U.S. by ship from Los Angeles and landed in Bombay India one month later. PFC.Silver set up radar equipment in Burma (now called Myanmar) on Brahmaputra River. By air, he was transferred to Kunming, China to set up radar equipment and then to Hanchung, China six months later. In October 1945, PFC.Silver traveled to Chengtu, China, using an Army truck convoy. He then flew to Calcutta, India and boarded a boat to the U.S, and sailed through the Suez canal across the Atlantic to New York. PFC.Marvin Silver was discharged in November 1945. Under the GI Bill, he attended New York University (NYU) and received BA and MA in chemistry and education. In 2015, PFC.Silver, retired as a forensic chemist for the US Customs and Border Protection. |
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Jack Holder
Pearl Harbor survivor Jack Holder was born in December 1921. In 1940, he enlisted as a Machinist Mate in the U.S. Navy. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, Jack was on Ford Island when he heard the beginning of the attack at Pearl Harbor after he “heard a screaming aircraft and moments later, a terrible explosion”; he survived the attack and wanted revenge. As a PBY-5A Catalina flight engineer, Jack was present at the Battle of Midway and later flew 48 missions over Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands. He was honorably discharged on March 5th, 1948. With the Best Defense Foundation, he returned to Pearl Harbor for the 78th and 80th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Jack Harbor passed away on February 24th, 2023. He will be greatly missed. |
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Hershel "Woody" Williams
Hershel "Woody" Williams was the last recipient of the Medal of Honor from World War II. Woody was born in October 1923 in Quiet Dell, WV. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. With the 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Woody served in the Battle of Iwo Jima and witnessed the United States flag being raised on Iwo Jima. On October 5th, 1945, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman. Woody has been back to Iwo Jima twice and Chad Graham, the President and CEO of the Woody Williams Foundation, had the honor of accompanying him. Woody was unable to pinpoint exactly where he was because it is grown over with vegetation, instead of the bombed/scorched earth-scape from 1945. They were able to walk near where he came ashore and were also able to visit where the flag raising took place on Mt Suribachi. Hershel “Woody” Williams passed away on June 29, 2022 at the age of 98. To learn more information about Woody Williams, go to https://woodywilliams.org/index.html. Responses recorded: 4-4-22 |
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Hugh Wallis
Born in June 1924 on a Tobacco Farm, Paratrooper Hugh Wallis of the 82nd Airborne was drafted into the Army. After completing the basic training, he signed up to be a Paratrooper. In January 1944, Paratrooper Wallis was deployed to Casablanca and then was flown out to Naples, Italy and then to Anzio. After being hit and spending time in the hospital, he was let out of the hospital in time to rejoin the 504th to go to England. Being held in reserve, Paratrooper Wallis and the 3rd platoon, Company A, 504th Regiment did training in England until Sept.17th, when they jumped into Holland in Operation: Market Garden. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge, where he froze my feet. He went to the hospital again, but he was sent back to the USA. Paratrooper Wallis was discharged from service in the Summer of 1945 at Camp Buckner, N.C. With the Best Defense Foundation, he returned to the Netherlands for the 75th anniversary of Operation: Market Garden.
Responses recorded: 10-22-21
Interview coming soon!!!
Born in June 1924 on a Tobacco Farm, Paratrooper Hugh Wallis of the 82nd Airborne was drafted into the Army. After completing the basic training, he signed up to be a Paratrooper. In January 1944, Paratrooper Wallis was deployed to Casablanca and then was flown out to Naples, Italy and then to Anzio. After being hit and spending time in the hospital, he was let out of the hospital in time to rejoin the 504th to go to England. Being held in reserve, Paratrooper Wallis and the 3rd platoon, Company A, 504th Regiment did training in England until Sept.17th, when they jumped into Holland in Operation: Market Garden. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge, where he froze my feet. He went to the hospital again, but he was sent back to the USA. Paratrooper Wallis was discharged from service in the Summer of 1945 at Camp Buckner, N.C. With the Best Defense Foundation, he returned to the Netherlands for the 75th anniversary of Operation: Market Garden.
