Posts by Shawn Janes
Open Learning WW2 Harvard
“World War II did not only teach us to fear, it taught us to hope. We must keep our hope alive by cherishing the memory of World War II, which is surely worth keeping.” -Anonymous All of us aim to live a peaceful life. We all want to live in a world free from terror,…
Read MoreThis Week in WWII – 4th Week of October
1929
Wall Street stock market crashes.
1933
Dachau opens.
The Unbreakable 1936 Auto Assembly Line
“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Saint Francis of Assisi In life, we are not always blessed with the life we want. We cannot ask fate to give us the life we hope for. Though we may not have control over the lives we are given,…
Read MoreThis Week in WWII – 3rd Week of October
1933
Nazis open Dachau concentration camp.
1938
German troops occupy the Sudetanland.
The Boatlift
“A hero is a man who does what he can.” -Romain Rolland Inside each one of us is a hero; a hero who dreams of making a difference in the world, a hero who dreams of touching and saving lives. All of us can be heroes, if we only we would dare to reach out…
Read MoreThis Week in WWII – 2nd Week of October
1940
Germans postpone Operation Sea Lion until spring of 1941. Nighttime raids throughout London and Manchester and fifteen airfields attacked.
1942
First flight of the P-51 with the new Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Battle of Cape Esperance, off Guadalcanal, occurs.
Vietnam Virtual Wall
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” -George S. Patton, Jr. Life is too short; one can never foresee the span of our existence. One can never know how much time he has in this world. This is the very reason why…
Read MoreThis Week in WWII: 1st Week of October
1939
Assassination attempt is made on Hitler by the Polish Army in Charles de Gaulles Square. The bomb failed to explode.
1940
Heavy bomber raids continue against cities at night. During the day fighter-bombers fly nuisance raids against coastal towns, airfields and other military targets.
The B-17 Bomber
“Only those are fit to live, who are not afraid of dying.” -Gen. Douglas MacArthur The B-17 Bombers are some of our bravest soldiers. Operating a bomber plane is very complicated and risky even just during takeoff. Who can ever forget the tragedy of the first B-17 bomber plane crashing upon takeoff in 1935? The…
Read MoreThis Week in WWII: 4th Week of September
1940
Poland surrenders to Germany.
1941
The first Moscow Conference of World War II, involving, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union, is held. Averell Herriman, representing the U.S. and Lord Beaverbrook, representing the U.K., met with Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union, to give assurances that both the U.S. and the U.K. would aid and support the Soviet Union in the common fight against Nazi Germany.