World War II

Frank DeVita was in charge of lowering the ramp on the USS Samuel Chase on D-Day. The role would haunt him for the rest of his life.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies invade Western Europe in the largest amphibious attack in history.

WWII Veteran Randy James fought the Japanese during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Pearl Harbor survivors give first-hand accounts of the fiery destruction of battleships like the USS Arizona, USS West Virginia, and USS Oklahoma.

With almost 50,000 manufactured during World War II, the M4 medium tank, popularly known as the "Sherman," provided critical armored support to Allied ground troops.

Pilots of the USS Yorktown reminisce about their epic raid on Japan.

A look back at the intelligence failures and oversights that led to the successful Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

On April 1, 1945, Allied forces invade the island of Okinawa and engage the Japanese in the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.

Joseph Stalin's forced industrialization of the Soviet Union caused the worst man-made famine in history. Find out more about his life and rise to power in this video.

Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on Japan in the wake of Pearl Harbor and warns Americans to steel themselves for difficulties ahead.

On February 19, 1945, American soldiers make their first strike on the Japanese Home Islands at Iwo Jima.

At the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese Navy catches the American landing forces are caught by surprise. Outgunned, the Americans stage a daring defense.

Patton's tank crews must devise new tactics in order to defeat one of the most terrified weapons of World War II--Hitler's Tiger tanks. From Patton 360.

American fighter pilots take on the Japanese in a grueling fight for control of Guadalcanal.

Guy Whidden was one of the first to parachute into Normandy on D-Day. A moment of divine intervention would save his life.

Seven months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, American and Japanese forces clashed over Midway Atoll, a dot of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Battle of Midway tested intelligence and combat capabilities on both sides – while decidedly altering the outcome of World War II.

In 1945 and 1946, Nazi war criminals were forced to account for their depraved actions in the city of Nuremberg, Germany.

In this video clip of History's Mail Call, host R. Lee Ermey, along with Andy Miller of the Military Radio Collectors Club, takes a look at what kind of radios they used in World War II including the handie-talkie, walkie-talkie and TBX8 radio set.

As goodwill ambassador for the Earth Summit, Brazilian soccer star Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, discusses the importance of the upcoming summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to discuss an international effort to preserve natural resources by rethinking methods of economic development.

Explore the top-secret American project to build the world's first atomic bomb.

Armored tanks provided extra firepower and mobility during World War II.

How did the Jeep come to get its name? R. Lee Ermey answers this question and looks at one of the most well-known military vehicles.

Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. Learn more about the Battle of Midway.

Originating from the United States, General George S. Patton's soldiers proudly fight from the deserts of North Africa to the hills of Sicily and the villages of France and Germany. From Patton 360.

Take a look at the events leading to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which prompted President Roosevelt to declare war on Japan.

On Friday the 13th, 1942, the US Navy clashed with Imperial Japanese forces in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The conflict led to the destruction of ships on both sides, but ended in a strategic US victory.

Excerpts from an interview with Dick Winters of the 101st Airborne Division

Find out about the assault of the Japanese Center Force during World War II.

The general gains fame in World War II, then infamy when he is removed from his command in the Korean War.

On September 7, 1940, 300 German bombers raided London in what would be the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. This "blitzkrieg" would continue until May 1941.

Veterans of Pearl Harbor describe the personal circumstances that led them to enlist in the Navy.

The USS New York saw heavy action during World War II. Five decades later the battleship was rebuilt using metal from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Faced with the harsh terrain of the European Alps, American soldiers didn't back down – they just hit the slopes.

How did things get so bad between the US and Japan in the lead up to WWII? It all comes down to power and resources.

Mini-biography on the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Take a look at the equipment paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions used on D-Day.

Known as the “Flying Fortress,” the B-17 was the backbone of the United States’ aerial forces during World War II. Get all the facts and figures.

During World War II, feeding thousands of troops in enemy territory wasn't easy. Discover how soldiers carried rations into battle.

Waverly Woodson Jr., was a medic on D-Day in the only all-black battalion to storm the beach. He worked for over 30 hours straight saving lives while he himself was wounded.

In November, 1943, the USS Enterprise supports a two pronged attack in the Pacific at the WW2 Battle of Tarawa.

WWII veteran Luther Smith flew with the all-black Tuskegee Airmen squadron.

The Pearl Harbor attack caused a wave of nationalist resentment that had long-reaching effects on the Japanese-American population.

Find out why the legend of George S. Patton, Jr. endures, even 60 years after his death. From Patton 360.

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, better known as the G.I. Bill, in order to help soldiers secure stability as they returned to civilian life. A broadcast aired shortly after the bill was signed describes a nation preparing to welcome World War II veterans.

On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and turned the tides of World War II.

After WWII, soldiers went about the difficult process of readjusting to civilian life.

Allied forces uncover valuable artworks and other treasures hidden by Nazi Germany, but one piece in particular has a more symbolic meaning.

The Battle of Leyte was an amphibious invasion that launched the beginning of the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippines after almost three years of Japanese occupation in this clip from "Battle of Leyte Gulf."

Take a look at key events that led to the Nazi party's rise to power in Germany.

Decoded puzzle clue for the episode D.B. Cooper.

Examine President Franklin D. Roosevelt's role in World War II. Find out how he led the United States from isolationism to victory.

Learn more about the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Allies' first major offensive - and a decisive victory - in the Pacific theater during World War II.

