V-E Day: May 8, 1945

Tuesday, May 8, 1945, the newspapers read “VE-DAY,” a victory for the Allied forces and the Soviet Union against Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Banners were raised all across the world, with celebrations and dances in the streets, as people read the newspapers and heard through radio broadcasts the Germans had unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. In London, at the House of Commons, Winston Churchill made an official statement on May 8, 1945 in honor of Victory in Europe day.  Although celebrations, parades, and bonfires, spread across the United States, Western Europe, the Soviet Union, Australia, and New Zealand, the brutal, gripping, and devastating war remained in the hearts and minds of every person in every nation.

“We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued…We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Brittania! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!” –Winston Churchill May 8, 1945

Winston Churchill in London May 8, 1945.

President of the Third Reich for a week, after the suicide of Adolf Hitler on April 30, 1945, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz declared an unconditional surrender against the Allied forces and the Soviet Union on May 7, 1945. In Reims, France, Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the surrender of all Germans from the East and the West. With the European theater of war concluded, nations across the world celebrated the defeat of Germany. Flags were raised, many stormed the city streets, pubs and bars stayed open late, and many danced the night away. Times Square in New York City held thousands of people reuniting and celebrating, New Orleans held Mardi Gras celebrations, and Paris roared in wild parties. People in towns and cities raised the banners and held parades to glorify an ultimate victory in a brief occasion of relief. Production and manufacturers were still open across the United States, where only a select amount of businesses closed early on May 8, 1945. When President Harry S. Truman addressed the U.S., he stated full effort now went to defeat imperial Japan.

"For this victory, we join in offering our thanks to the Providence which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity. Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors--neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty…If I could give you a single watchword for the coming months, that word is work, work, and more work. We must work to finish the war. Our victory is only half over." From President Harry S. Truman’s radio broadcast to the U.S. 

Approximately 80 million people, soldiers and civilians were killed in the Second World War. The Nazis killed approximately 6-7 million Jews, Gypsies, Serbs, and people with disabilities, political opponents and resistance fighters. Victory in Europe, or Victory Day in the Soviet Union, presided in a moment of humble triumph, but the devastation and hardships prevailed for decades to come.

 V-E Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square, London. 

-Lindsay 

A 1940’s DIY Christmas

Hello, Friends!

The National D-Day Memorial's 2015 Christmas Tree
for the Festival of Trees

Each year in Bedford, Virginia, our Welcome Center hosts an event called “Festival of Trees.” Businesses and organizations decorate trees throughout the Welcome Center and the public is able to vote for their favorite tree for $1 a vote. Voting began November 18^th and goes on through December 31^st, 2015. All of the proceeds of the winning trees will be donated to their selected charities, with the Memorial's being our educational initiatives. 

This year’s theme is “DIY (Do It Yourself) Christmas.” While DIY is the “it” thing in home decorating today thanks to Pinterest, the Memorial hit the jackpot of sorts since Christmas both on the homefront and warfront during World War II for most involved improvising and creating their own decorations in order to support the war effort. Nothing was put to waste with most items being reused and recycled. So as I selected items to decorate the tree, I took into account things that would be readily available on the homefront during the war and could be repurposed for Christmas ornaments and decorations. Below are a few of the decorations we created for this event:

Popcorn and Cranberry Garland

Materials Needed: Popcorn, cranberries, thread, needle and acrylic sealant spray

1.       Thread cranberries and popcorn onto a string to use as garland

2.       Stretch the cranberry and popcorn garland out on your work surface.

3.       Shake the can of acrylic sealant spray vigorously for several seconds. Hold the can of acrylic sealant spray about 10-inches above the garland.

4.       Start at one end of the garland and coat it with a thin layer of the acrylic sealant. Continue in this manner while moving down the strand. Let the sealant dry for at least 12 hours.

5.       Turn the garland over carefully and coat the backside of the garland with the acrylic sealant in the same manner as before. Let dry for at least 12 hours before using the cranberry and popcorn garland.

