World War II

National Transportation Safety Board investigators say a lack of oversight and administrative risk controls were among the causes for a 2022 mid-air collision in Dallas.

The USS Edsall was overpowered by a Japanese fleet in the Indian Ocean but fought valiantly to the end, the U.S. Navy said. It was found in deep waters south of Australia's Christmas Island.

“America First”— it’s a slogan that has currency with the right-wing today, but they didn’t coin the phrase. That happened back in 1930s America to serve a movement trying to keep the U.S. from getting involved in fighting the Nazis in Europe. We look at this tipping point in American history—and America as a global power—with historian and author H.W. Brands.

In The Road to Surrender, Evan Thomas examines the closing months of WWII, exploring the motivations of key U.S. leaders, and of Japanese commanders and diplomats. Originally broadcast June 20, 2023.

Sergeant First Class Gerald Mullin, 100, was born in Sweet Home, TX, in 1924. He enlisted in the army in 1942 at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. Mullin was inducted into the French Legion of Honor on Wednesday, July 3, at Ft. Sam Houston Theater.

Almost 900,000 workers passed through Rio Vista as part of the Bracero Program. Fronteras talks to two individuals who have fought to keep this important chapter of history from being forgotten.

June 6, 1944 the Allied Forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and took the Nazis by surprise in the largest sea-to-land invasion in history. This would be remembered as D-Day and would ultimately lead to the end of World War II in Europe. However, this planned attack wouldn't have been possible without deep knowledge of ocean tides! We get into the whole story, including why tides sit at the intersection of astronomy and marine ecology — and why understanding tides are key to a greener future. Want to hear us cover more science history? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

D-Day is one of history’s greatest and most unbelievable military and human triumphs. Though the full campaign lasted just over a month, the surprise landing of over 150 thousand Allied troops on the morning of June 6, 1944, is understood to be the moment that ultimately led to the defeat of the Nazis. How should we remember and honor the heroic sacrifices of D-Day?

With even the youngest of those men and women who were involved in the invasion nearing their 100th birthdays and their ranks dwindling rapidly, they feel a special imperative to tell their stories.

The modern study of starvation was sparked by the liberation of concentration camp survivors. U.S. and British soldiers rushed to feed them — and yet they sometimes perished.