Rationing in World War II -- Spam, baloney and homemade fudge: Cleveland Remembers

From Cleveland.com: Rationing in World War II -- Spam, baloney and homemade fudge: Cleveland Remembers
Almost everything was rationed in World War II: shoes, canned goods, meat, sugar, liquor and gasoline. We save grease and tin cans for the war effort.

Because meat was rationed we learned to "love" Spam, which was not rationed. We also ate fried baloney.

It was a big treat when my mother could save up enough sugar to make homemade chocolate fudge with nuts. I can remember her testing to see if the fudge had come to a soft ball stage by dropping a small amount into cold water. If it formed a soft ball it was ready to take off the stove. It was really hard for me to wait for it be cool enough to beat to the correct consistency. The final step was pouring the fudge out onto a butter plate.

In order to go on a summer vacation to a cottage at Mitiwanga, my father would have to save up his gas stamps for the trip.

Liquor rationing was not a problem until one evening when my father and uncle went to the store to get some whiskey. My three cousins and I were left in the car. I don't remember who was carrying the paper bag with the month's liquor ration in it, I just remember that the bag broke just as they got to the car. The bottles smashed to the pavement and broke. The men watched with almost tears in their eyes as the alcohol flowed into the gutter.

My cousins and I tried to become invisible. We didn't look at our fathers or laugh, because we knew that they would be looking for someone to blame. It was an extremely quiet drive home.

To save money and ration points, my mother canned tomatoes and peaches. She never bothered with green beans, because of the real danger of botulism. Canning was an all day job. The glass jars had to be washed and scalded and put out to dry. The the tomatoes had to skinned before they were cooked. The boiling hot tomatoes were poured into the waiting jars and a metal lid placed on the jar top. When the tomatoes cooled, a metal outer ring was screwed on if the first lid had dent in it, which indicated it was a good seal. Finished jars were stored in basement on shelves in the fruit cellar.

WWII vet gets his Purple Heart, POW ribbon 60 years later

From 9News.com (COlorado): WWII vet gets his Purple Heart, POW ribbon 60 years later
DENVER - He had to wait more than 60 years, but a local World War II veteran now has his Purple Heart and P.O.W ribbon.

Charles Chavez, who is turning 100 years old in October, received the military awards in a special ceremony.

It was sponsored by The Forgotten Heroes Campaign.

The organization seeks out men and women who have served in combat zones and presents them or their families with the medals and awards earned but never received.

WWII vet receives missing medals

From WLFI.com 18: WWII vet receives missing medals.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (WLFI) - A World War II veteran from Logansport finally receives all of the medals he earned while serving in the Pacific.

Marion Minks sat on his back porch Monday morning, surrounded by his family and friends. It was a proud moment. Minks served as a Private First Class with the United States Army during World War II. He earned numerous medals for his service in the Pacific between 1944 and 1946. He didn't receive all of his medals until now.

"He had missing medals and so what we tried to do was to find the medals that he had earned during World War II. We were able to get a hold of them," said U.S. Congressman Joe Donnelly.

Minks reflected back on his time with the 164th Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division in the Phillipines and in Tokyo, Japan. He described the night he was hit with a hand grenade and shot in the leg.

"The hand grenade got me in the chest. [It] deflated my lung and I was at the point of passing out. And I was shot in the leg," he said.

Minks said a field medic carried him to safety that night. Minks said he never knew the man's name, but was grateful to him for saving his life. While away at war, it was his wife Marjorie who kept things running smoothly at home.

"They called us troopers, but she was the real trooper, to stay home and keep the family going until I returned," he said.

Marjorie smiled at his side, beaming with pride.

"They sacrificed and you never heard a word of complaint. They came home and often never talked about it to anybody," remarked Congressman Donnelly.

Donnelly presented Minks with the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 bronze service star, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 bronze star, Honorable Service Lapel Pin, and Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.

Minks said he never had a nickname until he enlisted. Then he said he was happy to be known as G.I. Joe, he told the crowd gathered at his home Monday morning. More than 15 family members, along with friends, Logansport Mayor Michael Fincher and Congressman Donnelly attended the ceremony.

Minks also received an American flag which had flown over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Collings Foundation aircraft return to MAPS

From The Suburbanite.com: Collings Foundation aircraft return to MAPS
Green, Ohio —

The skies over Akron-Canton airport reverberated to the deep sounds of three historic World War Two aircraft. Part of the Collings Foundation Wings Of Freedom Tour, spectators on the ground saw a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Nine-O-Nine, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Witchcraft and North American P-51 Mustang, Betty Jane, circle overhead and land to the delight of the waiting crowd.

Many of the spectators were World War II veterans who had flown or serviced these historic aircraft during the war.

The Collings Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation devoted to organizing "living history" events that allow people to learn more about the aviation heritage of these famous aircraft.

The foundation has been flying the tour for 22 years and, on average, visits more than 100 cities in 35 states from late spring to early fall. Visitors can walk through the planes. Flights are available in all three aircraft.

For the B-17 and B-24 the cost was $425, while the P-51 was $2,200 for half an hour or $3,200 for a hour. Though expensive, it is a unique opportunity for those participating in the flights to experience the thrill of flying in historic planes which played a key role in the U.S. victory over Germany, Italy and Japan during World War II.

Several MAPS members traveled to Columbus where Collings was hosting a show at Bolton Field. MAPS members returned to Akron-Canton in the B-17 and
B-24.

During the flight guests were allowed to walk around in the aircraft from nose to the tail.

The view from the glass noses and side gun positions were especially breath-taking as the planes thundered along at relatively low altitude over a brightly lit Ohio countryside. Each MAPS member said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

For the veterans waiting in the MAPS hanger, the sounds of the old warbirds making their final approach raised a lump in many a throat.

These were the planes of their youth. They said the years seemed to fall away from them as they watched the aircraft taxi down the runway, reminiscent of what they had seen so many times before during the war.

As the veterans came out to examine the planes they talked with their family members and each other about their experiences.

NOAA, University Of Hawaii, Research Maui's World War II Legacy

Fron the Underwater Times: NOAA, University Of Hawaii, Research Maui's World War II Legacy
WOODS HOLE, Massachusetts -- It's been called everything from the Graveyard of the Atlantic to Torpedo Junction. By whatever name, the seas off the coast of North Carolina during World War II were the site of a devastating period for the United States, during which dozens of ships—mostly merchant vessels—were sunk by German U Boats.

Today, the remains of those ships, along with several U Boats, rest at the bottom of the Atlantic. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that from January to August 1942, alone, more than 50 vessels were lost to the U-Boat assault.

