97th Infantry Division Field Artillery

World War II Kittyhawk fighter found in Sahara

2012-05-11T15:06:00.000-04:00

The discovery of the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk in the Sahara Desert was described by one military historian as "the aviation equivalent of Tutankhamun's Tomb."

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/11/11655018-world-war-ii-kittyhawk-fighter-found-in-sahara-shedding-light-on-pilots-fate?lite

Spitfire planes are perfectly preserved

2012-04-20T10:08:00.001-04:00

As many as 20 World War II-era Spitfire planes are perfectly preserved, buried in crates beneath Burma -- and after 67 years underground, they're set to be uncovered.

The planes were shipped in standard fashion in 1945 from their manufacturer in England to the Far East country: waxed, wrapped in greased paper and tarred to protect against the elements. They were then buried in the crates they were shipped in, rather than let them fall into enemy hands, said David Cundall, an aviation enthusiast who has spent 15 years and about $200,000 in his efforts to reveal the lost planes.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/19/buried-treasure-in-burma-squadron-lost-wwii-spitfires-to-be-exhumed/?test=latestnews

50 years ago, John Glenn became hero

2012-02-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Monday is the 50th anniversary of NASA astronaut John Glenn's mission to be the first American to orbit the Earth.

Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, doing so three times at an altitude of up to 162 statute miles and speeds of up to 17,500 miles an hour, finally returning home with a successful splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, 800 miles off Bermuda.

It was no accident that Glenn was chosen to be first to orbit the planet. As a U.S. Marine, he flew 59 combat missions in World War II and later flew 63 more during the Korean War.

Last Known World War I veteran dies

2012-02-07T18:04:00.001-05:00

Florence Green, the world's last known veteran of World War I, has died at the age of 110. She died Saturday, two weeks before her 111th birthday.

Born Florence Beatrice Patterson in London on Feb. 19, 1901, she joined the Women's Royal Air Force in September 1918 at the age of 17.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46297110/ns/world_news-europe/#.TzGs_eTQd0Q

Hitlers desk sold at auction

2011-12-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

The desk set that once belonged to the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, sold for $423,000 to a California historical collector at a Stamford auction Thursday, according to Bill Panagopulos, owner of Alexander Historical Auctions.

This fits a growing trend of high demand for world war II items. Especially those of the Third Rich.

70 years ago today..

2011-12-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

A day that will live in infamy. It was 70 years ago today. There are all sorts of articles and headlines about that day. Be sure to check some out.

Rare and Unseen pictures:
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2011/12/06/rare-and-unseen-pics-after-pearl-harbor/#slide=1

Above Pearl Harbor:
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/07/9263923-pearl-harbor-from-above-1941-2011

Aging Pearl Harbor attack survivors passing on the baton

2011-12-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

As the 70th anniversary approaches remaining members are passing on the legacy of that day in 1941. There will be much more in the news as the day approaches.

Read the full story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/04/us/pearl-harbor-legacy/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Faces of World War II

2011-11-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

Since 2006, Tom Sanders has been photographing World War II veterans for his book, “The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of WW2.” Some of the subjects are shown with artifacts from their service. “I wanted to make people more aware of our veterans’ sacrifices and help put people’s lives into perspective,” he says.

View here: http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/11/faces-of-world-war-ii/

Einstein letter sells at auction

2011-10-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

A typewritten letter signed by Albert Einstein three months before the outbreak of World War II sold for nearly $14,000.

The physicist writes of the importance of "rescuing our persecuted fellow-Jews from their calamitous peril and leading them toward a better future" in the June 10, 1939, letter.

Link to news story here.

Bones of Hitler Deputy Rudolf Hess Exhumed, Burned

2011-07-22T23:41:00.001-04:00

Very bazaar story.

The bones of Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, have been removed from their grave in a small Bavarian town that had become a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis.

Before dawn Wednesday (7/20/11), workers exhumed Hess's bones from the grave in the Wunsiedel cemetery, then cremated the remains and scattered them secretly in a lake, whose name and location are not being divulged, cemetery administrator Andreas Fabel told The Associated Press.

Hess was captured in 1941 when he parachuted into Scotland on a mission to negotiate peace between Britain and Germany.

The attempt was denounced by Hitler, and Hess later told British authorities that the Nazi leader knew nothing of it.

In recent years, Hess has come to be seen as a martyr by the far-right and thousands of neo-Nazis have used the anniversary of his death as an occasion to hold large rallies, with Wunsiedel -- near the Czech border -- often a focal point.

Continue reading the story on fox news here.

Happy 90th birthday John Glenn

2011-07-18T10:17:00.002-04:00

Today is John Glenn’s 90th birthday. Glenn's many accomplishments include being the first American to orbit the earth, a decorated Marine Corps veteran and a United States senator. He also saw service during World War II. He flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific. He saw action over the Marshall Islands, where he attacked anti-aircraft batteries and dropped bombs on Maloelap. In 1945, he was assigned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was promoted to captain shortly before the war ended.

