Back in the mid '70s when I was working at Hellers Camera in Bethesda Md. I had a reference book with a color photo of the battleship Pennsylvania in an advanced base sectional dock, somewhere in the Pacific in about 1944. The quality of the photo made it clear that it was shot with a large format camera, which puzzled me since I did not think Kodachrome (the only modern color film of the time in the US ) was available in sheet films. A guy I worked with was an old Kodak hand (and WWII vet, a radioman in Europe) and told me that they did have sheet Kodachrome, and that there was only one machine to process the film, located in Rochester . The exposed film was sent there for processing.
And note the almost complete lack of basic safety equipment. I saw only one pair of safety glasses, and only a few of the workers were wearing gloves. Working without gloves around sheet metal is an injury waiting to happen.
Notice most of the women had lip stick and nail polish on. WWII could not have been won without the women of America stepping into men's shoes to build the equipment needed to defeat the axis powers.
Fascinating! Some of these these images are 70 years old and look as fresh as ever. If someone had told any of the subjects in these photos that we'd have such a clear look at them in the year 2012... boggles my mind. Thought you'd find this interesting !
"Well," snarled the tough old Navy Chief to the bewildered Seaman, "I suppose after you get discharged from the Navy, you'll just be waiting for me to die so you can come and piss on my
grave." "Not me, Chief!" the Seaman replied. "Once I get out of the Navy, I'm never going to stand in line again! - Contributed by: Wes Bartlett
Remembering WW II --- Memorials, Models and Restorations
(9/16/14) 7-minute video. Good background music and you will be touched. Turn on your speakers:
The Saluting Boy on Omaha Beach-- D-Day 2014---A monumental recognition of those who perished defending America by a young boy who found a cause. Beautiful! Contributed by Ernie Halley
(3/20/14) EXTERNAL VIDEO: The Only Restored & Functional PT Boat-- PT Boat 658 - The only functional, restored, PT boat left in the world, and operating out of Portland, Oregon.
A real tribute to the gentlemen who restored the boat! An example of another terrific contribution made by the Greatest Generation. ---Contributed by Ernie Halley
Incredible--5 1/2 years and 4300 hours later:WW II carrier modelA/C folding wings and PE parts done by modeler. Hellcat's fuselage from Italy and Avenger from Academy. 423 figures from various sources; others by modeler. Contributed by: Bill Newby
(4/2/13)EXTERNAL VIDEO: Beautiful aircraft and scenery. TURN SPEAKERS ON: Restored B-17 in flight The photography is HD, the planes are gorgeous, and, most notably, it is shot as the B17 takes off from Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ and then flies over the Superstition Mountains. to the east of Apache Junction and then on to Roosevelt & Canyon lakes on the east edge of the Phoenix valley. The backdrops are stunning. Music is from the mini series John Adams. Great combo. Contributed by George Montgomery
Control to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock,
three miles, Eastbound."
United 239: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this... I've got the little Fokker in sight."
The Naval War in the Pacific
Black smoke pours from the damages that the aircraft carrier Yorktown suffered from a hit by a Japanese aircraft during the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942 Courtesy The Atlantic
(9/16/14) Excellent photos of the staging of the Pacific fleet for the invasion of Japan: ULITHI ATOL: SOUTH PACIFIC ---Demonstrates the size of the U.S. fleet. Contributed by Robert Strong
Joe Rosenthal's Raising the Flag on Mount Suribachi
(4/27/12)Marines and friends of Marines, this article from the Denver Post is about the most famous photograph in the history of warfare, and it's originator, Joe Rosenthal. Iwo Jima, yes; BUT as YOU have never seen it before!!! Long article about Joe, just a regular guy cameraman, and then a few of the hundreds of photos he took during his service in World War II. I thought I had seen most of the photos of World War II, especially about Marines, but I was wrong. These are graphic portraits of war as seen through the lens of someone who was in the middle of it on Iwo, Pelielu and Guam. It takes a while, but I assure you that you have never seen anything like these. Semper Fi,
UPDATED (10/21/17) World War II Aviation Art by the Greatest Aviation Artists. You will need Power Point Viewer
(2/11/14) Adobe (pdf) Format (25 MB) file: Ltjg Steve Popovich WW II Navy pilot's Memoir--While this is a large file, it is worth reading: lots of information and personal Pacific war memories, including maps and photos.---Contributed by Pet Wallace
(12/5/13) EXTERNAL LINK: Flight of Old "666" From the History Channel's "Dog Fights":This is the unbelievable story of a B-17 and crew that saw their duty, did it against overwhelming odds, and refused to die (save one).
Photos, narration and battle simulation of a 44 minute aerial battle, one American B-17 against 17 Japanese Zeroes.---Contributed by Jim Haley
(7/8/13) EXTERNAL LINK: A great video: An American Spitfire Photo Recon Pilot This is a touching human-interest story you don't want to miss.---contributed by Tom Larson
EXTERNAL LINK: A great video with animated WW II dogfight action: The German --Interesting story included with the video--watch till the end. Contributed by David Duke
An exceptional WW II story of a bizarre B-17 Piggy Back Accident and the survival and death of a WW II hero. - Contributed by Adam Miklovis
Severly damaged by flak; wounded crew member:Flying Fortress Combat Tale -A great story; well told. -Submitted by Walt Quist
The End of the War
(1/17/13) EXTERNAL LINK: Rare Youtube video of: Japanese surrender on Battleship Missouri This is an actual film made of the surrender ceremony of the Japanese to McArthur in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. Actual voice of the General. --Contributed by Robert Strong
(4/3/13) EXTERNAL LINK: The misery and joy of the Great War's end: After World War II Photos --War crime trials, executions, mass destruction, rebuilding and more. Contributed by David Duke
(7/7/12) [VIDEO EXTERNAL LINK] End of war celebration..Honolulu August 14, 1945 Great film of a Spontaneous Victory Parade in Honolulu in 1945.? Take a look at this video-absolutely fabulous! Notice the cars and jeeps, youth. The guys in khaki or gray shirts and black ties are Navy officers or chiefs. The rest are Army or Marine. How young they all were to do what they did. This guy really captured a moment in history! (You can listen to Jimmy Durante singing "I'll be Seeing You" in the background, too.) This is a super video of a time past - we need to remember and be THANKFUL. Check out the color fidelity. It's not bad for 1945. Contributed by Robert Strong.
Whether there will ever be another war like that experienced in 1940-45 is doubtful, as fighters and bombers have given way to helicopters and remotely-controlled drones over Afghanistan and Iraq. But within living memory, men left the earth in 1,000-plane formations and fought major battles five miles high, leaving a legacy that remains timeless.
(10/17/13) EXTERNAL LINK: The Cost & Effort of the WW II Air War Absolutely amazing (American) World War II statistics and photos. We have always known that aircrew had the highest fatality rate but the loss rate (and cost of war) detailed here is absolutely horrific.---Contributed by George Montgomery
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