News | Human Interest Stories

NEVER AGAIN? On Yom Hashoah, Poll Shows Two Thirds Of Millennials Don't Know What Auschwitz Was

According to a new survey released on Thursday by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, fully 41 percent of Americans don’t know what Auschwitz was, including two-thirds of Mil

History | History

How Soviet troops taunted the Nazis during their final drive to Berlin in World War II

Amid the chaos and destruction in Germany during the final days of World War II, Soviet forces found other, nonmilitary ways to torment their foes.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

The Atomic-Bomb Core That Escaped World War II - The Atlantic

Before two deadly nuclear mishaps, scientists used to risk “tickling the tail of a sleeping dragon.” An Object Lesson.

Travel | Travel

National WWII Museum Launches a European Tour Tracing the 'Band of Brothers' Path

Calling all history buffs.

Entertainment | Television/Film/Books

10 Surprising Facts About Band of Brothers

3. It caused some controversy in the United Kingdom.

The greatest movie/series about WWII ever.

History | History

A plane found 38 feet under the ice: A Daring, High-Risk Rescue Attempt In Greenland In 1942 Has Come To Light Again

There are no shortage of memorable moments that unfolded during the Second World War. And though many of us would choose not to remember all of them, it’s important to keep them in mind; to not only pay homage to those we’ve lost but to learn from ou

History | History

Wreckage found of WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington

Wreckage from the USS Lexington, a US aircraft carrier which sank during World War II, has been found in the Coral Sea, a search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced Monday. The search team released pictures and video of the wreckage of

Science & Technology | Archaeology & Anthropology

The Thistlegorm Project | 3D Survey and 360 Videos

An archaeological survey of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck in the Red Sea, Egypt. Featuring 3D photogrammetry and 360 degree underwater video.

History | HISTORY

Why this Holocaust survivor still wears his concentration camp uniform | New York Post

Ed Mosberg’s hands stay steady as he slips into the striped cotton jacket and matching cap — an outfit identical to one he was issued 75 years ago, as a...

“They took the infant out of the mother’s hand and smashed it against walls and it was killed instantly,” Mosberg recalled...He remembers when officers told prisoners with canes to abandon the aids, promising that whoever could cross the square would be free: “They were crawling on their hands and knees. When they got [to the other side] they were shot.”

History | History

Why Did the U.S. Sink Captured Japanese Subs After WWII? | Smithsonian

WWII had come to a close, and the U.S. was the first to seize a new class of giant Japanese submarines. The next step was to analyze them quickly and then sink them, before the Russians could learn their secrets.

History | History

The Secret World War II History Hidden in London's Fences

London's housing developments often feature a unique form of fencing: stretchers reused after World War II.

History | History

"Darkest Hour' - Churchill’s powerful ‘fight on the beaches’ speech: The words few people actually heard

As the 'Darkest Hour' debuts in movie theaters, the strange story of how people finally got to listen to Churchill deliver one of history's most stirring speeches.

I strongly recommend that you go see "Darkest Hour." In my opinion, it is one of the finest films about Churchill. Of course, this speech is a highlight.

History | History

Researchers share never-before-seen images of US ship that fired 1st shots at Pearl Harbor

Never-before-seen images of US ship that fired 1st shots at Pearl Harbor released

History | History

Battle of Tarawa in WWII 'the toughest battle in Marine Corps history' - Business Insider

The commander of the task force attacking Tarawa called Betio "a little Gibraltar" and said that "only the Marines could have made such a landing."

Entertainment | Entertainment

20 Best World War 2 Movies of All Time - Top WW2 Films Ever Made

From war-torn romances to bloody battles, these are the best films that depict the horrors of World War 2—and the humanity at the center of the conflicts

History | History

Did FDR End the Great Depression? | PragerU

Did FDR help end the Great Depression? Did his New Deal improve an otherwise hopeless economy? Lee Ohanian, Professor of Economics at UCLA and consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, explains.