Responses recorded: 10-22-21
Interview coming soon!!!
James Hixon
James Hixon was a child during the depression and did help some with milking the cow on his grandparent's farm. He was in high school about age 15/16 when WWII broke out; a lot of his friends were signing up to serve and he asked his father several times about joining. Finally his father gave in, at the time, James was 17 years old, and his father had to sign for him since he was under 18. After signing up to join the Navy, he went to the Navy training center in San Diego, CA. After Naval training he was assigned the position as the motor machinist mate and worked in the engine room to keep the engines going on his minesweeper ship. Their job on the minesweeper was to go to the islands in the Pacific and cut the underwater mines by blowing them up throughout the Pacific Ocean in and around the islands so the marines could go in with their landing craft and clear any Japanese from those islands. Some of the islands his ship went to were: Saipan, Tinian, Willis, Rota, Marshall Islands and Truck Island. When they heard the war was over, they were in the area of the Philippines when the surrender was made. When his ship needed some repairs made after getting caught in a terrible storm, the ship went to Japan near Osaka where they were able to get supplies and hire help and an interpreter to help in the machine room with the repairs. During this time Motor Machinist Mate, James Hixon spoke often with the interpreter named Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro invited James to his home many times, and one day James took him up on the offer and went with Ichiro to his home where he met Ichiro's father who was a leader in the Japanese Imperial Army. Although enemies, the war was over, Japan had surrendered and The Suzuki family opened their home to this young American Naval officer, saying "They did what was required of each of them. They served their countries well." James spent about 18 or so months in the Navy before returning home to Birmingham, AL to finish high school and eventually begin college. Today, he still has a Japanese silk scarf that was given to him by his Japanese Imperial Army friend, Ichiro Suzuki. |
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Sarah Rickman
Born in Tennessee and raised in Colorado, WASPS and WAFS Author Sarah Rickman was young when World War II was occurring. At age 5, she became interested in writing by learning to read and being read to. On August 14th, 1945, she and her neighborhood friend celebrated the end of the war by getting pots, pans and spoons, and marching up and down the sidewalk hollering “The war is over.” In 1986, Sarah Rickman learned about the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). The first woman she met who served in the WAFS was Nancy Batson-Crews, who asked Ms.Rickman to write the story of the WAFS. In 1990, she met WASPS pilot Nadine Nagle and became close friends with her. Sarah Rickman wrote her first book, The Originals: The Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of World War II. She went on to write 11 more books about the WAFS and the WASPS. Throughout her life, Sarah Rickman wrote biographies about six of the original WAFS and one of the WASPS. In March of 2010, she was present at the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the WAFS and WASP in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Author Sarah Rickman plans to write a memoir about her work. To learn more about her books, go to https://sarahbyrnrickman.com/. |
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Jake Larson
Sergeant Jake Larson, also known as Papa Jake on Tiktok, was born and raised on a farm in Minnesota in December 1922. After lying about his age, he joined the National Guard at 15-years-old. When Sgt.Larson was deployed to Northern Ireland, he was transferred to G3, V Corps as a typer. During deployment, he was part of planning the Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-day. He recalls “every person that landed on Omaha Beach came through these fingers!” During a 45 day leave, Sgt.Larson was given the choice of going back to the war or getting discharged. On April 13th, 1945 he was discharged after spending 3 years in the service. To learn more about Sgt.Larson, check out his book, “The Luckiest Man in the World: Stories from the life of Papa Jake,” and his TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@storytimewithpapajake. |
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Jack Myers
Corporal Jack Myers of the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion was drafted in the U.S Army and was trained to be a gunner in 1943. During the Battle of the Bulge, Cpl.Myers’ Battalion occupied the defensive positions along the Roer River and supported the 104th Infantry Division from the Roer to the Rhine River. Shortly before the war ended, he and his unit liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp on April 29th, 1945. With the Best Defense Foundation, Cpl.Myers returned to Normandy, the Netherlands, Berlin, Germany, and to Pearl Harbor for the 80th Anniversary of the attack. |
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