On June 15, 1944, the U.S. launches a critical attack on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

Excerpts from an interview with Dick Winters of the 101st Airborne Division.

Rodger Bushell plots his escape from the most notorious Nazi prison camp of WWII.

In a costly battle, U.S. forces assault Peleliu in the Palau Islands.

David Keran's grandfather was an OSS agent working with the French Resistance during WWII and left behind films of his experiences.

After the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944, the Allied advance is mired in the thick hedgerows of Normandy's bocage country.

After the sudden and deliberate attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese during World War II, President Roosevelt spoke to Congress and the American people.

The USS Enterprise, or The Big E, was the most decorated U.S. ship of WWII and was outfitted with some of the most advanced technology of the age.

Pearl Harbor survivors describe the attack's harrowing first moments on the morning of December 7, 1941.

Pearl Harbor survivors give first-hand accounts of the fiery destruction of battleships like the USS Arizona, USS West Virginia, and USS Oklahoma.

Fake news isn’t new news. During WWII, military bases were breeding grounds for false reports and gossip. In this cartoon, part of a series created for the armed forces by Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) and the folks behind Looney Tunes, “Private Snafu” learns the dangers of spreading rumors the hard way.

Excerpts from an interview with Dick Winters of the 101st Airborne Division

A lack of labor supply during World War II forced women into industrial jobs. This Flashback highlights the "problems" female workers faced in a new and unfamiliar environment – reflective of a less enlightened time.

FDR passed away shortly after the Yalta conference. See more in Season 1, Episode 3, "Arsenal of Democracy."

The Marshall Plan was an example of "good deed foreign policy" designed to rebuild Western European economies in the wake of WWII.

Survivors share how D-Day changed their lives forever.

The Allies launched this high stakes attack in order to win the war.

Meet Patton's chief rivals in World War II, including Rommel, Kesselrig, Von Runstedt, Manteuffel and Balck. From Patton 360.

During WWII, Hitler's decentralized and paranoid military command structure spells disaster on the battlefield.

Excerpts from an interview with Dick Winters of the 101st Airborne Division

The Lend-Lease Act was a compromise that allowed the United States to provide aid to England while avoiding full involvement in World War II.

FDR asks Congress to declare war on Japan in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Learn more about the history of D-Day.

In the days immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American homefront quickly mobilized to support the war effort.

Under the cover of darkness, the Allies pulled off an operation in the hours before D-Day that may have changed the tide of the battle before it had begun.

From the deserts of North Africa to the forests of Germany, Patton's army battles it out with artillery vital to winning the war. From Patton 360.

D-Day raised-relief map of Utah Beach prepared U.S. troops for the 1944 invasion of Normandy.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt committed American forces to the Allied cause.

When the Nazis occupied France, five-year-old Bernard Marie believed every man in uniform was a bad guy. The D-Day invasion changed all that.

WWII veteran Robert Morgan was captain of the B-52 Memphis Belle during the historic 25 mission tour.

D-Day is one of the most widely known battles in WWII, but it almost didn't happen. Here's Why.

An army troop ship of over 860 refugees from Europe sails into New York Harbor. These people were victims of Nazi persecution; many of them spent long, terrible months in concentration camps.

General George S. Patton chose some of the best generals in the United States army to help carry out his missions. From Patton 360.

As American servicemen prepared for a bloody battle in the Pacific, an unprecedented event would change the course of WWII.

The 761st Tank Battalion receive new orders.

His ivory-handled gun bearing the initials G.S.P. distinguished General Patton on the battlefield and made him one of the most recognized generals in World War II. From Patton 360.

In a Mail Call video, R. Lee Ermey answers a question from Tom of Kansas, who wants to know what the biggest gun in the world is. Ermey says to answer this question you first have to define what you mean by big; for we all know that guns like Big Bertha and Anzio Annie are big, but if you are talking total weight and size of the shell, then they are not the biggest. The Gustav gun created by the Germans, takes the cake on this one with an 80cm barrel. The Germans first used this gun in World War II; it was designed to pulverize French defensive bunkers in the early days of the war.

A look back at the day the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted a surprise military strike against the United States naval base in Hawaii.

Native elder Charles Norman Shay was a combat medic with 1st Infantry or “The Big Red One” – one of the first units to land ashore on Omaha Beach on D-Day. It was his very first day of combat in his life.

This 1944 American propaganda film imagine’s Hitler’s surrender and explains the Füher’s greatest mistake – his underestimation of American women. This episode of Flashback shows how female wartime workers were an indispensable part of America’s victory, even before the war was officially won.

Albert Fagler's grandfather was an Army Air Corps photographer during WWII and left behind film reels.

Pearl Harbor veterans talk about where they were and how they felt when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.

Some of the brightest American minds were called to work on the Manhattan Project, including a number of Black scientists and engineers.

Adolf Hitler commissioned his engineers to build a domed structure to serve as the center of the new German Capital, Germania.

What is it like to be onboard an American military ship under attack? Find out firsthand from a serviceman who was on the USS Texas when it was hit by enemy fire in the English Channel in June 1944. From Hero Ships.

With Europe under Nazi rule and Britain low on funds, Roosevelt and Churchill met in secret to strike a bold wartime agreement.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launches a surprise attack on American soil at Pearl Harbor.

In this video clip of History's Mail Call, host R. Lee Ermey takes a look at what kind of personal items our World War II soldiers carried. Cameras and diaries were forbidden but compact shaving kits, letters from home, magazines, prophylactic kits and other small items were common.