The answer is "no" and always has been. I understood that when I was in high school. People need to be objective about history, so videos like this that support the facts, and not some political narrative, are crucial.

History | History

Reconstructed Auschwitz prisoner text details ′unimaginable′ suffering | Germany | DW | 09.10.2017

A newly reconstructed document written in 1944 by a Greek Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz tells of misery "the human mind can not imagine." The text was discovered buried in the ground at the Nazi extermination camp.

History | History

This woman’s portraits of wartime Greyhound passengers reveal faces of fatigue and resolve

World War II must have been exhausting, even on the home front. Beside the stress of waiting for loved ones to return from overseas, training for new jobs, or being forcibly detained, Americans were…

History | History

Abba Kovner and Resistance in the Vilna Ghetto

Abba Kovner led resistance fighters in both the Vilna Ghetto and in the Rudninkai Forest against the murderous Nazi enemy during the Holocaust

There are many stories of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. This is just one, they all need to be told. With almost no resources, heroes emerged that took on the Nazis, and in many cases, saved hundreds of lives.

History | History

Coca-Cola collaborated with the Nazis in the 1930s, and Fanta is the proof

The not-so-sweet history

It's amazing that Coke, the all-American beverage, was a favorite of the Nazis AND that the company's attitude toward the Germans was so friendly. Also, how is Fanta even still in business? It tastes terrible and is apparently the product of the Nazis.

History | History

Jewish high jumper barred from 1936 Olympics dies at 103

Margaret Lambert, a Jewish high jumper who was barred from competing at the 1936 Olympics, has died at the age of 103.

This woman was truly remarkable. If you don't know her story, you should definitely read this.

History | HISTORY

‘Dunkirk’: Why Didn’t Hitler Go in For the Kill?

The British army was in full retreat, but suddenly German tanks were halted–twice. Hitler later said he gave Churchill “a sporting chance” of survival. Churchill wasn’t interested.

News | The News

President makes a call to last Doolittle Raider

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump called Lt. Col. Dick Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, on Sunday, according to a press

Like him or hate him: this was the right thing to do.

History | History

The Battleship That Went from Pearl Harbor to D-Day

The D-Day landings featured an immense fleet – including seven battleships. One, HMS Rodney, was notable for being the only battleship to torpedo another battleship. However, one of the American battleships came to Normandy via Pearl Harbor, where she was run aground.

I was obsessed with Pearl Harbor when I was a kid. I still have the guide book that I got there when I was seven. I wrote papers about it in school, have visited many times, and have read dozens of books about it. Somewhat weirdly, I was just talking to someone about the USS Nevada a few days ago (really). It's a fascinating story and illustrates perfectly how badly, not just the Japanese, but all of the Axis powers, underestimated the United States.

Gaming | Gaming

Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer will have land, air, and sea combat | VentureBeat | PC Gaming | by Dean Takahashi

Sledgehammer Games showed off the latest trailer for multiplayer combat in Call of Duty: WWII. And it will give a new meaning to “boots on the ground,” as it will involve land, air, and sea combat.

History | History

In film, survivor searches for US soldier who liberated him at Dachau | The Times of Israel

New documentary centers on Steve Ross, who was 'transformed' as a boy by an act of kindness in the concentration camp

History | History

Catching Up With (A Real Life) "Rosie The Riveter"

Seventy-five years ago, during World War II, Dr. Frances Carter worked in a Birmingham, Alabama, defense plant, helping to build B-29 bombers—some of the largest aircraft in service during the war. She is "Rosie the Riveter," and today, we're catch

This is an inspiring article!

History | History

7 of the craziest commando missions of World War II

World War II was an exciting time for special operations and commandos. The advent of airborne operations gave them a whole new angle of approach, and the sheer scale of the war guaranteed that they’d have plenty of chances to use their skills.

History | History

Look Inside the Sketchbook of a World War II Soldier

After serving in the Army, Victor Lundy went on to become a successful architect.