"They sank ships at will," says Evan Kovacs, director of 3D photography for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's (WHOI) Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab (AIVL), which is embarking on a 10-day mission to provide NOAA with the first 3-D optical survey of the undersea wrecks off the Carolina coast. The cooperative venture, funded by NOAA's Office of Exploration and Research, will also employ a team of divers and archeologists from the National Park Service Submerged Resource Center, UNC Coastal Studies Institute and the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology.

"We hope to get a full 3-D picture of several sites so that NOAA can go back and assess the wrecks' condition and the impact of the ships on the marine environment," said Kovacs. "We're breaking new ground."

"This is our first large-scale marine archeology program with NOAA," said AIVL Director Bill Lange. "We hope it will be the first of many such cooperative programs." Lange and his team have been conducting similar marine archeology programs with the National Park Service and State agencies over the last 5-6 years.

From a purely scientific perspective, the mission presents a unique opportunity, according to NOAA, which has dubbed the project The Battle of the Atlantic. "For the first time, these expedition scientists will study a maritime battleground off the coast of North Carolina, " according to NOAA officials.

The mission, currently in progress aboard the NOAA vessel SRVx, employs a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) outfitted with several underwater 3-D and high-definition camera systems developed by Lange and Kovacs. Over the course of the survey, the ROV pilot will work closely with technical dive teams in surveying the wrecks previously identified by the side scan sonar survey. The NOAA NPS and WHOI teams expect to conduct these optical surveys and close up inspection task on targets as deep as 500-600 feet. The technical dive teams will utilize AIVL's smaller diver-operated underwater 3D and 2D imaging systems in order to acquire imagery that would be difficult for the ROV to accomplish.

The WHOI survey and mapping effort is the most detailed phase of the project, which is coordinated by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Previous stages utilized a sonar system to provide a wide-area remote-sensing survey to give researchers a 'big picture' or birds-eye-view of the battlefield area.

NOAA then employed a multi-beam sonar system to "zoom in" on some of the wrecks for a closer look.

WHOI's mission will deliver what promises to be the most dramatic still and video images, which will provide the detailed data needed to fashion the large, two- and three-dimensional mosaic maps of the shipwreck sites.

"These videos will be used to create detailed pictures that researchers can use to monitor changes in that vessel over time" NOAA project officials say on their website. "The 3D videos will also make exceptional education and outreach tools. As a program that has dual responsibilities for both science and education, this system integrates perfectly with our program objectives," said Joe Hoyt, Principal Investigator for the Battle of the Atlantic Project.

Says Lange: "Using the imagery we collect on this expedition, we hope to work with NOAA in the future to create educational videos." A number of television documentaries are also in development to cover these expeditions.

Kovacs cautions that the mission is not without potential problems, primarily those generated from relatively deep waters and high currents that could affect the performance of the scientific instruments. "But," assures Lange, "we're very good at transforming work-class ROVs into sophisticated image platforms."

Using high-end deep submergence platforms, Lange and his AIVL colleagues have surveyed numerous high-profile wrecks, most notably the Titanic, as well as natural formations on the seafloor.

The WHOI researchers are particularly excited by their role in the Battle of the Atlantic project because of its potential to provide a first look at a critical piece of wartime history. "They've known about some of these ships for decades," Kovacs said, but this will be the first time the site will be surveyed and mapped in such detail.

In addition, project researchers will be on the lookout for one of the last of the known German U-Boats, which has yet to be found.

The WHOI portion of the project is funded by NOAA and private sources, Lange said.

NOAA, University Of Hawaii, Research Maui's World War II Legacy

The remains of an SB2C-1C Helldiver carrier-based dive-bomber rest on the seafloor off the Maui coast. credit University of Hawaii
From the Underwater Times: NOAA, University Of Hawaii, Research Maui's World War II Legacy
SILVER SPRING, Maryland -- NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Maritime Heritage Program and the University of Hawaii's Marine Option Program have completed a survey of sunken World War II-era aircraft and shipwrecks along Maui's southern coast. The two-week survey continues a longstanding collaboration between NOAA and the University of Hawaii in providing students with hands-on training in maritime archaeology surveying techniques.

The survey team produced scaled drawings and took photographs of six wreck sites, including a carrier-based dive bomber (SB2C-1C Helldiver); a carrier-based fighter plane (F6F Hellcat); and three amphibious assault vehicles (LVT-4 and LVTA-4s), two with mounted with 75mm howitzers. The documentation is used to evaluate wrecks for deterioration and helps identify when artifacts have been moved or go missing.

During World War II, prior to major invasions in the Pacific, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army personnel trained in landing craft and assault vehicles along Maui's southern coast from Maalaea Harbor to Ahihi Bay. Overhead, aircraft from Maui's Puunene Naval Air Station conducted combat practice runs. Amphibious operations and naval aviation proved to be two critical innovations of World War II that ultimately helped the United States secure victory in the Pacific.

Developing these new tactics, however, proved hazardous, as numerous planes and landing craft, and occasionally the lives of young servicemen, were lost around the islands. Today, the legacy of that period can be found in near-shore waters, where sunken aircraft and shipwrecks provide recreational diving sites, as well as habitat for marine species.

"The wrecks along the coast are like windows into the past and they remind us of the sacrifices made during World War II," said Hans Van Tilburg, NOAA maritime heritage coordinator. "The information collected during this project will help us better understand this chapter in our history and its significance to the Pacific."

For now, details surrounding the sinking of the assault vehicles near Makena, Maui, and the specific identity of the F6F Hellcat, remain mysteries pending further historical research. A project web site will be posted soon on the NOAA Maritime Heritage Program webpage. Funding for the project was provided by the University of Hawaii Manoa College of Natural Sciences.

SAN BERNARDINO: Ceremony held for school honoring WWII hero

From The Press-Enterprise: SAN BERNARDINO: Ceremony held for school honoring WWII hero
Vernice Moran, sister of World War II hero Capt. Leland F. Norton, was crestfallen when Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino closed in 1995 and the facility's name became San Bernardino International Airport.

"My mother was upset that everything was falling apart," said Moran's daughter, Kathy Coats.

Coats said she wished her mother had lived to see Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony for Norton Elementary School, which the San Bernardino City Unified School District plans to open in 2012.

"She would have been ecstatic," Coats said.

Coats and other relatives were among approximately 100 dignitaries, elected officials and school district employees who turned out for the ceremony honoring the San Bernardino native on the site at Mountain View Avenue and 7th Street

Construction on the school has been under way for about two months.

"It's a good honor and I was so glad Arlene had written the letter," Coats said.

