Thanks to everyone who participated in our latest contest for a copy of Strong Men Armed by Robert Leckie! We have our 4 winners who have been contacted – Congrats to Gary, Mark, Steve & Kathy!
Look for our next contest coming soon!
If you didn’t win and would like to read this great book, you can find it here: http://wwii.cc/bewl1m
Located in the heart of Texas Hill Country, the city of Fredericksburg, TX houses the newly re-opened National Museum of the Pacific War. Originally a hotel and saloon operated by the Nimitz family, it is a Texas State Historic Site as well as a National Museum and is comprised of the Admiral Nimitz Museum, the George H.W. Bush Gallery, the Pacific Combat Zone and more features and exhibits.
On December 7, 2009, the George H.W. Bush Gallery was re-opened after a multi-million dollar remodeling project. It was completely redesigned to provide an interactive experience in reliving the war in the Pacific. Comprising many current technologies, the exhibits provide not only a traditional museum experience, but is enhanced with multimedia videos and kiosks where patrons can interact and experience portions of what life was like during World War II.
Stepping into the museum exhibit path is like stepping back in time. The initial room surrounds you with a panoramic multimedia wall and presentation taking you back to the great depression and examining what happened building up to the world war, setting the tone for the rest of the museum and starting you on the path of the museum timeline. As you proceed, the exhibits immerse you in the lives and cultures not only of Americans, but from all nationalities involved in the Pacific War. The museum does an excellent job of taking an impartial stand in presenting the experience of the war, presenting all sides as the war happened, examining the struggles and strife individuals endured.
Though the museum is housed on only 33,000 sq ft, the George Bush Gallery alone consists of 36 separate sections and houses many restored full size aircraft including a B-25 Mitchell bomber, several Japanese and American fighters, an Admirals Barge, multiple tanks and other land vehicles and artillery, and one of the five Japanese Midget Submarines that were used in the attack on Pearl Harbor, all inside the museum! Adjacent to the main museum complex is the Pacific Combat Zone which is both an indoor and outdoor experience designed to show visitors what it looked like in the Pacific, highlighted by an aircraft, armored vehicles/tanks, and a PT boat exhibit.
Visiting National Museum of the Pacific War is a rich and rewarding experience that will give anyone a better appreciation for the war. For veterans, it is a chance to find peace and remember where they were when the different events happened. Seeing many of them walking through quietly reliving their own personal wars, pointing out things they recognized and events they experienced was very touching. Getting to talk with them and hear their stories helps make the museum come to life and brings home the reality that this war affected so many across the globe on an individual level. Visiting the museum is something that students, families, and veterans alike can learn from, appreciate the war’s trials, reflect on the past, and for many come to peace.
If you are interested in seeing a little more of what the museum has to offer, we have a little virtual tour, but be sure to visit in person as the photos do not do any justice to the full experience the museum provides!
Special thanks go out to the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau (888)997.3600, the Hangar Hotel and Airport Diner, the Cabernet Grill, and Geiger & Associates for making this tour possible.
A Guide to German Soldiers Equipment from WWII, Review of Deutsche Soldaten
This reference is an excellent source as a visual encyclopedia of the German soldiers equipment during World War II. Casemate Publishing’s Deutsche Soldaten details what the German soldiers lived in and worked with, and the evolution of gear over the several years of constant warfare and location. Every page in vivid full color brings out the reality of each item and how it would have been used, held, or worn by the men of Germany. Agustin Saiz includes valuable commentary and specific item details for each piece from undergarments to chemical warfare equipment.
Though there have been many books published revealing the equipment and lives of the Allies, and especially American soldiers, this book focuses strictly on the German side. It is a revealing experience to be able to so visually relate to how the German soldiers had to survive, often in incredibly harsh conditions. Compared to modern equipment it is amazing to see just how little they had to survive with and how primitive their equipment was. Blended in with the photos of actual militaria artifacts are portions of German manuals on how to use the equipment, photos of soldiers and other related memorabilia.
Deutsche Soldaten is a well put together and comprehensive volume that is a must for any collector of WWII militaria and an excellent research reference for scholars.
Deutsche Soldaten
Uniforms, Equipment & Personal Items of the German Soldier 1939-45
by Agustin Saiz
Publish Date
October 2008
Specifications
8 x 12
356 pages
full color throughout
978-1-932033-96-0
$55
hardback
Casemate Publishing
http://www.casematepublishing.com/cgi/titleinfo.pl?sku=9781932033960
Review: Finding Fighting for Delphine:
A Soldier’s True Story of Triumph and Tears, memoir of Ken Krueger by Lee Burtman
Cover of Fighting for Delphine by Lee Burtman
During World War II millions of young men were uprooted from their daily lives. Many small town boys were suddenly thrown into a massive group of men being trained to fight on foreign soil. Ken Krueger was no exception. Growing up in a small Minnesota town, Ken was just another young American guy. He was raised a Christian and throughout the rest of his life, held his religious convictions very close, which saw him through good times and bad.
