Historian John (Jack) W. Mountcastle, BG, USA (Retired) was the keynote speaker at the annual gathering on Memorial Day at the National D-Day Memorial located in the small town of Bedford, Virginia. Read the article about this special occasion that was published in The News & Advance.
Historian Kevin Hymel recently joined host Bob Gould on Veterans Radio for a lively discussion of Operation COBRA, the breakthrough of the Normandy beachhead. Months after D-Day, the Americans used strategic bombers to punch a hole in the German line west of St. Lo. Allied commanders such as Generals George S. Patton, Jr. and Omar …
“One of the pillars of Easy Company,” was how Major Richard Winters described him. Incensed as many Americans were by the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Luz enlisted in the Army and, attracted by its elite status and the extra 50 dollars a month jump pay, volunteered for the newly formed airborne forces. Ordered to Camp Toccoa, Georgia, Luz arrived at the newly created home of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment to begin what he would later call, “the best three years of my life.”
We are excited to present for the first time our Leadership in American History Symposium. To give you an idea of what you can expect from our historians, following are the abstracts for the lectures on WWI and WWII.
Our historian, Captain Ron Drez, remembers Herb Suerth, Jr., part of the historic Band of Brothers of WWII whose surviving members are now down to a precious few.
The article “Outlandish D-Day Invasion Tales: Paratrooper Raff: Tank Commander?” by our historian Kevin M. Hymel, recounts the story of Colonel Edson Raff “America’s most experienced paratrooper,” who commanded a tank regiment on the day of the Normandy Invasion.
The article “An American Sergeant at Brest: Caught in the Crosshairs” by our historian Kevin M. Hymel, recounts Sergeant Mortimer Sheffloe’s WWII experiences in Normandy and Brittany in 1944, including Operation Cobra and being shot by a German sniper near Brest.
Packing up for your end-of-the-summer road trip? No need to leave history behind when you can download free episodes of the History with Mark Bielski podcast.
Historian Kevin M. Hymel’s article, “Last Man In Hell: A Navy Beachmaster on Omaha Beach,” originally appeared in WWII Magazine and was posted on Warfare History Network on January 23, 2017. It is a gripping account of Beachmaster Robert L. Watson’s experience on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion.
Frank C. Everards created the D-Day, Normandy and Beyond website in 2000 with the mission to tell the stories of the brave men and women who went through the life changing event of WWII. He wanted people to be able to read about the high price that was paid for their freedom by giving a platform to the men and women who wanted to share the things they saw and endured.