In a 2009 letter to the district, Arlene Barton, a member of the auxiliary of American Legion Post 14, which once stood on the site, proposed naming the school for Norton . Her wish was granted last year.

"This man had given his life for this city and I felt it would be a good spot for a veteran's name," Barton said.

Norton was killed when his Army Air Corps bomber was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Amiens, France, in 1944. Seriously wounded, he kept the plane airborne long enough for two crewmen to bail out. Norton, 23, and another flier went down with the plane. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and other decorations.

In 1950, San Bernardino Air Force Base was renamed in his honor.

Stater Bros. Chairman Jack Brown brought along poster boards that show photographs of memorabilia from Norton's military career. Brown said he plans to donate the posters to the school. The supermarket chain's corporate headquarters hosts a display of that memorabilia, and the distribution center is located on the former air base grounds.

"I never want the name and heroics of Capt. Norton to fade from our memories," Brown said.

World War II Symposium at InfoAge

You've missed it this year, but check out the 3rd annual event next year - so mark this date!

From LittleSilver-OceanportPatch: World War II Symposium at InfoAge
The InfoAge Science History Learning Center held its 2nd Annual World War II Symposium at Camp Evans on Sunday.

The three-hour event featured a series of presentations about the many technical achievements of Camp Evans and Fort Monmouth during World War II.

Kicking off the event was a talk given by John Cervini, chairman of InfoAge, introducing new WWII dioramas, which will be a part of a permanent exhibit at Camp Evans.

Guests also were taken outside where Luke Janquitto, cofounder of the Military Technology Museum of New Jersey, spoke about WWII vehicles, many of which were on display.

“The WWII Jeep which was invented in 1941 replaced the horse,” said Janquitto. “This was a huge modernization for modern warfare.”

Sean Kenney, a 12-year-old Rumson boy and avid history buff, said he most enjoyed this part of the symposium.

“The cars are my favorite part. It’s really cool -- especially the German truck that was captured,” Kenney said.

Dan Lieb, scuba diver and president of the New Jersey Historical Divers Association, led a disussion on German U-boat -- submarine -- activity off the coast of New Jersey.

“Ninety thousand tons of shipping were lost directly and indirectly related to U-boat activity caused by war,” Lieb said. “The Germans wanted to bring the war to the U.S. Because of our determination and industrial might, we were able to out-produce what they were trying to sink.”

Township resident Robert Shanklian, of Valley Dr., said he was now able to understand what he saw when he went fishing off the New Jersey Coast -- the wrecks from the war.

“It’s very enlightening,” Shanklian, a retired manager for a school photograph company, said. “It’s great to know that this wealth of knowledge is right in our backyards.”

The day continued with three more presentations on origins of radar, the Army's Signal Corps strategic communications and the "hidden'' story of electronic warfare during WWII.

Cervini explained that most people don’t appreciate or have not heard of the technology that was developed during World War II.

“The technology that was developed during World War II affected the outcome of electronic warfare,” Cervini said.

He also said intercepters and jammers helped to protect airmen and troops from enemy weapons.

“Boxes of electronics that were attached to special antennas which allowed them to be mounted on B17 and B24 aircraft that turned on as they entered German territory prevented Germans from getting into what they needed,” he said.

Guests were able to tour the museum, viewing videos of the Norden and Sperry bombsights and how they worked and to view items on display from the war including computers, sea equipment and more.

Fred Carl, director of InfoAge, said the Camp Evans site was originally going to be turned over to the Army for reuse. Due to the poor condition it was left in by former management, InfoAge took it over in 1994 and it will soon be named a national landmark by New Jersey.

Hemp Against Hitler: How Cannabis Helped America Win World War II

From MOther Board: Hemp Against Hitler: How Cannabis Helped America Win World War II
Seventy-seven years ago today, nearly 95 percent of registered German voters turned out at the polls to give 38 million votes (or, 90 percent of the vote) to Adolf Hitler. From Reich Chancellor to Führer, Hitler now brandished absolute power by the people’s will, and began forging ties with Italy and Japan. Eight years later, stretched thin against Axis powers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released arguably the direst American wartime propaganda film ever. If we really wanted to smash the fascists into oblivion, the reel argued, we needed a whole bunch of Cannabis sativa L. And quick.

From the outset of WWII, in 1939, Japan cut off American supplies of Filipino hemp and Indian jute, and by 1942 our bulk war supplies were dwindling. Hemp for Victory was an urgent appeal: We needed rope for naval towlines, webbing for parachutes, thread for shoes! A primer on successful planting, reaping and bundling techniques, as well as information on equipment and tips for rope binding, the 15-minute short goaded farmers to prove their patriotism by harvesting lush stands of industrial hemp. It called for an appreciable bounty increase – 50,000 total acres – of product for 1943, a 14,000-acre bump over 1942.

The overture opens with a pan across crumbling Grecian ruins. “Long ago,” begins some grandfatherly narrator, “when these ancient Grecian temples were new, hemp was already old in the service of mankind.” The ancient Arabic word for canvas was the same as cannabis; hemp had been used for cordage in ancient China; the Conestoga wagons of America’s westward expansion had hemp hides.

Why? Not to get all patchwork-shorts burnout-ball bro on you – and because none of this is anything new – but the fibrous stalk of this distinct, non-psychotropic strain of Cannabis sativa L is pretty amazing. Not only is hemp insanely durable, with fibers that are longer and stronger and more permeable and mildew-resistant than cotton. It can be grown in a range of soils and requires few pesticides, and can typically yield 3-8 dry-fiber tons per acre. That’s four times what the average arboreal forest can turn around.

Of course, possessing and transferring weed was first criminalized in 1937. And while hemp can’t get you even remotely stoned, its relation to what can has kept it illegal. We’re the only industrialized nation that doesn’t allow for the production of industrial hemp.

But we made an exception then, like we always do, to ensure the maximum output of our military forces – and because where we’ve fought wars, we’ve come up against drugs. Northern hospitals during the Civil War liberally administered morphine and opium for painkilling; countless veterans who’d begun using narcotics for legitimate medicinal purposes became addicted. Many American troops in the Vietnam conflict who shot up heroin for the first time overseas returned home addicted. In spring of 1986 the Reagan administration disclosed a three-page memorandum admitting the CIA’s involvement in trafficking cocaine in Nicaragua during the Contra war. U.S. military interests in the ongoing Afghanistan conflict are battling a war machine financed through the opium trade.

Hemp for Victory, all campiness aside, is testament to liminal legalities, wartime’s privilege.

Honor Flight looking for WWII Vets to fill seats

From Carolina Live: Honor Flight looking for WWII Vets to fill seats
There are plenty of seats available for World War II Veterans and sponsors to fill the next Honor Flight heading to Washington, D.C. on October 26.

