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Features

The Bloodying of Bloody Ridge

Under cover of dense jungle, 4,000 Japanese advanced to capture Guadalcanal’s critical Henderson airfield. Now just 800 marines stood in their way. By Larry Alexander

The Guns that Won the War

America’s soldiers almost went to war armed with toys and antiques. But the M1 Garand rifle and M1 carbine arrived just in time. By Richard Sassaman

Web Extra: Gallery

M1

Arriving just in time for World War II, two American guns shared a name and a critical role in victory: the M1 Garand rifle and the M1 carbine.

The Messerschmitt Hunters

US bombers were easy pretty for the German Messerschmitt—until Chuck Gumm and his fighter group showed up in their new P-51 Mustangs. By Robert F. Dorr

Eleanor Roosevelt, Foster Parent No. 200

Young Paulette Le Mescam was parentless and penniless after fleeing her home ahead of invading Germans. America’s first lady came to her aid. By Gillian Mawson

Departments

Kilroy Was Here

A note from our publisher: “Farewell, Captain McHale”

Web Extra: Footage

Ernest Borgnine’s War

The Oscar-winning star of the 1955 comedy film Marty and of the 1960s TV sitcom McHale’s Navy remembers one day when he was a WWII navy gunner targeting enemy submarines with what turned out to be defective shells.

V-Mail

Letters from our readers

Home Front

Hitting the Beach

Pinup

Gene Tierney

Web Extra: Footage

Official trailer for Laura

Gene Tierney stars as the murder victim who becomes the object of obsession of the investigating detective in this 1944 film noir classic.

Flashbacks

Print ads from the war years

The Funnies

Novel Novels

I Was There

Liberating Dachau

Landings

The Biggest Warbird House

Web Extra: Link

Website of the US Air Force National Museum

Find information on the site and its collection, photos of exhibits, and a virtual tour of the facilities.

War Stories

Readers’ memories of the war

Books and Media

Our take on the latest releases

Theater of War

Let There Be Light

Web Extra: Link

Let There Be Light

For decades, the government kept under wraps the 1946 film director John Ford made for the US government about WWII GIs suffering from what is now called post traumatic stress disorder. View the 2012 restoration of the film here, in its entirety.

78 RPM

Jimmy Durante

Web Extra: Footage

Inka Dinka Doo

Jimmy Durante performs his signature song with the Harry James orchestra in the 1944 comedy Two Girls and a Sailor.

WWII Events

A calendar of present-day happenings

GIs

Like His Grandfather