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World War II

Cpl Charles Dennis Buchinsky (Bronson), U.S. Army Air Force (1943-1946)

Cpl Charles Dennis Buchinsky (Bronson), U.S. Army Air Force (1943-1946)

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Charles Dennis Buchinsky (or Bronson) who served in the US Army Air Force between 1943 and 1945, went on to be one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent tough guys, the face of the Death Wish film franchise. However, his time as the silver screen’s top draw was preceded by a very humble childhood. Enlisting in the United States Army during World War II, Bronson’s service would lay the foundation for a remarkable career in Hollywood, where he would go on to captivate audiences with his unique charisma and tough-guy persona. Join us as we follow the military journey of Charles Bronson, honoring the indelible mark he left both on the big screen and in the hearts of his fellow servicemen. Charles Bronson’s Early Life Born on November 3, 1921, in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, Bronson grew up in a modest family of Lithuanian descent. The 11th of 15 children, Charles grew up speaking three languages at home, but none of them English. The Buchinsky family lived in the coal region of the Allegheny Mountains,...

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The True Story of The Great Escape

The True Story of The Great Escape

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More than likely, many of us have seen the 1963 American World War II epic film "The Great Escape" based on a real escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from a German POW Camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Sir Richard Attenborough. The film is based on Paul Brickhill's 1950 book of the same name, a non-fiction first-hand account of the real mass escape from Stalag Luft III in Sagan (now Zagan, Poland), in the province of Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany. The characters are based on real men, and in some cases are composites of several men. As in any films depicting real events, many details of the actual escape attempt were changed for the film, and the role of American personnel in both the planning and the escape was largely fabricated. The actual escape attempt took place one night in late March 1944 when 76 Allied Airmen escape through a tunnel from their Prisoner of War Camp deep in occupied Poland. Their aim was not only to get back to...

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The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman

The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman

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On the night of August 2, 1944, a team of operatives from the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of today's Central Intelligence Agency, parachuted into the town of Pranjani, Serbia. Led by U.S. Army Lt. George "Guv" Musulin, the team of three was to contact Gen. Draža Mihailović, the leader of a Serbian nationalist band of fighters called the Chetniks.  He was there to plan how the United States' 15th Air Force would airlift the more than 500 downed Allied pilots the Chetniks rescued and bring them back to safety. Operation Halyard, as the mission was named, would be the largest rescue operation of American airmen in military history.  The Forgotten 500: The Daring Rescue Mission "The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II" is a 2008 book that describes in detail how some 500 airmen were shot down over Serbia, how they were protected by Serbian civilians and the brave group of resistance...

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WW2 – The Battle of Monte Cassino

WW2 – The Battle of Monte Cassino

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Allied forces landed in the Italian peninsula in September 1943. The Apennine Mountains divided the peninsula, and Allied troops split and advanced on both sides. They took control of Naples and continued the push towards Rome. Monte Cassino was the gateway to Rome. It towered above the city and provided unobstructed views. German troops occupied lookouts on the hillside but agreed to stay out of the abbey because of its historical importance. The precious manuscripts and antiquities housed in the abbey had been removed to Vatican City for safekeeping (although some works of art were stolen by German troops and transported north). The First Phase of The Battle of Monte Cassino The first phase of the operation began on January 17 with an Allied attack on German positions. Thomas E. McCall, a farm boy from Indiana, found himself in the crosshairs of the battle of Monte Cassino. On January 22, 1944, during heavy fighting, he was accidentally struck by friendly fire. After all his men...

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Famous Army Unit: Easy Company, 506th Infantry Regiment

Famous Army Unit: Easy Company, 506th Infantry Regiment

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Band of Brothers by historian Stephen Ambrose, and the 2001 HBO miniseries of the same name. One hundred forty men formed the original E Company in Camp Toccoa. A total of 366 men are listed as having belonged to the company by WWII's end due to transfers and replacements. Forty-nine soldiers of E Company were killed in action. E Company and the rest of the 506th PIR were disbanded in November 1945. It was reactivated in 1954 as a training unit. Under the Combat Arms Regimental System and U.S. Army Regimental System, Easy Company's lineage and history is carried on as Alpha "Easy" Company, 2-506 Infantry, in Third Brigade Combat Team, "Rakkasan" of the 101st Airborne Division. "Currahee" was the cry of the 506th paratroopers as they cleared the door on their first jump, and it continued to be their cry when in combat. Currently, 90 members of Army TWS have served with this unit. Currahee Mountain, located in Stephens County, Toccoa, Georgia, gave the 506th Parachute Infantry...

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SSgt John Charles Carter (Charlton Heston), U.S. Army Air Forces (1943–1946)

SSgt John Charles Carter (Charlton Heston), U.S. Army Air Forces (1943–1946)

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Charlton Heston, renowned for his powerful performances in iconic films such as *Ben-Hur*, *The Ten Commandments*, and *Planet of the Apes*, was much more than a Hollywood star. He was also a dedicated serviceman who proudly served his country during World War II. While many remember Heston for his towering presence on screen, his commitment to his nation and the principles he stood for extended far beyond his film career.  Charlton Heston’s Early Life and Enlistment Born on October 4, 1923, in Evanston, Illinois, Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter) grew up during a time when the world was on the brink of monumental change. Heston spent his youth in a backwoods town in Michigan, a shy boy with few friends. He attended a one-room school with a pump in front. There were 13 pupils, three were his cousins, and he was the only student in his grade level.  The actor’s parents divorced in 1933, and his mother moved the future actor and his siblings back to Illinois,...