Honor Flight Myrtle Beach takes a group of veterans to the nation's capitol to visit the WWII Memorial, Korean Memorial, Arlington National Cemetary and other historic sites for free.

"I have about 50 Veteran seats still open. I have approximately 20 guardian seats. We'll do a total of 90 veterans and 59 guardians and medical staff and support staff," Walter Kollet with Honor Flight said.

Since the number of men who fought in WWII are aging, there's been a big push to get all of those who served to see the wall.

"Most of them have not been to Washington, D.C. because at their age, most of them are 85 years or older, it's difficult for them to make that trip without flying. Most of them have tears in their eyes when they get home because it's a trip most of them didn't expect to get," Kollet added.

Donations are always needed because the trip includes travel, meals and medical staff.

"The other thing we're attempting to do here in Myrtle Beach is collect wheelchairs. I don't mean new wheel chairs, I mean wheelchairs that are no longer being used by families and some families still have them from people that needed them. We're attempting to get 40 wheelchairs together so that we can eliminate a trip to Columbia to pick up 40 wheelchairs just for the flight," Kollet said.

Pre-flight orientation is set for October 5. All Veterans and Guardians are asked to attend to learn more about the upcoming Honor Flight on October 26.

Historic WWII warbirds on display at Paine Field

From the Snohomistcountybusinessjournal: Historic WWII warbirds on display at Paine Field
EVERETT -- Airplane enthusiasts and history buffs have a chance to see two of the most famous aircraft of World War II at Paine Field as B-17 Flying Fortress "Sentimental Journey" and B-25 Mitchell "Maid in the Shade" from the Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aviation Museum will be on display at Paine Field Airport with rides and tours through Aug. 21 at the Flying Heritage Museum.

The restored WWII bombers will give the public an up-close and personal look of aviation history. The public is invited to tour these airplanes. There's even the opportunity for some lucky individuals to actually take a flight in the bombers and experience flying in these aircraft first-hand. A portion of the flight cost is tax-deductible. Only a handful of these rare birds remain in the world today and even fewer provide the opportunity to experience flight just as the flight crews did during WW II.

B-17 tours are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12 and free for children under 5. B-17 flights are available for $425 per person. You can make a reservation on the B-17 by calling
602-448-9415 or by visiting the plane.

B-25 flights are for $395 per person. You can make a reservation on the B-25 by calling
480-322-5503 or by visiting the plane.

The aircraft are on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday before leaving Monday morning for Salem, Ore.

The Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aviation Museum maintains and flies several WWII aircraft at Falcon Field airport in Mesa, Ariz. The WWII bombers are maintained and operated as a flying museum and memorial to veterans.

Volunteer members of the Commemorative Air Force restored "Sentimental Journey" to its original 1944 configuration. It is the most fully restored B-17 flying today and is one of only eight B-17 Flying Fortresses still flying.

"Maid in the Shade" flew 18 combat missions from Corsica during WWII. The restoration to bring “Maid in the Shade” back to flying condition took 28 years and was completed May 2009.

Overdue honors for WWII fighters from Woodland

From the Daily Democrat: Overdue honors for WWII fighters from Woodland
What was it like being in a World War II combat unit which had a 93 percent casualty rate? That U.S. Army unit was the famous Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat team.

Three surviving members of the 442nd from Woodland and Esparto will be honored Wednesday with the presentation of Special Congressional Recognition Awards by Congressman Wally Herger. They are George Yoshio Nakamura, age 93, Yorio Aoki, 91, and John Hatanaka, 92. State Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada will also take part in the presentation.

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history, including earning an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations. And as can be expected, Nakamura, Aoki and Hatanaka have stories to tell from first receiving a draft classification "enemy alien" (even though they were born in California) to heroically fighting for their country in Italy and France.

A 1936 graduate of Woodland High School, Nakamura began his Army service in February 1942, just months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After assignments to an Army company were made in Italy for recent arrivals, only Nakamura and George Noda, who had lived on a farm near Branigan's Turkey Farm in Woodland, were left with no unit designation. Finally, Nakamura was told to report to Sgt. Daniel Inouye, who is now a U. S. Senator from Hawaii. Nakamura fondly recalls Inouye as a good leader.

Another memory, Nakamura came upon Yorio Aoki at the French Maginot Line. Nakamura, after graduating from Woodland High School, had hauled tomatoes for Yorio Aoki's father.

A 1939 graduate of Woodland High School, Yorio Aoki's overseas service started quite comfortably, being transported to Europe on the Queen Mary. But there was no shuffleboard, just anticipation of what was to come. Aoki's service was rewarded with a promotion to technical sergeant.

Hatanaka was born in the Capay Valley. He graduated from Esparto High School in 1937. He was released from a detention camp in Colorado to serve in the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Similar to Nakamura and Aoki, Hatanaka served first in Italy, then was transferred to France to fight to stop the German Army's counteroffensive, which culminated in the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler's attempt to turn the tide of World War II. The three returned to Italy with the 442nd in March 1945 to attempt to break through the German's Gothic Line.

The Gothic Line was a fortification along the top of the Apennine Mountains, extending 750 miles. The Gothic Line was drilled into solid rock, reinforced with concrete, in which was placed gun pits, trenches and 2,376 machine gun nests. Knocking the German Army out of there would test the Japanese-Americans of the 442nd Regimental Combat team.

In April 1945, the 442nd were to be used as a diversionary force on the left flank. This entailed walking over numerous mountains in their path. "I think I walked through every mountain range in Italy," John Hatanaka jokes. He is not too far off, as there were ten mountains in front of the 442nd. Nakamura, Aoki and Hatanaka still remember the treacherous freezing cold mountains of Italy.

Instead of being a diversionary force as planned, the 442nd under the cover of night fall, moved into position and by 5 a.m. on April 5, 1945 they were ready to strike.

The order came to attack and in just over a half hour later, mountain objectives "Georgia" and Mt Folgorita were taken, finally cracking the Gothic Line. The 442nd advance was so quick that supply units had a hard time keeping up with the advancing units. Hatanaka still remembers their rations brought up by mule. By April 25, the 442nd had cut off the German retreat, forcing them to surrender. This was the final military action of the 442nd with the war in Italy ending on May 2, 1945.

Unfortunately, Nakamura was severely wounded in Italy by a German sniper. He remains partially disabled.

All are invited to Woodland VFW Post 1985's hall at 345 West Kentucky Ave. for the 4 p.m., Wednesday, award presentation.