History | History

These Rare Color Photos From the Second World War Are Incredible

A new book published by the Imperial War Museum features a rare collection of color photos from World War II, some of which haven’t been seen in over 70 years. From P-51D Mustangs and Flying Fortresses through to anti-aircraft spotters and flame hurling

History | History

New documents reveal Allies knew of Holocaust years before previously assumed - Diaspora - Jerusalem Post

Despite the knowledge, the Allies did little to help stop the massacre at the hands of the Nazi regime.

History | History

Last Doolittle Raider, 101, recalls attack 75 years later

CINCINNATI (AP) — At age 101, retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole says his memories are vivid of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders mission that helped change the course of World War II.

Entertainment | Film

Ridley Scott’s bringing the Battle of Britain to the big screen · Newswire · The A.V. Club

rhaps wanting to remind the public of the role his homeland played in ending World War II, Ridley Scott is planning to direct a movie about the Battle of Britain.

I am not a Ridley Scott fan, but I can see him doing a fantastic job with The Battle of Britain.

History | History

Teacher traces dad's World War II past, finds 75-year-old plane wreckage

The story started to come together when Ken Elder Bledsoe organized the letters his father had written to his mother in 1942.

History | History

The Holocaust's Great Escape | History | Smithsonian

A remarkable discovery in Lithuania brings a legendary tale of survival back to life

History | History

Young man on a mission to honor World War II vets before it's too late

Calif. teen films veterans' stories so he can capture their experiences and honor their sacrifices

We need more kids like this. A lot more.

History | History

Posthumous honor for US officer who saved 200 Jewish GIs from the Nazis -- and never told a soul | The Times of Israel

With a Nazi pistol pointed at his head, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds refused to reveal which of his soldiers were Jews. This week he was recognized for his bravery

This is an amazing story of bravery, principle and American toughness. It may also make you a little teary eyed.

"Upon seeing all the soldiers lined up, the camp’s commandant, Major Siegmann, approached Edmonds. He ordered Edmonds to identify the Jewish soldiers.

“We are all Jews here,” Edmonds said.

Irate, the commandant jammed his pistol against Edmonds’ head and repeated the order. Again, Edmonds refused."

It also proves, again, that the revisionist idea that only the SS, and not the German army (the "Wehrmacht ") participated in the Holocaust is a serious lie:

"Throughout the war, the Wehrmacht either murdered Jewish soldiers captured on the Eastern Front or sent them to extermination camps."

News | Interesting Stories

Israel: Dug by Jews, tunnel from Nazi era found in Lithuania

JERUSALEM (AP) — In a Lithuanian forest, an international research team has pinpointed the location of a legendary tunnel that Jewish prisoners secretly dug out with spoons to try to escape their Nazi captors during World War II, the Israel Antiquities

History | History

US Marines admit one of the men identified in Iwo Jima photo was the wrong man - as details emerge of real hero who took

The US Marines have resolved a longstanding question mark over the identities of the men in an iconic photograph from Iwo Jima, revealing the story of a Midwestern Private who went to his grave without ever claiming his role.

This picture has been the subject of so much drama and speculation over the years.

Politics | Politics

Court convicts Auschwitz guard, 94, as accessory to murder

A 94-year-old former SS sergeant was found guilty Friday of 170,000 counts of accessory to murder and sentenced to five years in prison for serving as an Auschwitz guard, in a verdict that survivors from the Nazi death camp hailed as a long overdue victor

Entertainment | Miscellaneous Disney

How World War II Changed Walt Disney | TIME

How two crises— a crippling strike and the Second World War— changed the Disney studio (and Walt himself) forever

Politics | Politics

Death of last Treblinka survivor points to post-witness era

The death of 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Samuel Willenberg marks the passing of the last link to the notorious death camp of Treblinka, perhaps the most vivid example of Nazi Germany's attempt to destroy ...

