In this week’s Letters From War Wednesday, we feature an October 1944 correspondence from U.S. Army airman, Bob Berkes. Berkes would later serve over Northern Europe with the 305th Bomb Group as a gunner aboard the B-17 bomber, Forever Amber. But this note comes from Kingman, Arizona, while Berkes and his crew were still learning [...]
Not to take anything away from our mothers, but this past Sunday, May 8, also marked VE Day. VE (Victory Europe) Day commemorates Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945,–the end of World War II in Europe. In addition to the States and England, many countries across the globe celebrate VE Day. How do [...]
Monday morning, and time again for the 90th Infantry Division Pic of the Week. Hof, Germany, a city of 50,000, lies near the Czech border. Were these the same Hof rail yards that greeted so many East Germans upon the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
If you’re anything like the History Junkie, no matter how disinterested you were in the recent royal wedding between William and Kate, you still ingested bits and pieces through the non-stop force feeding of coverage. Most interesting to me … no, not Kate’s wedding dress … was Prince William’s work with the RAF Air-Sea Rescue. [...]
Monday again, and we hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We here in Indiana actually saw the sun for a few hours. I was beginning to wonder if it still existed. Lets put a cap on April and the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Flossenburg Concentration Camp with the 90th Infantry Division Picture [...]
Over 30,000 prisoners would die at Flossenburg Concentration Camp before it was liberated in late April 1945, 66 years ago this week. Each one had a story to tell. Some of the more notable inmates included co-conspirators in the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, codenamed Valkyrie–Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, General Hans [...]
Hump day, and time for our weekly feature, Letters From War Wednesdays. Harold Hastings was drafted by the U.S. Army pre-Pearl Harbor, in October 1941. He fell in with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 168th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. In November 1942, Hastings joined 30,000 Allied troops for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. On [...]
This week marks the 66th anniversary of the Liberation of the Flossenburg Concentration Camp, during World War II. In late April 1945, members of Patton’s Third Army, specifically advance units from the 90th and 97th Infantry Divisions, liberated the facility. Even these battle-hardened GIs would never forget what they witnessed. The Flossenburg Concentration Camp was [...]
I trust everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. It’s Monday, and time for the 90th Infantry Division – Picture of the Week. By August 1944, the 90th Infantry Division had broken free from the Cotentin Peninsula and was racing east, toward Paris. Near Le Mans, plans changed. The 90th ID was rerouted north through [...]
The Battle at Anzio Beach, Italy is, without question, one of the key engagements of World War II. This past summer, the History Junkie had the pleasure of attending a Reunion of Anzio Beach Veterans. Talking with these folks was a truly moving experience, and one I shall never forget. My latest release, EVERYTOWN, USA [...]