Oct 2, 2017 | Navy
Like so many pilots during World War II, Navy Lieutenant Howard Bernstein began flying planes without ever having set foot in one as a civilian. Enlisting on December 7, 1942, he fought hard to fly: initially failing the eye examination for new pilots, he ate carrots...
Sep 30, 2017 | Army
With his privileged upbringing – he was born to a wealthy French family, educated by private tutors, and grew up as a teenager around 1930s Hollywood– Rafael Hirtz might have found a way to coast through World War II. Instead, he volunteered for the...
Sep 27, 2017 | Army
Despite not meeting height requirements, Eva Jacques (nee Romero) was accepted into the WAC. This was largely because she was billingual and had completed three years of college. Rather than go through officer commissioning, which was offered her, Jacques requested...
Sep 26, 2017 | Marines
“SKI” as he was always known, grew up in Ohio and joined the Marines, six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor at the age of 17. During WWII he participated in action against the enemy at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in 1942; New Guinea Operation in 1943;...
Sep 25, 2017 | Air Force
“How’s the weather?” might sound like a mundane question, but it can be a significant one during wartime, particularly for pilots, when passing clouds can obscure a target or an enemy plane. The son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, First Lieutenant...