6.       Store the garland in an airtight plastic container after use. Add a few silica gel packets to the container before storing it away to help prevent moisture from building up in the storage container. Place the container in a cool and dry location.

During the early 20^th century, popcorn was a holiday favorite not just for food but for decorations.

Of course, during World War II, acrylic sealant spray would not be available. But for the sake of preserving our decorations for almost two month, we needed to use it to keep it looking fresh and to keep the bugs and animals away.

Cookie Cutter Ornament featuring Bedford Boy,
Frank Draper

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Materials Needed: Cookie cutters, photographs, scrap paper, and glue

1. Choose patterned papers or color-photocopy pictures onto card stock. Trace cutter on top; cut out. Dab white craft glue along cutter's edge. Press paper in place; let dry.

2. Thread narrow ribbon through needle; poke between paper and cutter, and wrap ribbon around top of cutter and tie a knot.

We chose to use photocopied photos of the Bedford Boys for the tree to give a personal touch to the tree.

We would love for you to come out and take a look at the Memorial’s tree, as well as all of the other gorgeously decorated trees. Just make sure to vote for our tree though! 

The Welcome Center is located at 816 Burks Hill Road, Bedford, VA 24523 with special hours as following:  Open until 9:00pm on Friday, December 4, 2015, Friday, December 11, 2015, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Sunday, December 13, 2015 and Friday, December 18, 2015. The Welcome Center will be closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day along with closing at 12:00pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Until next time,

Maggie

World War II Ration Era Recipe: Squash Biscuits

Besides the changing leaves and being able to wear boots again, I love fall because winter squash is in season at the market. Winter squash is typically harvested in September or October and consists of butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash and many other variants. During the 1940’s in an effort to reduce waste during World War II, leftover winter squash was used to make tasty biscuits.

Recipe from “Grandma’s Wartime Kitchen: World War II and the Way We Cooked” by Joanne Lamb Hayes

Ingredients:

·         2 cups of unsifted all-purpose flour

·         3 tablespoons of light brown sugar

·         3 teaspoons of baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon of salt

·         ¼ cup of shortening

·         ½ cup of milk

·         ½ cup of pureed winter squash puree

Instructions:

·         Preheat oven to 375^oF. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

·         Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture forms coarse crumbles

·         Combine milk and squash puree. Add to flour mixture and stir together just until all flour mixture has been moistened. Spoon out onto greased baking sheet to make 12 biscuits.

·         Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

·         Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to serving basket and serve warm.

Honestly, this was a fairly simple recipe and easy to make. The most frustrating part of the recipe was

making the puree since I did not buy frozen butternut squash, but even that wasn’t difficult.  It felt even more like a true “ration-era” recipe since I pulled all of the ingredients from my pantry, except for the squash.

As they were cooling, I was prepared for these not to taste the best as most ration recipes tend to taste bland. But, they surprised me in the most pleasant way. They sort of reminded me of Red Lobster’s biscuits. I plan on making them again this fall, but probably with more salt and adding cheddar cheese.

I hope that you take some time to try out this recipe and possibly incorporate it into one of your fall dinners!

Until next time,

Maggie

Band of Marauders

Hello All,

Please join us this Thursday (2/26) for the second installment of our Lunchbox Lecture Series with President April Cheek-Messier. Explore the extraordinary life of Eugene Bullard, the first African-American pilot and spy in World War I. The lecture will be held at the Bedford Welcome Center Community Room, promptly at noon until 1 PM. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, please call the office at (540) 586-3329.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On this day, 71 years ago, Major General Frank Merrill led a guerrilla style campaign through the northern areas of Burma. Nicknamed ‘Merrill’s Marauders’, the unit’s purpose was to engage in a “long-range penetration mission” agreed upon by both President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill in August 1942.

Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill directing troops.

The unit’s objective would comprise of cutting Japanese communications and supply lines, and to essentially create chaos within the enemy’s lines. The idea of such a daring mission was to prepare a vantage point for General Joseph Stillwell’s Chinese American Force to reopen the Burma Road, which would reopen a major supply channel back into China.

