World War II

Written By David A. Kaufman Following the surrender of Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945, the U.S. Army was faced with several complex tasks regarding its personnel In Europe.  First, and most important, was the discharge of veterans with sufficient points as a result of overseas service, decorations earned from combat, dependents, and other criteria.  …

Mobility, Vigilance, Justice: The U.S. Constabulary Forces in Germany, 1946-1952 Read More »

Written By: Command Sergeant Major James H. Clifford, USA-Ret. In the early morning hours of 3 February 1943, First Sergeant Michael Warish nearly gave up hope as he floated helplessly in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic.  Just minutes earlier, he and the almost 900 others aboard the USAT Dorchester were near safe waters when …

No Greater Glory: The Four Chaplains and the Sinking of the USAT Dorchester Read More »

In July 1861, Confederate Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston dramatically demonstrated the importance of railroads in modern warfare when he moved 12,000 troops by rail from Piedmont Station (now Delaplane), Virginia, to Manassas Junction, a distance of about fifty miles, to reinforce the Confederate forces assembled southwest of Washington, DC.  The move took only about …

Railroaders in Olive Drab: The Military Railway Service in WWII Read More »

Written By: Megan Johnson  Pointe du Hoc, a prominent position along the coast of Normandy, was a focal point of the amphibious assault by U.S. forces during the early morning hours of D-Day, 6 June 1944.  The cliff top (sometimes referred to as Pointe du Hoe) is located between Utah and Omaha Beaches and sits …

Rudder’s Rangers and the Boys of Pointe du Hoc: The U.S. Army Rangers’ Mission in the Early Morning Hours of 6 June 1944 Read More »

By Lieutenant Colonel Danny M. Johnson, AUS-Ret. When the subject of the the U.S. Army and the Persian Gulf comes up, the first thing today’s Americans often think of is 1990-91, when American and coalition forces deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM to drive the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait, …

The Persian Gulf Command and the Lend-Lease Mission to the Soviet Union during World War II Read More »

By Melissa Ziobro Prior to World War II, the Army occasionally used women in “gender appropriate” roles.  For example, civilian women, often known as camp followers, cooked and performed other chores for soldiers during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, much as they had done for their men in times of peace.  A few women acted …

“Skirted Soldiers”:  The Women’s Army Corps and Gender Integration of the U.S. Army during World War II Read More »

Written by Seth Paltzer Throughout history, dogs have accompanied man at work and play.  Even in the midst of men’s wars, dogs have been found serving in functions ranging from mascots to weapons of war.  Therefore, it was not without precedence that in 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the …

The Dogs of War: The U.S. Army’s Use of Canines in WWII Read More »

Written By: Seth Paltzer Disease has always had a major impact on armies at war, often producing more casualties than combat wounds.  The history of the U.S. Army is full of examples of this fact.  The Civil War Trust estimates that for every three men killed in combat from 1861 to 1865, another five died …

The Other Foe: The U.S. Army’s Fight against Malaria in the Pacific Theater, 1942-45 Read More »