1st Infantry Division Medals D-Day
Alfred B Cram's 29th Infantry Division Uniform
Piece of Pegasus Bridge-D-Day
1st Infantry Division Medals D-Day
Project History takes you on a journey around the country in search of museum curators, educators, collectors, reenactors, historians, and many other professionals to see how history is saved one piece at a time. Check out the first episode about Easy Company and the story of D-Day at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Project History
NEW Addition to the Museum
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"As I Saw It" The Story of Norman Rockvam in World War II
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dedicated to Norman's family
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With a front row seat to the frontlines of the war in Europe, norman rockvam had the best opportunity to document the liberation of the continent. that is exactly what he did. with Artifacts found all over Europe and hundreds of photographs, this journey of liberation is documented piece by piece. his story, through his personal testimony, his artifacts, and his photographs are now told by the traveling museum
John McEnroe as a United States Marine before World War II. Circa 1940.
John T McEnroe: The Flamethrower of Peleliu
The museum is proud to announce the recent donation of the artifacts of John T McEnroe, a member of Company C, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division who served on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa during the Pacific War. During the hellish fight on Peleliu Island, he was awarded the Silver Star for heroism in neutralizing enemy caves and rallying his unit together while under fire. When the supply of flamethrower operators ran out, he stepped up to the task. During this action, he was wounded by a Japanese soldier whom he killed and removed a Japanese flag and hunting belt. His wounds are clearly visible on the belt he was wearing that terrible October 11th in the Umurbrogol Mountains. Every moment of his time on Peleliu is documented here. The first American flag to enter the collection has also been donated (circa 1914) from the family. We are honored to tell his incredible story of sacrifice and bravery. We thank the family for this amazing donation and entrusting us with his legacy.
The medals of John McEnroe. From left to right: Silver Star, Purple Heart, Marine Corps Medal, Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, American Defense Medal, and a VFW Medal.
(Above) Japanese Flag (Hinomaru Yosegaki) captured by John T McEnroe on October 11th, 1944 during the Battle of Peleliu. This Japanese soldier had this flag folded in half across his chest and wounded John personally before he was killed. This was taken in the Umurbrogol Mountains.
(Above) Japanese Banner captured by John McEnroe in the Pacific War.
(Above) Japanese Hunting Belt captured by John McEnroe on Peleliu on October 11th, 1944.
Spotlight in History: The Thomas Sweeney Collection
Thomas Sweeney had a variety of jobs during his time in the service. Joining up in 1942, he wanted to join the paratroopers, but was rejected. His next best option was to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a technician. Serving with the Mighty Eighth Air Force in England for two years, he would go back to the United States to be thrown into an infantry division, the 71st. Made up of men from other units coming back from Europe and the Pacific, the 71st would be sent to Germany in the closing months of the war. Thomas Sweeney would get to Germany in March of 1945 and move with the 71st into Austria.
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There he went to the town of Lambach where he helped liberate a Concentration Camp called Gunskirchen Lager. He took a Nazi flag from City Hall right up the road that belonged to the SS Guards and which is now in collection. His items such as his seabag, various letters and pictures, captured Nazi medals, his dogtags, other nazi flags, and a plethora of other objects also came into the collection for display in the American Destiny Exhibit. Thomas Sweeney was proud of his service and was always willing to talk about it. We are grateful to tell his full story in the traveling museum.
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Tarawa: Three Days that Changed the War
Japanese Navy Tenugui hand towel captured by Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class Donald C Potter (HQ/1/8) during the Battle of Tarawa between November 20th and 24th, 1943.
On November 20th, 1943, the 2nd Marine Division assaulted the tiny island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll. Located in the Gilbert Islands, the atoll was a major Japanese naval base and became the first planned step of the eventual conquest of the central Pacific. The reef surrounding Betio became the central problem with the landings on the first day, causing nearly one thousand casualties to the 2nd Marine Division. They had to wade nearly five hundred yards of chest high water through gunfire and anti-boat guns located on shore. For the next three days, 1,026 United States Marines fell during the assault to wrest the fortress from the Japanese Empire. Even today, it is considered to be one of the costliest operations in Marine Corps history. The lessons learned at Tarawa prepared the United States for larger operations in the future landings of the Pacific War.