History | History

Photos combine images of Germany from WWII with today - Business Insider

The photographs artfully contrast the broad sweeps of Nazi propaganda and the devastation of the war in Berlin with the vibrancy of the city today.

People need to understand that WWII was not that long ago. We need to heed its lessons. Freedom is a gift.

News | Human Interest Stories

Parents Think They're Taking Picture With Buoy, Don't Realize What It Really Is Until Much Later

A family took photos with a washed-up buoy that turned out to be an unexploded World War II mine. Kelly&nbs...

History | History

The BBC Flew A Drone Over Auschwitz. What They Caught On Film Sent Chills Down My Spine | Greenville Gazette

Recently, a drone flown by the BBC was flown over the remains of Auschwitz. This was one of the most infamous concentration camps from WWII and the release of the footage is timely, as the

This is literally chilling. You don't understand how large this death factory was until you see it. THIS is why the Shoah (the Holocaust) is different. At no other other time in history was this massive of an effort make to eliminate an entire people (remember that Auschwitz was one of MANY camps). There is no other incidence of genocide in history that was like this, on this scale. Shame on people like Justin Trudeau for their failure to acknowledge that it was the Jews that were the primary target, and victims, of the absolute horror that this video gives you a just a "mere" glimpse of.

"The images revealed by the BBC’s drone are disturbing. While one can walk into Auschwitz and take a tour, these bird’s eye view pictures give a sense for the enormity of the atrocity taking place."

History | History

Oldest U.S. vet, 110, helps mark Pearl Harbor Day

Live webcasts from Pearl Harbor, interment at the USS Arizona, Honolulu parade and other events mark the 74th anniversary of the surprise attack that led the U.S. into World War II

Pearl Harbor has always had a special significance for me. My father's birthday was December 7. December 7, 1941 was my dad's 18h birthday. He was also stationed at Schofield Barracks, near Pearl Harbor and also a target of the Japanese attack, from 1943 onward. I went to Pearl Harbor for the first time when I was about 7 and immediately became obsessed with it. I still have the guide book that I bought that day (or my parents bought for me). I wrote a term paper on it in high school and read at least a dozen books on it by the time I was 17. I didn't like reading books as a kid.

This story is very interesting to me. If you do the math, this man joined the military at 37, at an age when most people could have easily opted not to. In those days though, it was more common because we all understood the threat. we also had a much stronger sense that we are ALL equally American EVEN is society didn't see us that way sometimes. We knew that we had an unshakable common interest despite the negative aspects of our society (which were obviously far more commonplace a that time). We also have to remember that many of the "Greatest Generation," including Pearl Harbor survivors and people like this man, are still with us. We should be thanking them, but far more importantly, we should be learning from them. They have experienced an enormous expanse of history which took them from the Great Depression, through WWII, to where we all sit at this moment.

History | History

One of six seaplanes lost during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor - StarTribune.com

HONOLULU – New images of a large U.S. Navy seaplane that sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor show a coral-encrusted engine and reef fish swimming in and out of a hull.

History | History

After 74 years, sailors from ship sunk at Pearl Harbor, may finally come home - StarTribune.com

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – Inside an old aircraft factory here, behind the glass windows of a pristine laboratory, the lost crew of the USS Oklahoma rests on special tables covered in black foam.

History | History

10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Second World War

1) France had more tanks, guns and men than Germany in 1940 It is always assumed that during the Second World War the Germans bludgeoned their way to victory with a highly modern and mechanised army and Air Force that was superior to anything the Allies c

I didn't know most of these. This is a great article if you are interested in WWII.

News | News

Banner calls on Sooners to return Nazi-looted art | The Times of Israel

University of Oklahoma president says sign inappropriate amidst legal proceedings over painting believed stolen from Jewish owner

This isn't related directly to Israel, but I thought that some of you may find it interesting.

