Operation Landcrab: Landings on Attu
On May 11, 1943, combined forces of the Army and Navy were brought to bear on Attu Island, a United States Territory of the Aleutian Chain in the Bering Sea. The 7th Infantry Division and Naval Task Force 51 (TF 51) participated in Operation Landcrab, an operation designed to end
Herbert Hanneman: Prisoner of War in the Pacific
Herbert Hanneman National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday in September, established in 1979. Herbert H. Hanneman from Madison, Wisconsin, was a prisoner of war during World War II. He served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945. Since Hanneman had
The Leyte Landing: Wisconsin Veterans on MacArthur’s Return
General MacArthur's return to the Philippines on Leyte, October 20, 1944. Public Domain: Gaetano Faillace. General Douglas MacArthur's Philippine landings brought with them confident images of dominance. MacArthur promised his return after the Japanese defeat of the Allied Forces in the Philippines: "I shall return." MacArthur's return marked a turning
Ghost Mountain Commander from Neillsville
On December 7, 1942, a year after the Pearl Harbor Attack, Herbert M. Smith of Neillsville, Wisconsin, was wounded in the Battle of Buna-Gona while encouraging E and G Companies of 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division. The battle for Buna remains one of the most brutal engagements of
Pearl Harbor Remembered through Oral Histories
In this 14 minute clip, Thomas Butler, a quartermaster in the Navy, recounts his experience aboard the USS Tennessee on December 7, 1941. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Collection contains more than 15 interviews with veterans who were stationed at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. It also includes
Remembering Pearl Harbor The Story of Herbert “Herb” Buehl
By Jenna Madsen, Wisconsin Veterans Museum Assistant Curator Herbert “Herb” Buehl from Monroe, Wisconsin was in the Navy aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Herb served as an electrician in power distribution on the Arizona. His post was at the bottom of the center of the ship