World War II

Two torpedoes struck. There was a terrific explosion, causing the USS Juneau to break in two. She sunk in under 20 seconds. 

With Veterans Day coming this week, it is a good time to do some relevant reading. If you saw the HBO miniseries “The Pacific” or “The War” the documentary on World War II by Ken Burns, the name Eugene “Sledgehammer” Sledge — will be instantly recognizable. Sledge’s book, With the Old Breed recounts the bloody battles […]

The U.S. Navy will break multiple firsts in naming its next aircraft carrier after enlisted black sailor and Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller.

Once the Nazis captured Kyiv, they began executting Jews and other “undesirables.” More than 100,000 would meet their end at Babi Yar.

Lawrence Brooks, a member of America’s “Greatest Generation,” celebrated a milestone birthday on Saturday: He is 111 years old.

You only live twice: Once when you are born And once when you look death in the face Ian Fleming the intelligence operative of World War II, and accomplished author of the James Bond series died on this day in 1964.   Fleming was nearly as fascinating a character as his James Bond alter ego. He […]

Less than a month after the fall of Sicily, the Allies began their quest to liberate mainland Italy. On September 3, 1943, the British undertook simultaneous landings in the Calabria “toe” region of Italy. About a week later, on September 9, 1943, the Americans launched Operation Avalanche near the port of Salerno. The operation began […]

With the long, bloody Guadalcanal campaign coming to a close in early 1943, the United States had turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. After Japan had brushed aside everything in its path in its heady, unstoppable advance across the Pacific in the war’s first months, everything had now begun to turn.  The […]

In the closing days of World War II, the United States was facing a difficult decision. In the face of increasingly fanatical Japanese resistance during the island-hopping Pacific campaign, American casualties were increased dramatically.  Fearing that an invasion of Japan would cost hundreds of thousands of U.S. casualties and millions of Japanese, the decision by […]

During World War II, the Nazis tried to systematically eliminate the Jews from Europe with their “Final Solution.” Anne Frank’s family that had been hiding in Amsterdam from the Gestapo for more than two years was betrayed and arrested. Anne Frank and seven other Jews were sent to the Nazi death camps. Seven of them […]

Sensational press accounts were just plain rabid about this man from the time he “escaped” a post-WWII “Officers’” holding camp, until the start of the Vietnam conflict. All he ever really wanted to be was a Mechanical Engineer and to serve his country honorably. Most of us would never have heard of this Commando’s successes […]

On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Great Britain rose to give a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, a grim look on his face and an even grimmer message in his heart. His speech began with praise for his staunch ally and friend, President Harry S. Truman and the United […]