History | History

Men who say they found Nazi treasure train reveal new details

Two men who claim to have located a Nazi train laden with treasure that reportedly went missing in the last days of World War II came forward Friday in a Polish television interview and disclosed new details of their alleged feat.

History | History

Was it Wrong to Drop the Atom Bomb on Japan? - Prager University

In recent years, many academics and others have condemned President Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as unnecessary and immoral. Yet this interpretation relies on a poor understanding of history tha

I thought that I would post this because of the anniversary of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima. It was a nightmarish thing to have to do. But there is absolutely no doubt that it was the right thing to do.

History | History

Spectacular photos of the US Navy's most powerful battleship ever

This is the USS Iowa, the first of the largest, most powerful battleship class ever in the United States Navy, equipped with nine 16-inch (406mm) guns that could fire nuclear shells—the only American ship in history with this capability. This photo seri

This is AMAZING. It must of been terrifying if one of these things was unleashed on you.

History | History

Giving Jews Memory

Giving closure to restless, murdered Jews who did not get a burial place, Catholic priest, Father Patrick Desbois heals old wounds by documenting the truth.

History | History

Amazing Color Photos of France After D-Day | Mental Floss

In stunning color, here's a look at life in France in the summer of 1944.

These are truly amazing.

History | History

Video: A New Way of Looking at the True Human Cost of WWII

Using technology and updated numbers, filmmaker Neil Halloran dissects World War II in a new way.

This really portrays the human costs of WWII in a very stark way. It adds much needed perspective to what the war cost in human terms and the price paid by the Greatest Generation.

My father was a WWII veteran. I wish more and more that I had been more persistent in trying to get him to tell me about his experiences (and I was persistent, it just wasn't something he wanted to talk about). Ironically I met someone last night who was very adamant about her pacifism. I asked her if she thought that we should have stayed out of WWII. Her response was that we should never have tried to impose our values on the rest of the world and that "all wars" were only about profit and forcing your "world view" on others. Again, I pointed out that WWII was about eradicating evil from the planet. I also mentioned that I am reading "Band of Brothers" and, to a man, those guys all despised war, but new that what they were doing was necessary. Her response was that (at age 35) she "knows nothing" about WWII and that I would "win" the conversation (not because of facts, but because of her ignorance). The fact that this was not about "winning," but about understanding how the world works was beyond her. This is why history MUST be taught at an early age and taught well.

History | History

WWII Aircraft Carrier Is Found 'Amazingly Intact' On Ocean Floor Near San Francisco : The Two-Way : NPR

It fought in World War II and was used in two atomic bomb tests. Now, 64 years after it was scuttled, the USS Independence has been located by an undersea survey team led by NOAA and the U.S. Navy.

More fascinating WWII history...

Miscellaneous | Potpourri

Sunken aircraft carrier rediscovered off California coast

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Scientists have rediscovered a mostly intact World War II aircraft carrier used in atomic bomb tests and then sunk at a secret location off the Northern California coast decades ago.

Neat. So, people used to take off from those things? They were definitely the greatest generation.

History | History

Remains from those killed at Pearl Harbor on USS Oklahoma to be exhumed - CNN.com

Remains of up to nearly 400 unaccounted for service members tied to the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor will be exhumed, the Defense Department said.

This is a little bit morbid in my opinion, but it is history and it is important history. I started my semi-obsession with the Peal Harbor attack when I was about seven years old. Even as a kid I never really understood why it fascinated me so much, but it still does.

History | History

English gardener unearths WWII bunker in back yard

"My wife came out and I'd unearthed this air raid shelter. She couldn't believe it, she thinks I'm crazy," said frustrated gardener Jim Clark.

Unbelievable!

History | History

USS Arizona's oldest survivor dies at 100

Joe Langdell was working as a junior accountant in Boston when he got the idea that he should join the Navy and go to sea. It was 1940 and America edged closer every day to joining the war that raged in Europe.

