World War II

The War Department Office building, better known as the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., shown under construction, Jan. 17, 1942. The building was completed in just 16 months. U.S. Army Air Force Combat Command, Bolling Field, D.C. Image from Office of the Secretary of Defense History Office, Box 1313

History of Army Corps of Engineers Projects – Part I Answering the nation’s historical challenges: Panama Canal to World War II

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The evolution of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has mirrored the nation it serves. One of the most enduring themes of the two-century history of the Army Corps …

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Mussolini reviewing the crew of the battleship Littorio in Taranto, June 21, 1942. Istituto Luce, Rome photo

Book Review – Mussolini’s Navy Mussolini’s Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930-1945, by Maurizio Brescia; Naval Institute Press; 256 pages.

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Long the butt of ignorant jokes, the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) of World War II had capable professional officers, gallant sailors, and beautiful fast ships designed by gifted engineers. …

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Kissing Sailor charcoal

The Kissing Sailor: The ‘Cosmic Forces’ Behind How the Book Came to Be Written Co-authors George Galdorisi and Lawrence Verria describe how a collection of chance meetings produced the book that solved a six-decade old mystery

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As we mentioned in our last post, Alfred Eisenstaedt’s V-J Day 1945, In Times Square should never have happened, because the three principals should have been dead. The photographer’s World …

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Kissing Sailor Jorgensen

The Kissing Sailor: Being There in Times Square, V-J Day, 1945 George Galdorisi describes the book he and his co-author Lawrence Verria wrote about an iconic moment in time and an enduring mystery

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It is the most iconic photograph in American History – perhaps in all history. Why?  Because when people look at this picture – V-J Day 1945, In Times Square – …

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