Biography claims Coco Chanel was a Nazi spy

From Reuters: Biography claims Coco Chanel was a Nazi spy
(Reuters) - A new book about the life of Coco Chanel published in the United States on Tuesday aims to strengthen claims the French designer collaborated with the Nazis during World War II as a spy code-named "Westminster."

The book, "Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War," by Paris-based American journalist Hal Vaughan, claims that not only was the designer the lover of a German officer, Hans Gunther von Dincklage, which has been well-documented, but they were spies who went on missions to Madrid and Berlin.

In addition, the book claims Chanel was deeply anti-Semitic.

"Vaughn reveals that Chanel was more than just a Nazi sympathizer and collaborator. She was a numbered Nazi agent working for Abwehr, Germany's military intelligence agency," publisher Alfred A. Knopf said in a statement.

But a representative for the Chanel fashion house on Tuesday poured doubt on the book's allegations.

"What's certain is that she had a relationship with a German aristocrat during the War. Clearly it wasn't the best period to have a love story with a German even if Baron von Dincklage was English by his mother and she (Chanel) knew him before the War," the Chanel group said in a statement.

The fashion house also disputed that the designer was anti-Semitic, saying Chanel would not have had Jewish friends or ties with the Rothschild family of financiers if she were.

But the book draws on English, French, German and American archives to claim Chanel, whose menswear-inspired fashions propelled her to become one of the most influential figures in fashion, went on missions with Dincklage and others to help recruit new agents willing to serve Germany.

It gives her Abwehr agent number as F-7124 and code-name as "Westminster," named after the Duke of Westminster with whom she had a love affair. She died in Paris in 1971, age 87.

She has long been speculated about as being a spy, but was released after being questioned about her ties to Nazi Germany by a judge in France. The book prints some excerpts of her court testimony.

Albert Brown dies at 105; oldest survivor of Bataan Death March

From the Los Angeles Times: Albert Brown dies at 105; oldest survivor of Bataan Death March
A doctor once told Albert Brown he shouldn't expect to make it to 50, given the toll taken by his years in a Japanese labor camp during World War II and the infamous, death-filled march that got him there. But the former dentist made it to 105, embodying the power of a positive spirit in the face of inordinate odds. FOR THE RECORD: An earlier headline with this article described Albert Brown as the last survivor of the Bataan Death March. He was believed to be the oldest survivor.
"Doc" Brown was nearly 40 in 1942 when he endured the Bataan Death March, a harrowing 65-mile trek in which 78,000 prisoners of war were forced to walk from Bataan province near the Philippine capital of Manila to a Japanese POW camp. As many as 11,000 died along the way. Many were denied food, water and medical care, and those who stumbled or fell during the scorching journey through jungles were stabbed, shot or beheaded.

But Brown survived and secretly documented it all, using a nub of a pencil to scrawl details into a tiny tablet he concealed in the lining of his canvas bag. He often wondered why captives so much younger and stronger perished while he went on.

By the time he died Sunday at a nursing home in Nashville, Ill., Brown's story was well-chronicled, by one author's account offering an encouraging road map for veterans recovering from their own wounds in many wars.

"Doc's story had as much relevance for today's wounded warriors as it did for the veterans of his own era," said Kevin Moore, co-author of the recently released "Forsaken Heroes of the Pacific War: One Man's True Story," which details Brown's experience.

Brown, recognized in 2007 at an annual convention of Bataan survivors as the oldest one still living, couldn't muster the strength to talk about his experiences until about 15 or so years ago, his family said.

His account described the torment that the marchers experienced as they passed wells U.S. troops had dug for natives but weren't allowed to drink from once they became prisoners. Filipinos who tried to throw fruit to the marchers frequently were killed.

Brown remained in a POW camp from early 1942 until mid-September 1945, living solely on rice. The once-athletic man saw his weight wither by some 80 pounds to less than 100 by the time he was freed. Lice and disease were rampant.

Born in 1905 in North Platte, Neb., Brown moved with his family to Council Bluffs, Iowa, after his father, a railroad engineer, died when a locomotive engine exploded.

He studied dentistry at Creighton University in the 1920s and was called to active duty in 1937, leaving behind a wife, children and a decade-old dental practice that his war injuries prevented him from resuming.

By the time the war ended in 1945, the 40-year-old Brown was nearly blind, had weathered a broken back and neck and suffered through more than a dozen diseases including malaria, dysentery and dengue fever.

He took two years to mend, and a doctor told him to enjoy the next few years because he had been so decimated he would be dead by 50. But Brown soldiered on, living in Los Angeles for a time before moving to southern Illinois.

WWII plane crash victims 'were both wonderful guys'

Des Moines Register: WWII plane crash victims 'were both wonderful guys'
The two men who died in a plane crash in Dallas County over the weekend were friends, and both served in the military.

The state medical examiner's office identified the victims as Timothy Griffith, 67, of West Des Moines and Kendall Belz, 52, of Johnston. They died of multiple blunt force injuries when the vintage World War II plane they were in crashed Saturday in a remote area near the Des Moines River.

Griffith was the pilot, said Roger Pointer of the Iowa Aviation Heritage Museum in Ankeny, where both men were members. The men had been at a Military Appreciation Day event in Boone.

Griffith was a brigadier general in the Iowa Air National Guard, according to an obituary, and he was manager of the Federal Aviation Administration office in Des Moines for years. He also flew state of Iowa aircraft.

Pointer said Griffith was a good pilot with a great record. He retired from the FAA a few years ago, Pointer said Monday.

Belz served in the Iowa National Guard for 26 years including a stint in Iraq, according to an obituary. He was a board member of the Iowa Military Aviation Heritage Museum and could be found there working on airplanes every Tuesday. He was also a motorcycle and dirt bike enthusiast and member of the Mid Iowa Trail Riders Association.

"Kendall never had a bad word to say about anybody," Pointer said.

Griffith and Belz were friends, Pointer said.

"They were both wonderful guys. You couldn't beat either of them. They were both nice and intelligent," Pointer said.

Family members could not be reached Monday evening. The FAA continues to investigate the crash.

Isle of Wight's sunken World War II tanks studied

BBC News: Isle of Wight's sunken World War II tanks studied

Maritime archaeologists have investigated ways for World War II tanks at the bottom of the sea near the Isle of Wight to be protected.

The tanks and other equipment were being carried on a landing craft which capsized and lost its cargo as it was heading for the D-Day landings in 1944.

They sit on the seabed between the east of the island and Selsey, West Sussex.

Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology is looking at how land legislation can be applied to the sea.

The project has been funded by English Heritage.

Shot to sink
The charity is working together with Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, which discovered the crafts in 2008, to investigate and chart the site.