June 6th 1944

2011-06-06T16:57:00.002-04:00

Fox news has some pictures of the 67th anniversary of the D-Day landings:

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/world/2011/06/06/67th-anniversary-d-day-marked-in-france/?test=faces#slide=1

Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41.
The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeat in open battle man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground.
Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned.
The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle.
We will accept nothing less than full victory.
Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

Nazis Tried to Teach Dogs How to Read, Speak During WWII, Report Says

2011-05-24T16:00:00.002-04:00

A new report reveals that Nazis tried to train dogs to talk, read and spell during World War II in an attempt to build an army of 'fearsome' speaking dogs, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Full story is here.

Nazi death camp guard deported

2011-05-13T23:34:00.001-04:00

CLEVELAND, OH — Federal agents carrying John Demjanjuk in a wheelchair put him on a small jet Monday to be deported to Germany, where the retired autoworker is accused of being a Nazi death camp guard in World War II.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519863,00.html

Last known WW1 Veteran has died

2011-05-05T10:32:00.000-04:00

The last known survivor of the 70 million combatants from World War I, a British sailor who witnessed the surrender of the German fleet in 1918, has died at the age of 110.

Full Story here

The Man Who Defeated Adolf Hitler

2011-04-21T09:05:00.001-04:00

Very interesting article about a young pastor who stood up to Hitler and was killed in the last days of World War 2.

You can read the full article here at Fox News.

You can learn more about Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer here.

Last US WW1 Veteran Dies

2011-02-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

We've mentioned Mr. Buckles several times on this blog. News agencies are reporting that he has died at age 110. He was the last US WW1 veteran.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/28/veteran-wwi-dies-w-va-age-110/?test=faces#

Combat Pictures

2011-02-15T22:57:00.000-05:00

New combat pictures have been uploaded. More to come soon. Check out the page under Chronology of Events or you can click here.

February 1945 for the 97th

2011-02-02T18:34:00.000-05:00

This month in 1945 the 97th 365th FA battalion packed up and left Camp Cook and headed out to Camp Kilmer. This was their last stop before shipping out overseas.

Last American World War I Doughboy turns 110

2011-02-01T15:28:00.004-05:00

We've mentioned Frank Woodruff Buckles on our blog before. Today he turned 110. He is the last surviving World War I vet that saw combat in Europe.

Buckles enlisted in the military when he was 16 after lying about his age to an Army recruiter. He served in England and France, working as an ambulance driver before being assigned to a prisoner-of-war escort company returning prisoners to Germany.

He was too old to serve in the military in World War II, but In 1941, he was working in Manila for the American President Line, a shipping company. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, Buckles was captured and spent 3 1/2 years in a prisoner-of-war camp before he was rescued by American forces when they retook the Island nation.

Attached is a link to his website: http://pershingslastpatriot.com/

New Website Layout

2011-01-25T20:28:00.000-05:00

We hope you enjoy the new website layout. We've integrated our blog with our website content so everything is at one location and easier to see. You can continue to navigate to our url www.97thfieldartillery.com , but it will now take you to the blog directly. From there you can navigate the website content from the black links at the top of the page.

World War II tank to be restored in Leicestershire

2011-01-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

BBC is reporting that a Sherman Tank that survived the D-Day landing is getting restored. You can read the full atical here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9366000/9366680.stm

Colonel William “Bill” Bower last of the Doolittle Raider pilots has died

2011-01-20T08:37:00.005-05:00

Colonel William “Bill” Bower was the last surviving pilot of the famed “Doolittle Raiders” in World War II, whose air attack on Japan in April 1942, just four months after Pearl Harbor, lifted American morale in the early days of the war.

He volunteered for the first U.S. attack on Japan, which was led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle on April 18, 1942. Bower piloted one of the 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers launched from the U.S.S. Hornet to attack Tokyo, the Japanese capital, and other Japanese cities.

Bower flew his B-25, with a crew of five, to Yokohama, where they bombed the docks of Japan’s second largest city. They eventually parachuted over China; the nighttime jump was his first from an airplane.

In a wartime diary, Bower wrote on the morning of the raid that he wasn’t nervous. “This was it, adventure, my chance to be a first-timer, but most important perhaps our success would do much to bring this mess to a quicker end.”

Colonel Bower died Monday January 11, 2011 at his home in Boulder, Colo. He was 93 years old.

You can read more on the Doolittle Raid here.

Richard Winters Dies at 92; Led ‘Band of Brothers’

2011-01-11T11:27:00.002-05:00

New York times is reporting that Major Richard Winters has passed away. He was 92. Major Winters lead the Easy Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division unit through the beaches of Normandy to the Hitler's Mountain retreat. The story of him and his unit made it to the Mini-series that Tom Hanks directed called "Band of Brothers". Read the full story below

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/us/11winters.html?src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

69 years since Pearl Harbor attack

2010-12-07T10:35:00.003-05:00

Its been 69 years since the day that will live in infamy. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is struggling to continue. Once a group that had over 18,000 members is now down below 3,000. You can read about the orginization below.

http://www.thirdage.com/news/pearl-harbor-survivors-association-continue_12-7-2010