Iowa Public Television

Army Corpsman Malcolm Amos of Afton was captured in the Philippines on April 9, 1942 and forced to be part of the Bataan Death March. More...

Aschbrenner was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Oklahoma was docked in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack began at 7:55am, Hawaiian time. More...

During the battle for Faid (fa-YEED) Pass, Sergeant Barron's mortar squad was nearby, perched on a hill, waiting to protect the retreating Allied troops. More...

Technician Fourth Grade Verle Buck, a 21-year old from Jubilee, was drafted in January of 1943 and participated in D-Day as part of the 149th Combat Engineer Battalion. More...

In early 1945, 20-year old Galen Kittleson from St. Ansgar was stationed in the Philippines as part of an elite unit called the Alamo Scouts. The Alamo Scouts participated in the rescue of American POWs held by the Japanese at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in January of 1945. More...

Private First Class Henry Leonard, a 19-year old draftee from Ryan, was sent to fight in the Philippines in January of 1945. More...

As part of the 559th Field Artillery Battalion, Lettington had crossed the English Channel 17 days after D-Day in June of 1944. In December of 1944, Lettington found himself among the troops retreating from a massive German counter-attack now known as the Battle of the Bulge. More...

McDole was at the Cavite Naval Base in the Philippines when the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor began. Because the Philippines are on the other side of the international dateline, the battle began on December 8, 1941. McDole surrendered to Japanese forces May 6, 1942. He was eventually sent to the Palawan Island Prison Camp. More...

After being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Ruth Miller was assigned to the 110th Evacuation Hospital and sent to Europe in 1944. Miller helped care for several of the soldiers wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. More...

Moritz and other members of the 168th were surrounded by German troops at the Battle of Faid pass in February of 1943. More...

In January of 1945, 22 year-old John Phillips of Waterloo was part of a group of replacement troops sent to the 106th Infantry Division fighting the Battle of the Bulge. More...

After landing on Saipan in June of 1944, First Lieutenant Al Rolfes had dug in above Tannipeg harbor. More...

In April of 1944, 27-year old Second Lieutenant Ray Schleihs of Johnston, was starting his overseas tour of duty. Schleihs had joined the Army Air Corps in March of 1942 and was now piloting B-17 Flying Fortresses from a base in Framlingham, England. More...

In the skies over Italy, 24 year-old First Lieutenant Luther Smith of Des Moines, was on his second tour of duty with the Tuskegee Airman. More...

By mid-summer 1944, members of company "I" were attacking German troops somewhere north of Rome, Italy. More...

Jeanne Ersland of Ankeny, formerly Jeanne Gibson, was among the 19 thousand people who worked at the Des Moines Ordnance Plant.. More...

In 1943, 19 year-old Hollys "Pat" Harrison from Albia, formerly Hollys Tarbell, was working for a local dentist taking care of domestic chores. More...

As the battle raged on in Tunisia, 15-year old Rex Holmes of Red Oak waited in the Western Union Telegraph office in the Red Oak Hotel. More...

For some, joining the service was a chance to relocate. More...

Vivian worked for Solar Aircraft Company in 1944 while her husband Ray was flying bombing missions in Europe. More...

To help win the fight from the home front, the U.S. government asked its citizens to increase production of everything from ammunition to food. Ed Tubbs went to work for the Jasper Country Extension Service to promote Victory Gardens but eventually volunteered for military service. More...