George Mendonsa, the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square after WWII, has passed away at age 95.
Mendonsa claimed he was the sailor in the iconic photo, but could never convince Life magazine.
World War II
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Welcome home from Bloody Tarawa, Pvt. Emil F. Ragucci
The Battle of Tarawa atoll was fought on November 20-23, 1943.
Over 1000 U.S. Marines lost their lives, and over 2000 were wounded, during the 72-hour battle, earning the atoll the name “Bloody Tarawa.”
Remember the detainment of ethnic Germans in the U. S. during WWI and WWII?
Most people are well aware of the U. S. internment of ethnic Japanese, but it’s apparently a little-known fact that some ethnic Germans residing in the U. S. were detained in camps in this country during both world wars:
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Flashback to when Obama weaponized 2013 government shutdown
It’s unclear at this point whether there will be a short-term budget deal, or a government “shutdown.” Despite the drama, a shutdown is not really a shut down. Essential services continue.
It’s more of a scale-back, and the government has a lot of discretion as to what gets scaled back. In a...
Christmas Eve 1944: How singing ‘Silent Night’ saved American POWs during the Battle of the Bulge
On Christmas Eve 1944, U.S. troops were in the freezing cold of the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge, waist-high in snow.
We have remembered and told that story on recent Christmas Eves:
I encourage you not only...
FDR on Dec. 8, 1941: ‘A Date Which Will Live in Infamy’
On December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech at 12:30PM to a Joint Session of Congress to declare war…a day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and...
Pearl Harbor: Sailor Finally Receives Recognition, Trump Declares Dec. 7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
There are days in the year we should commemorate yearly: 9/11, D-Day, V-Day, July 4. December 7, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, is one of those days. We lost 2,400 in the attack, the majority on the USS Arizona.
Today at Pearl Harbor, a sailor who saved six men finally...
Treasure Hunters Find Nazi Code Machine in Woods in Germany
Two treasure hunters went out into the woods near Munich and came out with a huge discovery….a Nazi code making machine! From The Times of London:
The so-called Hitler Mill was intended to replace the Enigma machines that turned Nazi war commands into complex codes. The SG-41 encryption machine earned its nickname...
Happy Victory Over Japan Day
The only state which still celebrates Victory Over Japan Day is my home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Except, we can’t call it Victory Over Japan Day. Because that is a microaggression against Japan, even though they did start the war and we are celebrating victory over Japan.
I’ve covered this...
WWII Veteran is Returning Flag Taken From Enemy Soldier
On Friday, 93-year-old WWII veteran Marvin Strombo will fly to Tokyo, Japan, to return a Japanese flag he took from a fallen enemy soldier during the 1944 battle in Saipan. The Associated Press reported:
Strombo knelt and pulled out a silk flag, all the space around the bright red emperor’s sun filled...
True Story of Gaelic-Speaking Scots Who Escaped Nazis Gets Silver Screen Treatment
A great addition the World War II cinema is on its way.
From The Scotsman:
Heroic Private William Kemp, Corporal Sandy MacDonald and Lance Corporal James “Ginger” Wilson fled Hitler’s clutches in June 1940.
They managed to escape weeks after their Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment had surrendered to enemy forces.
They are...
Remembering D-Day: June 6, 1944
On this day, 73 years ago, the Allies stormed into Normandy, France, and led an invasion to liberate Western Europe from the Germans. These men risked everything to bring an end to one of the most evil regimes in history.
American, British, and Canadian soldiers took part in Operation Overloard, also known...
WWII Ended in Europe 72 Years Ago
On May 8, 1945, the German army collapsed around Europe after Adolf Hitler’s successor Karl Dönitz officially surrendered to the Allies. This date has become known as Victory Day in Europe, aka VE Day, to mark the end of World War II on the continent.
At first, the German High Command led...
Poland Identifies Minnesota Man as Former Nazi Commander
Poland has identified a Minnesota man as a former Nazi commander who allegedly ordered the murder of 44 Poles during World War II.
The Associated Press has named the man as Michael Karkoc, 98, who resides in Minneapolis. He was born in Lutsk, Ukraine, in 1919.
Christmas in German POW camp Stalag Luft 1
The posts I most enjoy writing about are the ones I didn’t plan, but somehow found.
I’ve written about Christmas Eve in World War II before, including in 2014, Christmas 1944: The Battle of the Bulge. and a follow up with reader memories in 2015, Christmas Eve in the Ardennes 1944.
In searching for another...
This Little Boy’s Best Friend is a World War II Vet
The election is less than a week away. It’s been an awful cycle. You deserve to have some feel-good story in your day. Like this one…
Erling Kindem and Emmett Rychner are the best of pals. They’re also 86 years apart.
*Shocking* – Why former AIG CEO remembers precise date he visited Europe over 70 yrs ago
The New York State Attorney General’s office has been on an over 10 year long jihad against former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg over alleged accounting fraud.
Though he now is age 90, Greenberg continues to fight
Standing on principle may be partly generational. Mr. Greenberg is one of a dwindling number of...
