World War II
First-hand accounts of what it was like to serve in WWII.
Episodes
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
Hello, Fort Snelling, Goodbye
Fort Snelling had a prominent role at both the beginning and the end of the military careers for thousands of servicemen and women who joined the armed forces during World War 2. The historic fort served as both an induction center and a separation point. Minnesota veterans Walter Grotz and Claude Williams shared memories of their passage through the old post.
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
The B.A.R. Man
Army veteran Don Wickstrom recalls his military service on the front lines in Europe and his training and use of the Browning Automatic Rifle. The B.A.R, as it was known, was an effective and innovative weapon used in combat in World War 2, but it was also heavy, hot, cumbersome–and dangerous.
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
The Battle of Okinawa
Minnesota veteran Bruce Cottington didn’t know as he fought in the brutal battle of Okinawa that this would be the final battle of the war in the Pacific Theater. Cottington recalls how the dropping of the atomic bomb brought his years of fighting to a close.
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
College to Combat
A program launched by the armed services identified promising young men and sent them to college for specialized training for the war. Minnesotans Bernie Lieder and Sherman Garon were two student soldiers who the Army sent to college. But urgent manpower needs ended the wartime higher education program.
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
Foxhole Friendships
Even wartime military recruiting films spoke of the value of the close friendships forged during battle. Minnesota veterans George Vandersluis and Herbert Gager recall the powerful bonds that formed between young servicemen, far from home.
SHARE:
World War II Shorts:
The Bombing Mission
Lester Schrenk, pictured in 2014, and Claude Williams were both stationed in England, where they were assigned to fly bombing missions to Germany and German-occupied parts of Europe. They were part of the determined but dangerous effort by the Allies to destroy the industrial power of the Nazis.