What we label today as post-traumatic stress disorder was called “nostalgia” during the Civil War because doctors felt the condition was due to homesickness. In WWI, it was called “shell shock”. The disability was first called the “Guadalcanal Disorder” in WWII because in the first campaign of the war, the Read more
When the US entered the war, the US Medical Department had only 1,200 doctors, by D-Day it had 50,000, including 83 women. It also ended up with 15,000 dentists and 2,000 veterinarians. Nurses rose from 1,000 to 52,000. Some drafted and enlisted men became medics (known to the troops as Read more
Elizabeth “Lee” Miller was born on April 23, 1907. She had a bizarre childhood. She was raped at age 7 and contracted a venereal disease. Her father was an amateur photographer who used her as his model. Some of the pictures were of her nude. She was expelled from Read more
In the olden days of naval warfare, galleys used to ram each other. That tactic had gone away centuries before WWII. And yet, the tactic was used at least once in a tank battle. Lt. John Gorman was a tank commander in Normandy about a month after D-Day. His Read more
Four days after D-Day (June 10, 1944), one of the worst atrocities of WWII occurred in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France. It occurred the day after German soldiers had executed 99 French civilians in Tulle. The men were hanged on balconies and lampposts. Read more
Douglas Bader was born on Feb. 21, 1910 to an upper class British family. His father was wounded in WWI and died in 1922. Douglas went to fine schools, but was not focused on academics. He was much more interested in athletics like rugby and cricket where he excelled. He Read more
In 1942, the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment was created in Great Britain. It was a special forces unit that was trained to conduct secret missions using small boats. It was headed by the dashing Maj. Herbert “Blondie” Hasler. He came up with a plan to hit the Germans Read more
During the Blitz of London in 1940, many people were killed by German bombs. Sometimes they left pets behind. After a bombing raid, a mixed breed terrier was found amongst the ruins. An Air Raid Warden named King fed the dog some scraps and the little dog followed him Read more
“Truth is the first casualty in war” is a phrase used to describe government lies to the public to justify war and to boost morale during the war. But it’s not just the government pronouncements that you need to be skeptical about. Military reports and press releases often include exaggerations Read more
In 1943, the Anglo-Americans invaded Italy because Churchill convinced Roosevelt that a cross-Channel invasion should be postponed until 1944. To appease Stalin, it was agreed that an Italian campaign would tie down German units that might otherwise face the Red Army. Churchill felt a strike at the “soft underbelly Read more