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WW2 – The Angels of Bataan

WW2 – The Angels of Bataan

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When Americans woke up Sunday morning on December 7, 1941, they were stunned to learn Japanese naval aircraft had attacked Pearl Harbor. What they would soon find out that was only the beginning. Pearl Harbor was just one part of the Japanese plan for the day. Within hours, Japanese naval and ground forces attacked and invaded Wake Island, Guam, Malaya, Singapore, Honk Kong, Thailand and Burma. The Onset of War: The Angels of Bataan Face Their First Test Ten hours after the devastating surprise attack that crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Japanese planes launched the first in a deadly series of attacks on the Philippine Islands, bombing and strafing military airfields and bases in and around Manila. Caught in the air raids were ninety-nine army and navy women nurses. Immediately they rushed to their respective hospitals and began assisting with the endless flow of military and civilian casualties. It is almost certain that none ever dreamed they would be...

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Sgt Bill Mauldin: The Foot Soldiers’ Cartoonist

Sgt Bill Mauldin: The Foot Soldiers’ Cartoonist

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During World War II, the glimpse most Americans got of the real war and the American combat soldier who fought it came through the cartoons of infantry Sgt. Bill Mauldin. Week after week, Mauldin defied Army censors and Gen. George Patton's pledged to "throw his a** in jail" to deliver his wildly popular cartoon, 'Upfront' to the pages of Stars & Stripes and hundreds of newspapers back home. Bill Mauldin: The Voice of the Common Soldier His cartoon character were Willie and Joe, two wisecracking unshaven dogfaces whose mud soaked uniforms and army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who lived-and died-in it. To lowly foot soldiers, Mauldin gave voice to their dreams, fears, and grievances of at a time when the official spotlight shown on glamorous flyers and gung ho island-hopping marines. His over 600 wartime cartoons, half of which were sketched in combat, stand as both an authentic American masterpiece and an essential chronicle of...

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RADM Roy Milton Davenport, U.S. Navy (1933-1959)

RADM Roy Milton Davenport, U.S. Navy (1933-1959)

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Ask any Marine who was Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller and each would quickly respond by saying. "Why, he was the greatest, bravest and most highly decorated Marine in Marine Corp history." Another would inevitable say, "He was not only a tough, no nonsense Marine he is also the only one awarded five Navy Crosses." Both would be right. During his career, Puller fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, and participated in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II and the Korean War where he earned his five Navy Crosses, an Army Distinguished Service Cross and a Silver Star. Now ask any Sailor who was Rear Admiral Roy Milton Davenport and while some submariners might know the answer, the majority of Sailor would not even venture a guess. Yet, like Marine "Chesty" Puller, he too was awarded five Navy Crosses making him the first individual (Puller was the second individual) and only Sailor so honored. A student of Christian Science, Davenport was dubbed the...

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Famous Marine Corps Unit: 1st Marine Raider Battalion

Famous Marine Corps Unit: 1st Marine Raider Battalion

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"Always Faithful, Always Forward" The Early History of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion The year was 1942, and a new type of unit was born in the US Marine Corps. Edson's 1st Raider Battalion was designated, and several days later, Carlson's 2d Raider Battalion was named. Later in the year, Liversedge's 3rd Raider Battalion and Roosevelt's 4th Raider Battalion were created. One hundred seventy-five members of Marines TWS are part of the United States Marine Raiders Association as members of one or more of the four Marine Raider Battalions during their respective periods of existence between 16 Feb 1942 and 31 Jan 1944 based on the Master U.S. Marine Raider Roster which contains about 7,710 Marine and 368 Navy personnel. As of 2023, a USMC battalion strength was about 900. Also, 127 current MTWS members had been assigned to the 1st Marine Raider Bn. A special TWS forum dedicated entirely to the late Raymond Louis Merrell (Sgt. USMC) titled "Raider Ray's Remembrances" includes...

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Vince Speranza’s Epic Beer Run During the Siege of Bastogne

Vince Speranza’s Epic Beer Run During the Siege of Bastogne

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The Siege of Bastogne was one of the most crucial fights of World War II, and it came amid the largest battle the U.S. Army has ever fought – the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans caught the Americans by surprise on Dec. 16, 1944, mustering more than 400,000 men, 550 tanks, and hundreds of other vehicles for one last offensive. The goal was to push the Allies back toward the sea and recapture the critical port of Antwerp.  The Siege of Bastogne: Defending Against the German Forces German forces overwhelmed American defenses as they poured through the Ardennes Forest, forcing the retreat of tens of thousands of shocked American soldiers. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower knew his supply lines were already thin, a blizzard negated Allied air superiority and the Ardennes area was full of green and exhausted troops – some who had been fighting since D-Day. Eisenhower declared that holding the Belgian city of Bastogne would be the single most important mission of the battle and sent the 101st...

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Famous Coast Guard Unit: USCGC Ironwood (WAGL/WLB-297/NRPN)

Famous Coast Guard Unit: USCGC Ironwood (WAGL/WLB-297/NRPN)

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On March 31, 1941, Marine Iron and Shipbuilding in Duluth, Minnesota, laid the keel for the first Coast Guard vessel of a Mesquite new buoy tender class, joining the so-called "Black Hull" fleet. The new vessel measured 180 feet overall and had a beam of 37 feet at the extreme. She had a displacement of 935 tons and drew 12 feet. Marine Iron and Shipbuilding made all but one, the Coast Guard cutter Ironwood (USCGC Ironwood), coming in for $1,388,277, was built at the USCG yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, and was launched and commissioned in 1943.  USCGC Ironwood in the Pacific Theater After shakedown, USCGC Ironwood departed Norfolk for War in the Pacific, arriving in Noumea, New Caledonia, via Bora Bora and Pago Pago in March 1944. During World War II, the Ironwood and her sister ships covered thousands of miles of open ocean, working to establish LORAN stations, moving and establishing mooring buoys, and carrying cargo, mail, and personnel between South Pacific islands. "Some...

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