Victoria Millership, from the trust, said it was not just ancient wrecks such as the Mary Rose that should be protected.

"The nature of seawater and the underwater environment preserves a lot more material than is often available on land and the things that are under water are often in a better state of preservation."

The Mark V landing craft tank (LCT) 2428 set off for Normandy on the evening of 5 June 1944 but developed engine trouble in the Channel and was taken under tow by the rescue tug HMS Jaunty.

On its way back to Portsmouth the landing craft capsized and lost its cargo.

HMS Jaunty fired upon the upturned hull until it sank to make sure it did not cause an obstruction. None of the crew were lost.

Better protection
The vessel was carrying two Centaur CS IV tanks, two armoured bulldozers designed to destroy any anti-tank devices on the beach, a jeep and other military equipment for the Royal Marines armoured support group.

The lost cargo and the sunken craft created two sites on the seabed 20m (66ft) below the surface.

The hull was later located about 6km (3.7 miles) to the east of the vehicle site. Both vessels have been preserved on the sea-floor for more than 60 years.

Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology hopes the project and case study will lead to better protection for underwater archaeology around England, specifically shipwrecks.

Wall honors Bainbridge Japanese Americans sent to internment camps

From the Seattle Times: Wall honors Bainbridge Japanese Americans sent to internment camps

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND —

Everywhere she went, Kayo Natalie Hayashida Ong, now 70, was greeted over and again with delight and recognition as "the baby!"

An iconic photograph of her at age 1, asleep in her mother's arms as her family was forcibly removed from their Bainbridge Island home during World War II, became one of the best-known symbols of a dark period in American history.

They were among the first of 120,000 people of Japanese descent who were exiled from the West Coast or forced into internment camps by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Exclusion Order after Pearl Harbor was bombed and the U.S. declared war on Japan.

"I don't remember it at all," Ong said, somewhat apologetically. "But now that I am older, I recognize the injustice."

She and her mother, Fumiko Hayashida, were among the dozens of camp survivors who attended the dedication of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Wall on Saturday.

Built on the historic site of the Eagledale Ferry Dock, where the residents were loaded onto a ferry and taken from their homes, the cedar, granite and basalt wall honors the 276 Japanese Americans from the island who were the first to be relocated.

Along with quotes and ceramic art, the wall is graced with the name of every resident who left the island during the relocation.

It also is intended as a symbol of gratitude to the friends and neighbors who protested the action or helped those displaced by holding on to their land and property for them.

Help from neighbors
In part because of the goodwill among neighbors, 150 exiled residents returned to the island after the war, a greater percentage than in any other community, according to speaker Mary Woodward, whose parents reviled the exile in the local newspaper.

The wall also is a reminder and a warning. "Nidoto Nai Yoni," which means "Let it not happen again," is emblazoned on a stone, and the phrase was repeated many times during Saturday's ceremony.

There were some tears of sorrow and outrage expressed during the dedication.

A few people wiped away tears when Earl Hanson, class of 1941, spoke of being threatened by a soldier with a bayonet when he went to the dock to say goodbye to some of his closest friends.

"These kids were a part of our lives," he said.

But there also was plenty of laughter and greetings and hugs.

Sadumu Ted Kitayama and Bill Takamoto were 12 when they were rounded up by the Army, herded onto the ferry Kehloken and taken to fenced "relocation centers," where they would spend the next several years.

For the adults, they said, being rounded up like criminals and losing their land and all they had worked for was distressing beyond words.

But for the kids, they said, it was a different experience.

"It was a little bit of an adventure for us," said Kitayama.

"We didn't have to work on the farm anymore," said Takamoto.

"It was hard for our parents and grandparents," said Sumio Yukawa, who was 16 in 1942. "But we had our friends, and we got to run a little bit wild."

Fumiko Hayashida, — who, at 100, is the oldest living survivor from Bainbridge — was greeted like a celebrity by her many old friends and neighbors.

She pronounced the wall, the feeling behind it and the dedication ceremony to be "wonderful."

Family to receive WWII soldier's lost Purple Heart

Google News: Family to receive WWII soldier's lost Purple Heart

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Corrado Piccoli's sisters believed one of their other siblings had his Purple Heart. So it was a shock when a Vermont Army National Guard officer showed up at Mary Piccoli's door one day, telling her he had the medal, awarded posthumously after her brother was killed in action during World War II.

"You better sit down. I have a story to tell you," Adeline Rockko was told when her sister called earlier this year with word of Capt. Zachariah Fike's discovery. "We had no idea it was even missing."

On Sunday, Fike will give the Piccoli family Corrado's Purple Heart and other medals he earned while fighting with the Army's 45th Infantry Division in Italy and France, where the 20-year-old private was killed in October 1944. The gathering in Watertown will cap Fike's yearlong mission to find the family, an effort interrupted by his deployment to Afghanistan, where he was wounded in a rocket attack.

Fike's mother, knowing her son liked to collect World War II memorabilia, bought the Purple Heart at an antique store in Watertown, 140 miles northwest of Albany. She gave it to him as a Christmas gift in 2009, when he was on leave waiting to go to Afghanistan.

Fike said when he saw a name engraved on the back — Corrado A.G. Piccoli — he had a hunch the soldier likely died in battle. The military doesn't engrave the recipient's name on every medal it issues, but someone, possibly in Piccoli's family, made sure the soldier's Purple Heart bore his name.

As the son of two Army soldiers — his mother served four years, his father retired after 31 years and was awarded a Purple Heart in Vietnam — Fike felt he had to return the medal to Piccoli's family.

Over four days after that Christmas, Fike scoured local records for any mention of Corrado Piccoli. A janitor at Watertown High School let him in on a Saturday, and Fike found the yearbook from Piccoli's senior year, 1942. He checked military and ancestry websites and the local library, where the most recent war records from the 1940s said Piccoli had been buried in France.

His search was going so smoothly, it seemed like Piccoli was guiding the way, Fike said.

"I really felt like he was talking to me throughout the process," Fike told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Then Fike, who went to high school near Watertown and lives in Burlington, Vt., had to put his personal mission on hold. His leave was up and the 30-year-old, full-time National Guard captain headed back to Vermont to prepare his unit, the 1-172nd Cavalry of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, for Afghanistan. It arrived in February 2010, and nine months later, on Sept. 11, Fike was hit by shrapnel on his back and legs when a rocket fired by insurgents landed on the building where he was sleeping.

He was awarded a Purple Heart.

