82nd Airborne Division 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment WWII Reenactors

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day we remember the men of the 100th Bomb Group and all those who gave so much in the cause of freedom.

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

Royle Luker, who died at 17 aboard the USS West Virginia during the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, will be buried May 30 in his Arkansas hometown.

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

Remembering Victory in Europe – 81 Years Later

Today marks the 81 years since the guns fell silent in Europe. Victory in Europe Day – May 8, 1945 – the day the world breathed a collective sigh of relief as N**i Germany surrendered, ending the devastating conflict in Europe during World War II.

On this historic anniversary, we pause to remember and honor the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of the men and women in uniform, as well as the civilians on the home front and in occupied countries who endured unimaginable hardships. We reflect on the millions of Americans, British, French and all our Allies, who served valiantly overseas, those who supported the war effort at home under extraordinary circumstances, and all who paid the ultimate price, never returning to the homes and families they cherished.

Their bravery and determination preserved liberty, safeguarded democracy, and left an enduring legacy for generations to come. Today, as we commemorate this profound milestone, let us reaffirm our commitment to uphold the values they fought so selflessly to protect.

To our veterans, their families, and all those who endured the hardships of war: your sacrifices are forever etched in our hearts. Your stories remind us that freedom is never free, and peace is always worth fighting for.

We will never forget.

04/21/2026

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS — it’s with great sadness we learn of the passing of Horace Carratelli, who served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. He was 106.

Horace saw combat in Tunisia, including the pivotal Battle of Kasserine Pass, where American forces faced seasoned German troops. Carratelli later fought in Italy, including operations near Anzio, as part of the division known as “Old Ironsides.”

His service placed him among the earliest U.S. armored troops engaged against Axis forces, enduring difficult conditions and heavy resistance during campaigns that helped secure Allied victory in North Africa and advance into Europe.

The Greatest Generations Foundation
“Every Day is Memorial Day”
Web: www.TGGF.org

04/19/2026

REST IN PEACE 💔 Wichita aviation legend "Rosie the Riveter" Connie Palacioz has died. She was 101.

Connie was 17 when she went to work for Boeing as a riveter on the B-29 Superfortress production line during WWII. When Doc returned to Wichita for restoration in 2000, she returned to see the airplane she helped build and continued volunteering.

📸 B-29 Doc

04/12/2026

in 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. His declining health had been kept secret from the general public and his death led to an outpouring of shock and grief. Upon hearing the news, the Cabinet of the Philippine Commonwealth Government issued an official condolence statement. MacArthur thanked the cabinet - calling the loss of Roosevelt "a tragedy which affects all mankind." With World War II still raging, Vice President Harry S. Truman is sworn in as the new President. When victory is achieved in Europe less than a month later, Truman's Surrender of Germany broadcast begins with: "This is a solemn but a glorious hour. I only wish that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day..."

04/05/2026

On April 5, 1945, crews from the 100th Bomb Group targeted marshaling yards in Nuremberg, Germany. The weather was poor at take-off, and crews had been briefed that the cloud tops ended at 10,000 feet, though they later discovered the cloud tops reached 25,000 feet. Crews encountered heavy flak during the bomb run, and they caught a break in the clouds that allowed the Lead, High and both Low formations to drop their bombs visually on the target between 1145-1150 hours.

After the bomb drop, the formation broke up in a cloud bank with extremely limited visibility, and the crew of Raymond Blohm became separated from the rest of the 350th Bomb Squadron. Navigator Jack Magathan worked to help guide the crew back home, and he later noted “it was while I was congratulating myself on this feat of navigation that we scooted under the clouds down to 1,500 feet. The beam had taken us on a course 20 miles southwest of Rotterdam. Suddenly, batteries on both sides of us, 88s, machine guns, and rifles, opened up on us — it sounded like a hailstorm.” Despite the heavy fire, no members of the crew were injured and they were able to make it back to England on three engines. Jack Magathan can be seen here, along with a headline from his hometown paper in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo courtesy of the Magathan family, 100th Bomb Group Foundation archives)