World War II veteran Torre Tobiassen recalls how Beach Master Joe Vaghi saved his life on D-Day as he and his battalion took Omaha Beach during the Normandy Campaign. Tobiassen also talks about his family taking him to see the movie, Saving Private Ryan, due to the D-Day scene in … Continue reading
Ian Hammerton, British commander of a flail tank during WWII, recalls landing on Juno Beach during D-Day. Hammerton describes seeing many dead and wounded soldiers already on the beach as he arrived. He also remembers the hectic environment that surrounded him during the Normandy landing.
Joseph Robertson was an infantryman in the U.S. Army during World War II. Here, Robertson recalls fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and having to take the life of a young German soldier that wouldn’t surrender to him. He calls it “the saddest memory of his life” and would … Continue reading
Charles McGee, William Holloman, John Leahr and Calvin Moret describe their experiences during World War II as members of what was known as the Tuskegee Experiment. This was a group of African American soldiers who worked to become combat pilots. During this war, many people thought that African Americans were … Continue reading
Actor Wendell Pierce explains how his father, an African American World War II veteran, was denied the medals he earned while serving in the war. After learning about this discrimination, Pierce contacted the World War II Museum so his father could have the medals he deserved. Here he talks about … Continue reading
Walter Ehlers is a veteran who served as staff sergeant in the U.S. Army’s First Infantry Division during World War II. Here, Ehlers is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor because of the amazing courage and heroism he showed on June 9, 1944, just a few days after D-Day. Ehlers … Continue reading
“All of our leaders were gone. It was just — just a bunch of privates and sergeants and corporals trying to, you know, get something going and trying to get it to succeed…Nobody could possibly be trained for what we found that day. But you learn fast, you know. It’s … Continue reading
“The most horrible was when we landed at the beachhead that so many dead were still floating in the water. They had already turned black, and decay had set in. The stench was awful.” Clarence William Dotson was a technical sergeant in the 343rd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. … Continue reading
“Sometime during the questioning I called a German officer a ‘SOB’ and woke up several days later in a hospital with a big headache and a bashed head.” Joseph Beryle, a U.S. Paratrooper for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, recounts his time as a prisoner of war after making his jump … Continue reading
“We were so low that when my chute opened, I swung twice and hit the ground. I know that all the men didn’t get out. If they did, they were too low and their chutes never had time to open.” Bill Oatman, U.S. paratrooper for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, gives his personal … Continue reading
