greatest generation

6/6/43 - Paul Newman enlists in the US Navy at 17. He initially...

6/6/43 - Paul Newman enlists in the US Navy at 17. He initially trains to be a pilot, but is kicked out of the program for color blindness.

Esther Williams, like many stars of her time, traveled for bond...

Esther Williams, like many stars of her time, traveled for bond rallies, USO shows and hospital visits to troops, but despite her appearances, her likeness may have logged more miles than she ever could in person.

Read more about the Esther Williams trophy and how she helped make the WAVES more comfortable in the water.

life: June 6, 1944: D-Day In color photos taken before and...

life:

June 6, 1944: D-Day

In color photos taken before and after the invasion, LIFE magazine's Frank Scherschel captured countless lesser-known scenes from the run-up to the onslaught and the heady weeks after: American troops training in small English towns; the French countryside, implausibly lush after the spectral landscape of the beachheads; the reception GIs enjoyed en route to the capital; the jubilant liberation of Paris itself.

See the photos here on LIFE.com

D-Day in color. We've seen these photos before, but they never fail to amaze.

todaysdocument: Normandy Invasion, 1944From the Moving Images...

todaysdocument:

Normandy Invasion, 1944
From the Moving Images Relating to Coast Guard Activities series.

See our past D-Day posts, including Eisenhower's Order of the Day, and his hastily drafted "in case of failure" note, and a detailed sketch of a typical Platoon Leader in full battle dress.

Paratroopers and aircrew of Pathfinder Team #2 of the 508th...

Paratroopers and aircrew of Pathfinder Team #2 of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd - Airborne Division prepare for takeoff on June 5, 1944. The Douglas C-47 in the background now hangs aloft at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans on permanent display.

Major Richard "Dick" Winters

Major Richard "Dick" Winters

Focus On: Dick Winters

Focus On: Dick Winters:

Richard "Dick" Winters began his association with the 101st Airborne Division's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment as a platoon leader in Easy Company. By war's end, he commanded the 506th's Second Battalion, which included his old company. Although the attrition of war played a part in Winters' rapid advance through the ranks, it was his superb leadership and ability to complete tough assignments that endeared him to the men under his comma

Turning Point: The Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, and Battle of Midway | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

Turning Point: The Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, and Battle of Midway | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

Commander Joseph Rochefort

Commander Joseph Rochefort

Ensign Austin Merrill's Naval Aviator Certificate, carried...

Ensign Austin Merrill's Naval Aviator Certificate, carried by Merrill during the Battle of Midway. Gift of Austin Merrill, The National WWII Museum Inc., 2007.168.37.

Part 4: June 4 – 7, 1942 USS Yorktown Crew describe the demise...

Part 4: June 4 – 7, 1942
USS Yorktown
Crew describe the demise of the USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway.

More Midway.

Part 3: June 4, 1942, 1025 – 1705 hours USS Enterprise Strike...

Part 3: June 4, 1942, 1025 – 1705 hours
USS Enterprise Strike Force
Members of the USS Enterprise strike force describe the struggle to return to their carrier.

More Midway.

Part 2: June 4, 1942, 0400 – 1025 hours USS Enterprise and USS...

Part 2: June 4, 1942, 0400 – 1025 hours
USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown Strike Forces
Members of the USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown strike forces describe the attack on the Japanese fleet.

More Midway.

Part 1: June 4, 1942, 0430 — 0940 hoursMidway Island...

Part 1: June 4, 1942, 0430 — 0940 hours
Midway Island Strike Force
Veterans describe the attack on Midway Island. Oral histories from the Collection of The National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

More Midway.

Don Hoff's Aviator Gloves. Gift in Memory of Don Hoff, The...

Don Hoff's Aviator Gloves. Gift in Memory of Don Hoff, The National WWII Museum Inc., 2011.394.002

Deck Mounted Binoculars from the Japanese Battleship Nagato. The...

Deck Mounted Binoculars from the Japanese Battleship Nagato. The National WWII Museum Inc., 2004.390.

todaysdocument: U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" dive...

todaysdocument:

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless" dive bombers are launched at the Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Midway, June 4-6, 1942.

THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, 1942
From the Navy Motion Picture Films series

Fought six months after the attack at Pearl Harbor, the battle was a decisive victory for the U.S. Navy. Four Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk, and the loss was was a crippling blow to the Japanese fleet.

Learn more about the SBD Dauntless.

Gypsy Rose Lee in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Gypsy Rose Lee in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Ray Bolger in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Ray Bolger in Stage Door Canteen (1943)