Photograph of John Werito.

John Werito Goes to War; A Story of a WWII Diné [Navajo] Code Talker

Today's post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. Invaluable assistance to this blog was also provided by Cara Lebonick of the National Archives at St. Louis. The concept of using tribal languages as a battlefield code was first explored in … Continue reading John Werito Goes to War; A Story of a WWII Diné [Navajo] Code Talker

Celebrating Victory in Europe (VE) Day, 1945

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. As World War II in Europe drew to a victorious close in late April 1945, the Department of State sent the following circular telegram to American diplomatic and consular officers.[1]  In it, the Department … Continue reading Celebrating Victory in Europe (VE) Day, 1945

Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part II

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. On November 27, 1941, Lt. Cmdr. Edwin T. Layton, Fleet Intelligence Officer, United States Pacific Fleet, met with Colonel Edward W. Raley and the Intelligence Section of the Hawaiian Air Force, to discuss the B-24 reconnaissance mission. … Continue reading Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part II

Image of B-24 plane on the ground.

Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part I

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. On December 4, 1941, at 9:08 pm, at Hamilton Field, located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay in the southern portion of Novato, California, 1st Lt. Ted Faulkner with his crew in their Consolidated B-24A … Continue reading Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part I

Images of Camp 17.

The General Courts Martial of Lieutenant Commander Edward N. Little

Today’s post is written by William Green, Archives Technician in Textual Processing at the National Archives in Washington, DC U.S.  Navy Lieutenant Commander Edward N. Little was a prisoner of war (POW) from April 1942 until August 1945, as one of the nearly 30,000 Americans interned by the Japanese during World War II. Having survived … Continue reading The General Courts Martial of Lieutenant Commander Edward N. Little

A poster depicting two hands raised holding up an Uncle Sam hat and a Mexican sombrero.

Americans All by Leon Helguera: Appealing to Hispanics on the Home Front in World War II

Today’s post is written by Daniel Dancis, an Archivist in the Textual Processing Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD. In the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration there are many pictures that reflect the American experience. The famous riveter in We Can Do it, or Uncle Sam in I Want … Continue reading Americans All by Leon Helguera: Appealing to Hispanics on the Home Front in World War II

Watching Out for Your Friends: 1942 Guidance for U.S. Propaganda in the Pacific During World War II

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. As numerous scholars have demonstrated, World War II in the Pacific had a distinct racial aspect to it.[1]  The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor reinforced a long-standing strand of American racial animosity towards … Continue reading Watching Out for Your Friends: 1942 Guidance for U.S. Propaganda in the Pacific During World War II

The Importance of Australia, 1941

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. Australia is, today, a vital ally of the United States.  As the Department of State's February 2017 factsheet on relations with Australia notes, the relationship is "underpinned by shared democratic values, common interests, and … Continue reading The Importance of Australia, 1941

British Opinion About The United States After Pearl Harbor

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. World War II began on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland.  France and Great Britain, fulfilling their international obligations, declared war on Germany but could do little to aid the Poles … Continue reading British Opinion About The United States After Pearl Harbor

War of Words: Race-Based Propaganda During World War II

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. World War II was not only a war of battleships and bullets.  Words, in the form of overt and covert propaganda and psychological warfare, played an important role.  See the post Airplanes over France for examples … Continue reading War of Words: Race-Based Propaganda During World War II