Since a mission such as this had never been done before, a ‘wanted’ ad was sent out, under the president’s permission, to attract soldiers to volunteer for a ‘dangerous and hazardous mission’. The US military knew their objective would be extremely difficult to obtain and volunteers were vital. The sheer volume of stateside soldiers, nearly 3,000 men, who volunteered created the 5307^th Composite Unit, code named “Galahad”, which would ultimately be remembered as Merrill’s Marauders.

Merrill's Marauder's trudging through the Burma jungle.

Training for this unique mission took place in the jungles of India, where Brig. Gen. Merrill taught his soldiers the art of guerrilla warfare. The unit was split into six combat units each with 400 men, Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange, and Khaki. The remaining 600 men were to stay in India to coordinate airdrops of supplies to the men fighting.

On February 24, 1944, the Burmese campaign began with a 1,000-mile walk through thick jungle without artillery support. Carrying their supplies on their backs and on mules, and only being resupplied by airdrops, the men withstood five major engagements with the enemy, and nearly 30 minor engagements. Merrill’s Marauders were so successful at confusing and disrupting the Japanese; they were able to capture the Myitkyina Airfield in the process. By that engagement, only 200 soldiers, of the original total, were present to take the field. A week later, on August 10, 1944, the unit was disbanded with a total of 130 men left. Out of the 2,750 men to enter Burma at the start of the mission, only two made it through without hospitalization of major wounds or illness.

Soldiers taking a brief rest in the jungle.

The mission was so physically grueling, the surviving Marauders had to be evacuated to hospitals and soon as humanly possible. The men diagnosed with “Accumulation of Everything”, which included exhaustion, tropical diseases, and malnutrition, to name a few. The unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, currently known as the Presidential Unit Citation, in July 1944. Each soldier was also awarded the Bronze Star, which was extremely rare for an entire unit to receive. 

 

  These heroic men battled impossible odds, sustained devastating losses, and yet managed to succeed in their objective. Without their miraculous efforts, the course of the war would have taken a destructive turn.

Take care, 

Elizabeth

Honoring a Legacy: Tuskegee Airmen

Hello All,

War Bonds Propaganda

This week’s post is in honor of our African American veterans who served during World War II. As we all know, African Americans were not given the opportunity to serve in combat units until World War II. Blacks were almost always given the undesirable duties which were usually not what a soldier dreams of when volunteering to protect their country. These duties included grave registration, supply units, and construction, among other assignments. Slowly but surely, these men were overcoming generations of discrimination to prove they were as patriotic as any white man.

Considered the hallmark of African American advancement, The Tuskegee Airmen, along with many other all black units, changed the way Americans viewed African American contributions in the war effort. For decades, the popular belief was that African Americans were not motivated enough for combat duty. They would not fight aggressively enough, they would not be patriotic enough, and they would not be able to maintain the required skills of a white soldier. Clearly, the over 100,000 African Americans serving in World War II, and in past conflicts, have proved that theory wrong time and time again. Despite the fact that the Airmen were so influential, not only to the war effort, but also to the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement, many people have only just begun to acknowledge their legacy.

The first group of Airman to graduate from Tuskegee, March 1942

Before World War II, the United States Army was so sure African Americans could not perform in combat, that the Army War College conducted a study in 1925 that ‘proved’ African-Americans were both physically and psychologically unfit for combat duty. When military advances were being made, especially in the years leading up to the Second World War, the government refused to open special training schools for blacks in the military, but through the determination of the NAACP, black press, a lawsuit, and influence from the President and First Lady Roosevelt, the Army conceded to the “Tuskegee Experiment”, which would train African Americans in combat aviation. Located at the Tuskegee University, Alabama, the Army Air Corps began training on July 19, 1941. Ironically, aviation is considered one of the most psychologically and academically challenging professions in the military.

Capt. Benjamin Davis, Sicily

Twelve cadets and one officer, Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. (the future first African American general in the Air Force) made up the first squadron to pass through the program that would eventually become the 99^th Pursuit Squadron, or more popularly known, “Tuskegee Airmen”. Immediately, they began combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater, and eventually joined with newer squadrons to form the 332^nd Fighter Group.

