Curator Conversations – Tracing Private Ryan: World War II Genealogy
Are you interested in filling in the stories of your ancestors who are World War II veterans? Have you been trying but you’ve run into roadblocks? Let Wisconsin Veterans Museum Reference Archivist, Russ Horton help. Privacy laws, federal records destroyed in a fire, and a plethora of acronyms and military jargon
World War WHERE?
By Russell Horton Reference Archivist When Janesville native Louis Wayne Tyler was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, he probably imagined he would eventually deploy to the European or Pacific Theaters. He might have considered the possibility of going to North Africa or the China-Burma-India Theater. He
Just a Few C.B.I. G.I.s Back from the War
Written by Andrea Hoffman, Wisconsin Veterans Museum Collections Manager With the European and Pacific Theaters garnering most of the attention during World War II—both in regard to resources and the public’s interest—the China-Burma-India Theater became known as the “Forgotten Theater” despite its strategic significance during the war. In the early 1940s, the
Victory in the Pacific Part VI: A Better World Shall Emerge
Four days after Emperor Hirohito’s broadcast, a delegation of Japanese officials flew via Ie Shima to the Philippines to receive instructions about putting the surrender info effect. General Douglas MacArthur would govern Japan as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. On August 30 he flew to still-armed Japan in
Part V: THE END OF THE WAR
On June 18, the day General Buckner was killed, President Harry Truman met with his senior military and civilian advisors to discuss the next steps in the war against Japan. General MacArthur estimated 100,000 U.S. losses in the first 30 days of an invasion of the Japanese home islands, while
A Lesson in Resiliency From the Bataan Death March
At the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. A Philippine insurrection against the United States began almost immediately and ended in 1902 with the United States controlling the territory until the Japanese invasion in December of 1941. Choosing deployment to the
Part I: Okinawa: Genesis of a Battle
In 1945, 75 years ago, World War II in the Pacific ended with the Battle of Okinawa and the atomic bombing of Japan. These important events, in which Wisconsin service members did their full duty, still impact the world today. From April until August 2020, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff
The Life-Saving Gift to Majil Steiner
By Andrea Hoffman, Collections Manager On November 21, 1944, the B-29 “Snafuperbomber” with the 40th Bomb Group was attacked over Japan while approaching its target city of Omura. While badly damaged, the crewmembers managed to keep the B-29 airborne back across the China Sea. But when the aircraft’s usable fuel
Veteran Sweethearts~Rose Jrolf and Fred Ray
Part of the Rose Ray WVM Collection This formal portrait is of Rose Jrolf and Fred Ray on their wedding day in 1945. Rose is wearing a large lily and ribbon corsage and Fred is wearing a carnation boutineer. Rose enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943 and