African Americans in WWII
More than 1.3 million African Americans served as part of the U.S. military and helped with war efforts during WWII. Yet rarely is this population ever fairly represented in blockbuster movies or TV shows about this era.
World War I and World War II Sub-categories:
- World War I (3)
- World War II (18)
Jimmy Stewart: The Hollywood Actor & Fighter Pilot (2021)
Perhaps Stewart’s most dramatic role was the one that not many people know about, but that molded his life and his psyche – not to mention his acting – for most of his career: serving as a fighter pilot in World War II. We talk to an author who delved into Stewart’s war service about how flying missions over Europe and seeing his comrades die affected the …
The Holocaust: Surviving the German Occupation of the Netherlands
Arguably, the most famous voice from that region is Anne Frank – the young teenage girl who wrote of her daily life in hiding until she was discovered in 1944 and died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. While Anne Frank is a prominent voice, there are many other stories of those who hid out for years, evading capture and awaiting freedom.
Culture Crash: The Latest Blockbuster From Christopher Nolan
Tenet, the newest movie from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, is set to release next month. We take a look back at some of Nolan’s biggest film triumphs including the star-filled thriller, Inception.
75 Years After WWII: The Men of the 44th Bomb Group
Memorial Day is on Monday, May 25 this year. To honor our veterans, we highlight a unique story from World War II about the heroic men of the U.S. Air Force 44th Bomb Group.
World War II: The Women of the OSS
More than 75 years ago, a diverse set of men and women making up the Office of Strategic Services were united together in their determination to win World War II. Some served as government spies or propagandists and others gathered terrain intelligence for army invasions. Whatever role they played, the OSS staff worked tirelessly for years and rose to the …
Culture Crash: The WWI Epic, “1917”
We explore the new release, 1917 now playing in theaters. The new film, which is filmed acclaimed cinematographer, Roger Deakins, has an action-packed storyline that does not disappoint.
The Undiscovered Photos of WWII (2019)
It’s been almost 75 years since the end of World War II. With Veterans Day around the corner on Monday, November 11, we uncover some of the photographs taken from 1945, the final year of the conflict. These images show the sheer destruction caused by a war that lasted six years and cost millions and millions of lives. What was it like to be a U.S. Army …
The Storm on Our Shores: A Story of War, Loss & Forgiveness
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Mark Obmascik shares the incredible story of two men fighting for opposing sides and tangled in the complexities of World War II in his book The Storm on Our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War II.
The Pearl Harbor Christmas (2018)
Christmas 1941 came just weeks after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor dragged America into World War II. We talk to historian Stanley Weintraub about how America was getting ready for war while trying to celebrate the holiday season.
American Detainment: Lessons to Learn From America’s Internment Camp Shame
It’s a topic that has been in the news lately: how our government detains groups of people. We look back at history to see what really happened in World War II Japanese internment camps, and how we can avoid similar shame now and in the future.
The Spanish Flu of 1918
Author Susan Meissner discusses with us the Spanish Flu of 1918, how it interacted with World War I, the immense cost of the sickness, and how her novel explores the time in history.
The Real History Behind the Evacuation of Dunkirk
In the last year, two movies including Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster have introduced the story of Dunkirk to American audiences. We talk to Michael Korda, a historian and author, who explains some of the real history, including why Hitler and Churchill acted the way they did throughout the ordeal.
Asa Jennings: A forgotten American hero
After World War I, the city of Smyrna was set ablaze and people had to run to the beaches just to escape the flames. We’ll hear how governments and diplomats in the West all but ignored their plight, and how the efforts of one brave relief worker and a Navy commander finally brought the victims to safety.
History, Not Precedent: America’s Internment Camps (2017)
Photo historian Richard Cahan talks about the history of the Japanese internment camps, and why we should look at them as a cautionary tale not as precedent.
Christmas at the Battle of the Bulge
Stanley Weintraub talks about one Christmas, in 1944, when American soldiers spent a freezing holiday fighting for their lives against during the Battle of the Bulge.
Jimmy Stewart the Fighter Pilot (2016)
We delve into how Jimmy Stewart’s war service affected the actor and his choice of roles and acting style for the rest of his life.
A Memory of the Holocaust
A Holocaust survivor discusses the need for young people to learn about the Holocaust and the reasons why it happened.
A Pearl Harbor Christmas
Seventy-four years ago this month, the U.S. was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, drawing the country into World War II. We talk to an author and historian about how FDR, Churchill, MacArthur and others planned for the war during those few weeks before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Somewhere There Is Still a Sun: A Holocaust Memoir (2015)
Although their numbers are dwindling every year, there are still many people alive today who remember and lived through the Holocaust during World War II. One of these men spoke to us about his experience as a young boy in a Czechoslovakian work camp, and how his mother – through hard work, quick thinking and just pure luck – managed to keep herself and her …
The Most Human Human
The Academy Award-nominated film, “The Imitation Game” brought to light the contributions of Alan Turing in breaking the Enigma code during WWII. Throughout his career, he thought that maybe we could build a computer that could think like a human. But could even the best tech whizzes of today build a machine that could not only think but also converse like a …
