May 8, 2025, marked the 80th Anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. The war against Japan ended four months later. From December 7, 1941, to the war’s end, 400,000 young American men and more than 400 women lost their lives in the effort to defeat Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito, and so many survivors – as well as their loved ones – for so long bore the physical and psychological scars of that war. It was now so long ago it has become easy to forget about them.
This is not a scholarly book. Instead, its two volumes are a collection of stories intended for readers who simply would like to learn about World War II and the generation of men and women who fought it. Though focusing on people from Wisconsin, the stories are really about all Americans who endured so much pain, suffering, and hardship – and so much death – during the greatest conflict the world has ever seen.
For Americans, it was a time of “all hands on deck” and there are incredible stories found throughout all segments of society, so the reader will find not only stories of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, but also civilians who contributed to the war effort.
Though I have tried to present their stories in simpler terms, readers knowledgeable in World War II history may find them of interest, nonetheless, as they are quite compelling. Each story begins with a background of the event that shaped lives and history and then introduces the reader to Wisconsin men and women who experienced it. The young man or woman’s family is introduced, as it wasn’t only the soldier who suffered through the war. Hopefully, you, the reader, will take the risk of placing yourself in another’s life and then imagining and better understanding just what he or she went through and experienced, whether on the battle front or the home front. While doing this, you may find yourself shaking your head or dropping your jaw – the stories of their lives are often that powerful – and frightening. And, hopefully, you will come away with a much deeper appreciation for what the men and women of World War II did, what they suffered through, and what they accomplished.
Since in a book such as this, I believe photos make the story, I have included photos of as many of the people as possible – more than 200 in the two volumes. Maps, too, are invaluable in helping tell a story. To that end, I have utilized three simple maps with locations identified and keyed by number to help the reader understand just where a story takes place.
The book is intentionally presented in two volumes rather than one large volume so that after the first, the reader can decide whether he or she wants to go further in learning more about these incredible men and women and what they went through to rid the world of tyranny. The stories are also quite suited for younger readers from high school up and will help them understand this important period of America’s history, the greatest and most impactful event of the 20th Century.
Young men such as Ray Larson, who died at age 23, Owen Carlson, who died at 25, and Henry Gamroth, who survived the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge on Okinawa, may be, after 80 years, finding themselves lost to time, but, hopefully, not lost to history.
After all, all they did was save the world.