After he arrived back home in Burlington last December, Fike headed to Watertown to resume his quest. There were phone listings for a Mary Piccoli in Watertown and a Natalino Piccoli in Baldwinsville, outside Syracuse, but both numbers were disconnected. In early January, Fike stopped by Watertown's Italian-American Civic Association, enduring some friendly razzing from the club's World War II veterans — they were enlisted men, he's an officer — and was told that Piccoli's father was a founding member of the organization and his brother Natalino served as the group's vice president for a year.

But he got few hard leads on Piccoli's siblings. So he visited the Watertown cemetery where Piccoli's parents are buried. The cemetery's records listed a grave in the Piccoli family plot for Pvt. Corrado A.G. Corrado, whose remains were brought back in 1948 at the family's request. A caretaker guided Fike to the gravesite.

"It was like, oh my God, I found him," he said. "It was great."

The burial records also listed the Piccolis' parish, St. Anthony's Church, where an 83-year-old nun told Fike she went to high school with Corrado's sister, Mary, and knew how to reach her. The nun called Mary, who was house-sitting for her daughter, and within minutes Fike was at her door, explaining how he came to have her brother's Purple Heart.

Mary and her two sisters thought Natalino had the medal all these years. He was still living in Watertown after their parents passed away and the medal was left to him, said Rockko, 84, of New Lisbon, N.J.

"My parents hung on to that Purple Heart for dear life because that was all they had left of my brother," she said.

She said she believes Natalino somehow lost the medal during one of several relocations after he moved out of Watertown. After getting the news that Fike had the medal, Rockko and her siblings decided he should hold on to it, plus several other belated military decorations Piccoli was due, until a warm-weather date could be selected when the older family members could travel to Watertown for a special ceremony.

While planning the event with the Annandale, Va.-based Military Order of the Purple Heart, Fike randomly suggested Aug. 7. Good choice, the organization told him, because Aug. 7 is National Purple Heart Day.

"That was like the capstone of a 'wow, this-was-meant-to-be-type of thing,'" Fike said.

The Purple Heart, plus a Combat Infantryman's Badge, Bronze Star and other medals to which Piccoli was entitled, have been mounted in a glass display case that will be presented to the family Sunday afternoon at Watertown's Italian-American club. The family will give the medals to the 72-year-old club, where they'll be on permanent display.

Adeline, Natalino, Mary and another sister, Margherita Larmon of Willmar, Minn., will be joined by more than 40 other relatives at the ceremony. On Saturday night, they're holding a family reunion next door at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall.

Fike, of course, is invited.

"Zach is part of the family," Rockko said. "We've really adopted him — with his mother's permission."

Neosho sees visit from World War II Mustang, Tigercat planes

From Neosho Daily News: Neosho sees visit from World War II Mustang, Tigercat planes
Neosho, Mo. — Flying wing-to-wing formation on Monday morning, two vintage World War II planes landed at the Neosho Hugh Robinson Airport to refuel.

The two planes were a P-51 Mustang and a Grumman F7F Tigercat.

“The Grumman F7F Tigercat built was in the 1940s. It didn’t see a whole lot of action in World War II, but saw it toward the end,” said Stewart Dawson, pilot of the airplane. “The Navy originally had it, but they kept breaking it going aboard the boat with it, so they gave it to the Marines.”

The Tigercat is based in San Antonio, Texas and both planes were flying back from an Oshkosh air show.

“The plane was built as a fighter, and it was used as a fighter,” Dawson said. “It usually had six 50-inch machine guns in the nose. And one 20 mm cannon on one side, one 20 mm cannons on the other side. Then it was put to use as a night attack, because they had a back seat for a radar operator. It saw duty in Korea, had some kills in Korea, after it was retired from the military, the firefighters got a hold of it, and this was one of the best fire bombers that they had and they used a lot of them. There are only five of these flying now. There is two more in restoration, so there should be seven flying in a couple of years.”

The plane could hold up to 660 gallons.

“Some of them had drops (tanks) up under (the wings) for another 150 here and 150 on the other side,” he said.

On this particular plane, there was a painted decal of a blonde woman in a swimsuit on the nose of the plane.

“That is what the man that owns the airplane wanted on there,” Dawson said. “Everybody had nose art back then.”

Dawson has flown planes including for the airlines for a number of years. In 2002, he retired from piloting airlines.

“These type of planes are a lot more fun, it is a lot hotter,” he said. “It is pretty cool. This is one of my favorites.”

As he finished fueling up the plane, P-51 Mustang pilot Stuart Milson pulled up to the gas pump.

“It is recently restored, this is actually a very unique airplane, this airplane was a true combat veteran, it is one of two Mustangs that we know of existence that actually flew combat in Europe,” he said. “This is the only one that is flying and it is a true combat veteran. We were into the restoration and the gentleman that flew this passed away and his son was going through his records, log books and found the serial number of the airplane. He contacted us, showed us pictures of his dad actually flying this airplane, we painted it back with his markings just exactly the way that it was in Europe.”

Near the nose of the single propeller is the name, ‘The Brat III.”

“That is what the gentleman in the war, that is what he came up with,” Milson said. “He also flew a P-38, I think that was the original ‘Brat.’”

Milson stated the P-51 Mustang was a fighter plane.

“They would use for close in-ground support,” he said. “The thing a lot of people remember about the Mustang is that it escorted the bombers, and that is what really changed the war, we were able to really get the bombers deep into the enemy territory.”

The plane was equipped with six 50-inch machine guns, three on each side. There were also bombs underneath.

Milson said he flew Mustangs three or four years ago and stated the first time he flew this one was in early July.

“This is great,” he said.

On-lookers watched as the planes fueled up and later took off from the airport.

“It is good to get the young folks involved in it,” he said.

NZ couple returns WWII diary to U.S. sailor's widow

From 9News.com Colorado: NZ couple returns WWII diary to U.S. sailor's widow

TWIN FALLS, Idaho - A woman is on cloud nine now that she's been reunited with her husband's war diary that she never knew existed. It's providing her and her family a glimpse of a time that her late husband rarely talked about.

The diary depicts the now famous World War II battle at Guadalcanal from the eyes of a 17-year-old. Now that the diary has been delivered, it's providing insight to the Grenz family who knew very little about that time of their husband and father's life.

The story about an unknown story culminated on Sunday when a New Zealand couple met a Twin Falls woman and a few of her children in home outside of San Francisco.

"I felt like I knew them a long time," said Kathy Grenz.

What they had in common was a diary from 1942.

"I think I'm going to cry," said Kathy Grenz as she held the diary of her husband for the first time.

The writer, Delmar Grenz, was a Navy ship man and Twin Falls native who died in 1993.