History | History

Powerful! Are we Living 1933 All Over Again? - Israel Video Network

Not to be believed. This is a call to your conscience. Horrible antisemitism repeats itself as history repeats itself. It’s time to recognize the BDS and holocaust denial for what it is. Watch and be horrified by the similarities between then and now.

This is astounding. I do not advocate over-reacting to the current situation, but the parallels to 1933 are too compelling to ignore.

History | History

Haunting then and now pictures of the town next to Auschwitz

The harrowing moment the Jewish residents of Polish town Oswiecim, renamed Auschwitz by the Nazis, were rounded up in the high street was caught on camera.

Somehow seeing that the tame looks almost identical to how it looked during the Shoah makes it all even more real. I can only imagine what it was like for the victims who would occasionally see the town to know that the people in this town went on with their lives as though millions of people were being murdered feet away.

Politics | Politics

The White House Needs a Refresher Course on World War II History

Read into this what you will, but President Obama is building an impressive list of gaffes and protocol lapses related to Poland, World War II, and the Holocaust. During his campaign, Obama mixed up which concentration camp his uncle had liberated: it was

History | History

Photos reveal rising anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany in 1935 - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews

Jewish Scene: Eighty years ago, two Jewish journalists sent a Dutch photographer to document anti-Semitism in Third Reich and expose true face of Nazi party to the world, but international media didn't print photos.

And this quote says it all:

"The photographs were meant to stir as much publicity as possible, to make people aware of what's going on in Germany, but even in the Land of Israel they didn't understand what they were being warned from."

Obviously, there is a lesson here that we could, and should, be handling today.

History | History

Holocaust survivor and American rescuer have touching reunion after 70 years

Jewish Scene: Images capture emotional moment as former Dachau prisoner salutes soldier who liberated him; 'I am eternally grateful.'

This is incredibly touching.

"Images capture emotional moment as former Dachau prisoner salutes soldier who liberated him; 'I am eternally grateful.'

History | History

Auschwitz survivors, 70 years on | Reuters.com

Auschwitz death camp survivor Jadwiga Bogucka (maiden name Regulska), 89, who was registered with camp number 86356, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. During the Warsaw Uprising in August, 1944, when Bogucka was 19, she and her mother were sent from their house to a camp in Pruszkow and then moved on August 12, 1944 by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, were killed at the Nazi camp.

These people are still here as witnesses to the worst atrocity of the modern world. The same atrocity that FAR too many people are starting to downplay or deny altogether. It is a travesty that the people who lived this deplorably dark nightmare have to hear the revisionists luncay.

History | History

31 Rolls of Undeveloped Film from a Soldier in WWII Discovered and Processed

Photographer Levi Bettweiser is the man behind the Rescued Film Project, an effort to find and rescue old and undeveloped rolls of film from the far corner

This is really amazing. It's 2014 and we are still learning new things about WWII. This film is an amazing time capsule that gives you a glimpse into WWII from a soldier's point of view. These pictures photos are like a mini-history lesson. Enjoy!

News | The News

'Give Me a Chance': WWII Vet's Medal Ceremony Crashed by Protesters

Protesters in Portland, Oregon, interrupted a town hall meeting where a decorated World War II veteran was receiving a special honor.

This is just despicable. The thing that the left will never admit is that it is inundated with angry people who continually exploit the cause du-jour no matter what the cost. We saw this with "Occupy" as well. Way too many of them are uncivilized people who have a problem with civility more than anything else.

History | History

10 Unsolved Mysteries From World War II - Listverse

In a global conflict on the scale of World War II, there are a lot of things that slip through the cracks. Whether it's something that we refuse to admit or simply something so foreign and bizarre...

I knew about a few of these. There isn't a lot of detail here, but they are still pretty interesting.

History | History

Sacramento veteran: ‘Everything you’ve heard about Pearl Harbor is what I saw’

Glenn Sorensen was wiping down his car that December morning on Oahu, a 1937 Buick that, to this day, was the best he’d ever driven. That black sedan even took a bullet for him. Three, in fact. He’s holding one of them now, squeezing it betwee

News | Interesting Stories

He Saved 669 Children During The Holocaust… And He Doesn’t Know They’re Sitting Next To Him.