This book is a memoir of Ken Krueger’s life, focuses on what happened to him during World War II. He became a messenger in Patton’s 3nd Army and was sent to Europe. During the Allied advance toward Germany, Ken was stationed in a small town in France and assigned to a room in a French family’s house. It was in this house that Ken’s life was changed, by a beautiful young French girl, the daughter of the family he was assigned to, Delphine.
Throughout the book, Ken describes the war as he experienced it, the many times he called upon God to deliver him, and how his guardian angel saved him from deadly situations. Messengers were true lone soldiers being sent on almost suicide missions to hand deliver messages from HQ to field units. Messengers were often deliberately targeted by enemy forces to disrupt the lines of communications, so Ken was often the target of German snipers as he drove his Jeep through the European Countryside.
This independently published book does justice to Ken’s past, bringing out his story in a way that lets the reader relate to his true experiences. Lee has brought out this biography in true form and has given value to this historical record. Her desire to publish Ken’s story is commendable and donating the book’s proceeds to ministry shows her selfless heart in this challenging task.
Ken Krueger & Lee Burtman
I recommend this work to history lovers, and anyone who likes an inspirational tale.
- Steve Terjeson
World War II History
BOOK SPECIFICATIONS
Hardback
Author: Lee Burtman
Page count: 160
Language: English
Publisher: Moonglade Media
Website: http://www.moonglademedia.com
Review: Hitler’s Great Panzer Heist: Germany’s Foreign Armor in Action, 1939-45
How Hitler Inherited His Tank Army
It is widely known that the German panzer corps were one of Hitler’s most formidable weapons during his conquest of Europe. What is not well known is that more than 25% of German tanks used were not actually German in origin. In Hitler’s Great Panzer Heist: Germany’s Foreign Armor in Action, 1939-45
Britain, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Poland and the Soviet Union would all see their tanks used by German forces. Even some United States Sherman tanks would fall victim to this larceny. From Rommel using British Matilda tanks in North Africa to a face off of Soviet T-34s on opposite sides of the battlefield, this book details the numbers and events in meticulous detail.
Hitler’s Great Panzer Heist not only includes detailed figures, but also interjects many quotes and stories from people who were there and were able to recount what part this mostly unknown story played during World War II. I found this to be very interesting reading. The volume of referencable facts and detail to major period events and political motivations helps to extend the books importance. This was definitely a new spin on just how important resources were for Germany and what part industry, in particular wartime industry, played in Europe.
Read the full review page of Hitler’s Great Panzer Heist for all the book details.
Review: VALKYRIE
Valkyrie
Starring: Tom Cruise
Release: December 26, 2008
Review of VALKYRIE
United Artists latest feature film, VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise, is a vivid drama based on a true story. This film gives an up close and personal view of the conspiracy to assassinate one of history’s most evil dictators, Adolph Hitler.
Read the full review and see the trailers on our Valkyrie Review page!
Review – Finding Granddad’s War
Grandson Researches Grandfather’s WWII History
It is very fitting that Ancestry Publishing (Ancestry.com) was the publisher for Jeffrey Badgers Finding Granddad’s War. As it’s title states, this book details the research methods and the travels of a young man in search of the history of a grandfather he never knew.
Jeffrey Badger was only two months old when his grandfather, Leo Kavanaugh, passed away in 1970. Twenty seven years later Jeffrey Badger began to piece together the life of his grandfather and learn where he had been, who he knew and what some of his experiences had been.
As part of the 9th Army’s 978th Engineer Maintenance Company, Leo Kavanaugh visited 9 countries, trailed almost 30,000 miles and was one man in a unit of 377. Finding Granddad’s War is not about a frontline soldier, action packed with combat stories, but is a deeply personal rebuilding of a war experience, tales and memories from those who were there, and filling in the memories for a grandson who never knew his grandfather.
Badger reached out to many people, finding a little information here and there, but also found and met many of the men his grandfather served with. They told him their stories, personal, funny and painful, which helped him to know what really happened in his grandfathers life. Badger ended up tracking to 17 states and Europe to meet 32 veterans and get their story
What really is of value in this book is Jeffrey Badger describes how he went about researching this chronicling history, what you should do to research your own family. This is a great guide that shows just how much information is out there to find, where you can look, and how to go about getting official records.
This book is a good read for anyone looking to research their own family history. I found it to be very entertaining and insightful, getting to hear the histories of so many people that were involved in one man’s life. There are a lot of good resources contained and detailed that will assist in researching individuals histories. Finding Granddad’s War shows how even a beginner with little background knowledge can end up traveling the globe and filling a book with what he learned.
Review of VALKYRIE – 12/12/08
United Artists latest feature film, VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise, is a vivid drama based on a true story. This film gives an up close and personal view of the conspiracy to assassinate one of history’s most evil dictators, Adolf Hitler.
Known for his intense action films like Top Gun and the Mission Impossible trilogy, Tom Cruise brings his intensity to Valkyrie as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Wounded in North Africa in May 1943 during World War II, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany a crippled man with a changed view of the war and of the German Nazi leadership.
