January 30, 1933, a celebratory parade announced the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Chancellor is the head of the government, equivalent to Prime Minister in other countries. One of Hitler’s first official acts as Chancellor was to appoint Hermann Göring as Minister of the Interior for the German state of Prussia. Prussia […]
From late January through late March 1941, there was a series of secret meetings between representatives of the United States Navy, the United States Army and the United Kingdom, held in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the secret meetings was to determine how the United States and Great Britain could together best defeat the Axis […]
On February 16, 1942, German U-boats began their attack on the Allies in Caribbean waters. It was a strategic and calculated attack. In Aruba and Curacao millions of barrels of oil derivatives and gasoline were produced weekly and much of American shipping to and from South America traveled through Trinidad. The initial offensive continued […]
On July 23, 1944, three brave chaplains of the 90th infantry demonstrated true courage and respect for life. In the process, everyone learned that glimpses of decency could still be found in all men even in war time. Father Joseph J. Esser, Chaplain Edgar H. Stohler and Pastor James M. Hamilton took on a “suicide […]
Frustrated with the Japanese uncanny ability to break American code, the United States began a search for an unbreakable code in 1942. A gentleman named Phillip Johnston is credited with the idea of using the Navajo language as a military code. Johnston grew up with the Navajo, the son of a missionary, and was one […]
Winston Churchill once said, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a body guard of lies.” And thus the deception to divert Hitler’s forces away from Normandy was aptly named “Plan Bodyguard.” Plan Bodyguard was a series of well planted lies to ensure the success of the Allied invasion […]
Until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the German U-boats had been ordered not to engage the United States in war like activities. However, with Japan’s declaration of war, Hitler no longer felt such measures were required and Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941.
The first plan of attack of the […]
General Omar N. Bradley is one of five US Generals to attain the rank of General of the Army, or five-star general. Born in Clark, MO., Omar Bradley would become a significant leader in World War II.
Believing that he would attend the University of Missouri, he was advised and took the entrance […]
Operation hailstone was a large scale naval air and surface attack performed by the US Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk. Allied victory over the Japanese on Truk helped insure allied air and naval superiority during the invasion of Eniwetok(which would allow the American navy to have a forward base for […]
From late January through late March 1941, there was a series of secret meetings between representatives of the United States Navy, the United States Army and the United Kingdom, held in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the secret meetings was to determine how the United States and Great Britain could together best defeat the Axis […]