For a researcher, unit histories are a goldmine. Records such as unit histories, military yearbooks, and Navy cruise books often contain the only surviving photographs, maps, and daily accounts of a veteran’s service. They provide the essential jumping-off point for tracing an ancestor’s military service. More importantly, these books help bridge the gap when official…
Leonard Roy Harmon grew up in a segregated America, yet he gave his life for the very freedoms he was often denied. This World War II Navy sailor inspired the world with his heroism during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and became the first Black man to have a US warship, the USS Harmon, named…
Beginning on February 3, 1945, U.S. forces fighting alongside Filipino troops began a month-long battle to reclaim the city of Manila from the Japanese. The battle was the scene of intense urban fighting and resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 civilians. The city of Manila was destroyed, along with cultural treasures like the…
In the quiet plaza of the National World War II Memorial, 4,048 stars shimmer on a wall. Each star represents about 100 American lives lost. For the 421,000 Americans who never came home, a Gold Star in a window was often the only story their community knew. Today, a passionate group of volunteers is on…
On January 11, 1865, a group of about 300 Confederate cavalrymen, led by General Thomas L. Rosser, trekked through deep snow and freezing temperatures to launch a surprise raid on Union forces stationed at Beverly, West Virginia. The attack resulted in the capture of approximately 800 Union soldiers along with the seizure of food and…
For centuries, the joyful pealing of church bells was the heartbeat of European life. The bells marked holidays, called parishioners to worship, and rang at times of celebration. But during World War II, a chilling silence fell across the continent when Hitler’s troops began confiscating the bells to melt them down for armaments. During the…
On Saturday, December 6, 1941, many Americans were anticipating the upcoming holiday season. Newspapers were filled with advertisements for holiday gifts, and headlines announced there were only 16 shopping days left until Christmas. But it only took 24 hours to change everything. On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, and for the first…