Approached by a group of conspirators against Hitler and his regime, von Stauffenberg is called upon to use his status as a war hero to get close to Hitler and facilitate the assassination. The short action sequences help to drive home the impact of the task they are undertaking. The plot becomes so complex it includes overthrowing the state police (SS) and hijacking the Berlin reserve army forces all at the same time the explosive goes off, presumably killing Hitler on 20 July 1944. The complexity of the plan is well played out in the film as are the interpersonal relationships. The conspirators in the German Resistance know their actions mean certain death if they are caught, but are resolved to make that sacrifice to stop the atrocities being committed.
The film itself is shot very up-close and personal with the actors. Most of the film is focused to within 3ft which helps to bring out the personal intensity, but also hinders the scenes surroundings. This detracts somewhat from allowing the audience to feel included in the film. The scenes were well played, but l would have liked to see a more developed background to the plot. The movie assumes the audience already knows a decent amount of the historical background, but it should have been included for future generations. I feel that omission is what detracts mainly from this film being of great historical value.
Overall I found this film to be a great portrayal of real events and for the most part historically accurate. The alliteration to Valkyrie in 3 different ways (the definition of Odin’s handmaidens who conducted the souls of the slain “Hitler” to Valhalla, Hitler’s Operation Valkyrie, and Richard Wagner’s The Ride of the Valkyries musical score), was woven nicely to help cement the title. From the start Valkyrie well shows the indoctrination the German military was subjected to, focused on winning their loyalty for one man, not for the German people as a whole. Alternately, it certainly helped to recover the sacrifices made by the German Resistance during World War II to fight against tyranny, which many people over look today. This film is an example of their voice saying “We are all not like him.”
View the trailer and featurette on our Valkyrie review page.
This Military Historian Records the Heroic Acts of Unheralded Heroes
Bud Feuer is a pretty prolific military historian, having written more than a dozen military history books. But what makes Feuer stand apart, in my opinion, is his histories of little known, unheralded, unusual military units. A case in point is the Australian coast watchers who performed heroic duty when the Japanese were advancing through the South Sea Islands during World War II.
In Feuer’s book Coast Watching in WWII: Operations Against the Japanese on the Solomon Islands 1941-43, the author details the activities of up to 400 coast watchers scattered along the coastal areas of the Solomon Islands. These units would hide away in the jungle/mountain areas, keep an eye on Japanese ship movements, and then radio reports to headquarters on what ships were moving into the area.
The Japanese most likely would never have been halted if they were able to maintain the element of surprise. But that was taken away, unknowingly to them, by the coast watchers. Feuer makes a good argument when he states that “coast watching alone was responsible for the success of the air war. During the early and uncertain days of the American struggle to wrest Guadalcanal from the Japanese, the reports and timely warnings from Stations JEF and STO on Bougainville were directly responsible for the enemy’s defeat.”
To perform their tasks, the coast watchers relied on “teleradios” which were relatively large, heavy and clunky radio communications equipment that had to be hauled from one hiding spot to another. The teleradio had a voice range of about 400 miles and had a range of an additional 200 miles if you used the telegraph key. Besides having to lug this heavy machine around, the men in the unit had to lug around the batteries, charging engine, and benzene fuel. It took several men to carry the teleradio from one site to another. Imagine what these guys could have accomplished today with micro-electronic technology?
Feuer points out why propaganda is so important in wartime, recording the successes of the coast watchers and failures of the Japanese who angered the natives by arresting men and women in the villages and using them as free laborers. The Japanese also knew little about mountains and were unskilled in tracking.
While I enjoy history, most of the time I am bored silly by voluminous military histories that fail to record the lives of the soldiers involved or capture the overall picture of what is taking place. Bud Feuer accomplishes what many military historians fail to do – Feuer writes a compelling, riveting history that grabs your attention early and keeps it. Bud Feuer is a great story teller and an accurate historian.
Review of Venus Rising
Read the full review page of Venus Rising.
Venus Rising is a record, not only of historical value, but a personal one of a man’s life in the Navy during World War II.
Harry William Deal put his memories to paper, not for the first time, but a second time more than 60 years later. A Texan, having seen the ocean only once, joined his friends in the Navy onboard the oil tanker USS Raccoon in the Pacific. The memoir tells not only of his experiences but of the real emotion, dedication, and personalities of the many people he encountered before, during and after the war years. He describes a nation of people, not just the few in the book by these words, “As a result of this war, we men were a little tougher, a little sadder, and a lot wiser.”
This is not just a war novel. Venus Rising tells the real story, the emotions, the homefront experiences, the unexpected humor and the tragedies. I recommend you read this book as it will help you to understand your fathers, grandfathers or maybe great-grandfathers generation a little bit better and take their hard earned wisdom to heart.
Harry William Deal
Book Details:
Hardcover: 261 pages
Publisher: Orsini Press; 1st edition (March 20, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979781604
ISBN-13: 978-0979781605
*Images from Venus Rising used with permission.
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