"This book is started the day I left San Diego, California, aboard the United States ship, Crescent City, July 1, 1942," said Delmar's eldest son David as he read the first entry.

For Kathy, this story started on Memorial Day when she got a late night phone call from a New Zealand newspaper reporter named Jared Smith. Smith told her about Dougal Kerrisk and his brother Gordon who found the diary on a wharf in Guadalcanal, an island north of New Zealand. It's been in their family ever since.

"I read it first when I was about 15 or 16 I suppose," said Kerrisk.

Kerrisk says his family has kept the diary - that looks like an old Bible - in bookcases and kitchen drawers. A few months ago he pulled it out again.

"I looked at it and thought, well, I'm going to try and do something about this finally," said Kerrisk.

He contacted Jared Smith in New Zealand. That story made the front page of their paper. And while that story is a good one, it's the story within the story that's been untold for nearly 70 years, the story of a 17-year-old Navy corpsman and his time on the front lines.

His youngest daughter Debbie Spurlock describes what it was like for her when she read it out loud.

"All of a sudden I heard it in my father's voice, and that was pretty emotional, him reading it to me. This is his voice talking, he's talking," said Spurlock.

He dated every page and entry, writing in both pen and pencil.

"He confided in that diary," said Spurlock. "It was a release."

Each entry was a stroke that helped paint a picture of what has been mostly an empty canvas for the last 70 years.

"7/6/1942 headed toward the equator," said David Grenz as he read another entry. "Every gun manned and ready, maybe this will be a short victory. Now we will see some real action."

Even though the handwritten story didn't use every page in the old diary, it was enough to tell Delmar's story.

"I feel like I have a part of him again," said Kathy Grenz.

The diary is still in California while David Grenz, copies it and finds a way to preserve what's turning out to be a living piece of their father and husband. The New Zealand family says they've wanted to return it for years, but didn't have any idea how to do it, that's why they contacted the reporter.

Remains of WWII Pilot Found in France

From ABC News: Remains of WWII Pilot Found in France
When a French farmer dug an irrigation ditch in this quiet corner of northern France last week, he stumbled upon pieces of metal which brought back the terror that gripped this part of Europe during World War II.

As if digging through history, the farmer uncovered the remains of Lt. William Patton's Mustang P-51 plane. French authorities said the pilot had been identified by his military badge, although checks were still being carried out.

The discovery is helping to tell the story of Patton's last moments, as his plane crashed in Longueville, France, near the Belgian border more than 50 years ago.

Along with his plane, French authorities found his uniform, his life vest, his military tie, his aviation scarf, riddled with bullet holes.

His silk parachute, made in Lexington, Kentucky, and on display at a local police station, was discovered unopened, a sign that he had gone down too fast to bail out. Lt. Patton's engine was also bullet-marked.

Historians say late in WW II, Mustang pilots sometimes went on missions on their own. The Mustang was the workhorse of the U.S. military, enabling the Allies to gain air superiority over the Germans.

The young Americans who flew them were considered brave, and daring, and glamorous _ and Lt. Patton was one of them.

Did the Town Hide the Incident?

The reason why people in the town of Longueville never reported the accident remains a mystery.

According to a newspaper article, dated Jan. 17, 1945, an airplane crash was reported two days earlier but the incident was never mentioned again.

Town authorities believe that not knowing whether the wreckage was American or German, townspeople probably simply covered up the accident.

Lt. Patton was a victim of both Luftwaffe bullets and French civilian fatigue.

But today this community paid tribute as the discovery was displayed at a local police station.

"He's someone who died for us so we could be free," said one French policeman. "We are very moved by this."

So who was Lt. Patton? Where is his family now? American officials will now investigate. Even his bones, not on display, will be examined for clues.

His remains and belongings will be sent home.

For now what remains of his torn uniform, his plane, his parachute, have told us at least some of his story and reminded us of the thousands of Americans who were lost or buried somewhere throughout the battlefield of Europe and will never return home.

Painting Solves Mystery of World War II's Pilot's Disappearance

ABC News: Painting Solves Mystery of World War II's Pilot's Disappearance
Lt. John Ramsay was an intelligence officer with a love of painting during World War II. He was sketching a Corsair plane about to take off from the Solomon Islands when Herman Spoede climbed into the cockpit.

"I'll give this to you when you come back," Ramsay told Spoede, whose name he didn't know.

The young pilot never returned.

Nearly 70 years later, thanks to the curiosity of two generations of Ramsays and the web site of a military researcher, Herman Spoede's family finally received the painting the artist had promised.

John Ramsay Jr. got in touch with David Spoede, the lost pilot's nephew, nearly a year ago to tell him about the water color painting.

"It was a billion in one shot," David Spoede told ABCNews.com. "If this was a novel, most readers would go, 'no way!'"

Herman Spoede was a member of the Hellhawks Squadron when he made his last flight on July 3, 1943.

Painting Helps Solve World War II Mystery

According to military records posted on Dan McAnarney's web site,visibility was zero that day, and it's believed Spoede's radio could transmit but not receive messages.

McAnarney, who met with the two families, said when a leader called for the two planes that were supposed to be following to make a left turn home, one plane did. The other was lost forever. An entry in the unit's diary reads: "Herman Spoede, lost in thunderhead."

His family always held out hope he'd return and never knew the full story, until Saturday.

This past weekend, David Spoede coordinated a meeting with the Ramsays, who traveled from their home in North Carolina to Texas last Saturday. He kept the reason for the gathering a surprise from his 85-year-old father Bob Spoede, Herman's younger brother.

"Words fail to describe it," said David Spoede of the moment his father saw the painting, called "Thunderhead." "My dad was really blown away."

The elder Spoede, who is a veteran and a retired history teacher, loves to talk and is not one for big shows of emotion, his son said. But Saturday he was stunned.

"I was very appreciative and when I found out more about the efforts to find me, I am just so moved," Bob Spoede told ABCNews.com.

He was 16 when his brother vanished, but he remembers him well.

"He was such a daredevil. He loved to fly," Spoede said.

Bob Spoede enlisted after his brother's disappearance, and always continued to think about him.

"The missing got worse as the time went on," he said. " I wondered what he'd be like and the conversations we would have had."

For Kerr Ramsay, the artist's grandson, it was an opportunity to not only fulfill his grandfather's wish, but also learn more of the individual stories of aging veterans.

"There are all of these 'unsecret secrets' one generation knows that don't get passed along," Ramsay said. "I learned a lot about my grandfather and Herman Spoede through this project."

It's a sentiment the Spoedes find comforting.

"I've thought a lot about my uncle through the years and what his last words were," David Spoede said. "I wish I could communicate to him that he wasn't forgotten."