Sir Nicholas Winton is a humanitarian who organized a rescue operation that saved the lives of 669 Jewish Czechoslovakia children from Nazi death camps, and brought them to the safety of Great Britain between the years 1938-1939.

News | Interesting Stories

WWII veteran, 98, dons uniform for final salute

From Yahoo News: GLENVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — On Veterans Day, Justus Belfield donned his Army uniform one more time, even though he was too weak to leave his bed at an upstate New York nursing home.

News | Interesting Stories

World War II airmen fly again in storied B-29

From Yahoo News: BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The bomber best known for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan also flew countless other raids. Karnig Thomasian's final mission on a B-29 Superfortress ended in flames when bombs collided and exploded in the air o

History | Chicago History

Lost WWII love letters delivered to intended recipient

After almost 70 years, the letters written by a World War II sailor made the final leg of a mysterious journey Wednesday when they were turned over to Dorothy Bartos Carlberg, their intended recipient.

History | Chicago History

Life in Chicago during World War II (Gallery)

Over seven decades ago, Chicagoans had to come to grips with a cold, hard fact: The country was at war. Women by the droves went to work in defense plants and Chicago soon led the nation in war production. Consumer goods were scarce and rationed, so many

History | Chicago History

WWII love letters finally arrive in Chicago

Entrusting deep feelings to a flimsy envelope and an 8-cent stamp is an act of faith. But that's exactly what A.L. Fragakis did in 1945 when he was in the Navy and mailed two letters to his sweetheart back home in Chicago.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Private, Killed 70 Years Ago in the Pacific, Is Laid to Rest

Pfc. Randolph Allen, killed in 1943 in the Battle of Tarawa, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Every year, the military identifies the remains of dozens of service members who died in the last century’s wars.

History | History

Theodore Van Kirk, 93, Enola Gay Navigator, Dies

Mr. Van Kirk, a navigator, guided a flight that, six-and-a-half hours after takeoff, reached Hiroshima with its atomic bomb just seconds behind schedule.

History | History

Preserving America's military legacy is Job One for historian

The excitement Rodney Hilton Brown felt as a young boy searching for rusty Revolutionary War relics in forgotten Philadelphia attics has only deepened in his obsessive quest for iconic artifacts that tell the story of America’s bravery and cou

History | History

Louis Zamperini, inspiration for 'Unbroken,' dead at 97

Louis   Zamperini , who was a World War II prisoner of war survivor as well as former Olympic distance runner, has died. He was the subject of Lauren Hillenbrand's book, “Unbroken,” which was adapted into a film by the Coen brothers, and

Definitely a real American hero. It is a shame that he never got to be the Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade.

History | History

Soldier's Camera and Photos from Battle of The Bulge Found in Foxhole 70 Years Later

The Battle of the Bulge is known as one of the most deadly and influential battles of WWII. Taking place over the course of five weeks, this surprise attac

So. This is amazing.Despite the quality of the photos, it makes it amazingly real. The story of the photographer is also amazing.

History | History

How the inventor of strobe photography gave D-Day the go-ahead (Wired UK)

Harold Edgerton was an artist, creating iconic photographic works that hand in galleries around the globe today. He was also an MIT professor called in when World War 2 began, specifically to create a new technique that would see Normandy photographed und

History | History

Eisenhower's 'Soul-Racking' D-Day Decision"

Val Lauder: Eisenhower faced wrenching decision to risk very high casualties on D-Day. She says Ike feared he was sending his troops to die in hopeless mission

History | History

Rest in Peace: Wartime Relics Reclaimed by the Land and Sea - NBC News

German photographer Dietmar Eckell traveled to 14 countries, photographing abandoned and decaying military installations and equipment.