Not only were the Airmen successful, despite bets they would fail, they became envied by most other pilots because of their success. The Tuskegee Airmen proved to be some of the most talented pilots in the war effort and began the movement to fully integrate the U.S. Military by 1948. Their determination propelled the Civil Rights Movement into a force to be reckoned with in the eyes of the government. The population could no longer ignore the rights and talents of the black community. Not only that, but many of these men were able to continue their educations after the war, in areas of study such as law, political science, medicine, and education, continuing on a cherished legacy.

Tuskegee Airmen in front of a P-40 Fighter Plane, May 1942

It is a true testament to the will of these brave men that 926 Tuskegee Airmen were able to define the way the U.S. Military viewed African-American service in a time when it was socially acceptable to discriminate. 

Take Care,

Elizabeth

70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

Hello All,

US Soldier on watch during the Battle of the Bulge.

Here at the Memorial, our primary focus is to educate the public about the importance and impact of the Normandy Invasion. However, we also want to educate the public about the impact of World War II and how the success of the D-Day landings made possible for all other advances made during the war. Another crucial battle to take place just months after the Invasion was the Battle of the Bulge.

Soldiers in line for a hot meal.

January 2015 marks the 70^th Anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major attempt by Adolph Hitler to push back the Allied Forces and keep them out of Germany. The battle actually began December 16, 1944, but the battle was not officially over until January 25, 1945.

By this point in the war, the Allied Forces were gaining the advantage quickly in Europe. From June 6^th to December 16^th, they had reached the eastern side of France, stretching their forces from the North to the South, rapidly encroaching on the German border. As mentioned previously, Hitler launched the German Army Ardennes offensive between Aachen and Bastogne on December 16, 1945, gathering together as many able bodied men as possible, about 200,000 across the line.

The American’s were taken aback by the sheer magnitude of the German bombardment, with the German’s firing everything they had at the Allies, forcing the Allies back. However, the US 2^nd and 99^th Divisions were able to hold ground at Elsenborn and Malmedy. Because of bad winter weather conditions, the Allies were not able to receive the air support they needed to regain ground, so the Germans took the advantage. Any prisoner taken was executed by direct orders from the German Colonel Joachim Peiper. This atrocity only fueled the Allied forces to fight harder and beat the Germans. Some days later, the US 101^st Airborne Division and US 10^th and 19^th Armored Divisions were completely encircled by German forces, but continued to fight.

 

Close to Christmas, German supply lines were running low causing a need to halt the advance in order to regroup; however, Hitler refused to stop and ordered his forces to continue. Once the bad weather finally broke, the allied air support was able to regain some ground with 2,000 air sorties being launched, bringing in supplies to the front lines. With supplies replenished, Allied forces were able to counter attack and destroy German ground vehicles and were able to occupy 60 miles of territory by Christmas. On December 25, 1945, the British 29^th Armored Brigade and American 2^nd Armored Division were able to take down the 2^nd Panzer Division. German losses for the day included 3,500 infantry men, 400 vehicles, and 81 tanks. This defeat, and the additional aid for the 101^st Airborne forces in Bastogne, forced Hitler to halt the advance.

US Tanks in Belgium, January 1945.

By New Year’s Day, the German forces launched two new attacks on the Allied air fields and were only able to gain back some ground. However, ultimately the Germans were all but defeated, destroyed, or taken prisoner by the end of January. The rest of the month consisted of Allied Forces establishing their newly gained territory just miles away from the German border. By the end, the Battle of the Bulge became the bloodiest battle of World War II with over 100,000 German casualties and between 70,000 to 81,000 American losses. The Germans lost their reserve units, Luftwaffe was destroyed, and what remained of the regular army in the west was pushed back to the Siegfried Line in Germany.

While the loss is unbelievably staggering, winning the battle was pivotal to the Allied forces ultimately winning the war.

Aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge

Take Care,

Elizabeth