While World War II impacted thousands of families, the stories of the Goodier family and those interned at Santo Tomas are undoubtedly unique and often overlooked. In the face of overwhelming odds and circumstances beyond his control, Benjamin did his best to keep his family safe.
Read MoreIt takes great strength and character to dedicate a portion of one’s life to serve in the American military. It takes even greater integrity and grit to serve in three global conflicts: World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Though Albert Abelson and his Jewish family faced many challenges while they lived in Lithuania, he became an American hero.
Read MoreWilliam Jerome Bell saw the first televised war up-close and personal as a Black combat photographer in Vietnam. In March of 2009, William was interviewed about his military experience for the Veterans History Project, telling his story about his time as a Company Clerk and Combat Photographer all while the United States underwent desegregation and a tremendously unpopular war.
Read MoreWilliam Howard McClure was one of the lucky few who not only survived the atrocities he faced while he was a Prisoner of War, but also made a life for himself in the aftermath of World War II.
Read MoreHen-shaped chocolates, perfume, “affy-tapples,” Famous Yodora Deodorant Cream for 29 cents, handmade cordial cherries, cough drops: all this and more lined the shelves at the Bernacchi Pharmacies where Robert Bernacchi and his brothers carried on their parents' legacy.
Read MoreGeorge Goll served in the Union Army during the Civil War from 1862 through his discharge in 1865. A member of the Ohio Infantry Regiment, George fought the Confederacy for three years as an artillery soldier, ultimately receiving severe wounds and an honorable discharge in April of 1865.
Read MoreA man who dedicated both his professional and military career to the study of medicine, Dr. John Isadore Zarit was a leading specialist in the treatment of lung disease. Having served in both World Wars and achieved the rank of Major, Dr. Zarit was well suited for the many responsibilities that awaited him in civilian life.
Read MoreWhen Jerome Andrew Jacobs was deployed, he spent months traveling on an odyssey that took him from a Christmas in Casablanca, through the Suez Canal, a train across India, before finally ending with his first flight to China.
Read MoreOften, the phrase “American hero” connotes someone born and raised in the United States who bravely served our country without hesitation. But what if they were born in a different country, on an entirely different continent?
Read MoreDuring wartime, young people are often asked and expected to perform acts of unimaginable heroism. Gerald Kraus was one such young man who went above and beyond what was asked of him when enlisted in the Marines at just twenty years old, after the North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950.
Read MoreEmiliano E. Gimeno, born to Emiliano Jimeno Campuzano and Marcelina Fuentes Espinoza de Jimeno of Mexico, on January 24, 1921, served in the United States Navy during the Second World War.
Read MoreDedicated to both education and his country, Bill Lukey spent his years as a young man between college and the Pacific Theater during World War II. Born and raised in Illinois, Bill would travel to the Pacific Theater, back home to the Midwest, to Florida, Arizona, and Colorado, all because of his involvement in the United States Air Force.
Read MoreAfter high school, Alivan Compton Rea would join the Colorado Air National Guard, the aerial militia and reserves for the Air Force. After a few years serving in the Guard, Al enlisted in the Air Force. He worked as an Instructor, a Military Policeman, a Toe Target Operator, and a Firefighter during his time in service.
Read MoreServing one’s country and supporting one’s family can often go hand in hand. That was definitely the case for Joseph Riggs, who started working to provide for his family at just 15 years old after his father died. It did not take long for Joseph to turn his attention to the U.S. Marine Corps after America’s entry into World War One, and the young man was sent overseas to fight.
Read MoreDeath is an inescapable tragedy of any war. In many cases, the servicemen and women who make the ultimate sacrifice are young and would have had a full life ahead of them. David Brown Jr. was one of the thousands of young men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War when he was killed in the Quảng Tri province in Vietnam.
Read MoreFor many veterans, their service and association with the United States military is complete when their duties in a particular conflict are finished. But this was decidedly not the case for Mel Cooper.
Read MoreHarry Charles Miller enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on December 13, 1940, from Roanoke County, Virginia. Miller started his time in service as an aircraft mechanic on B-18 and B-17 bombers in Puerto Rico, along with subsequent assignments near the Panama Canal Zone and the Galapagos Islands.
Read MoreOn November 25, 1941, Jimmie was enlisted into the Air Corps; however, he would not remain in this position for long.
Read MoreWhile twentieth-century conflicts like World War II and the Vietnam War remain embedded in the American cultural consciousness, the Korean War has often been described as “forgotten” for its relative lack of representation and acknowledgment despite costing the lives of 36,914 American servicemen and an estimated 2,661,509 Korean civilians.
Read MoreDuring World War Two, many young men found themselves going straight from high school to war. These seventeen and eighteen year olds were exposed to some of the war’s most ferocious fighting before they could even legally buy a drink back home in the States. Othel Emery was one of these young American men.
Read More
