Friends of the National World War II Memorial

Friends of the National World War II Memorial Friends of the National World War II Memorial is dedicated to teaching lessons of yesterday to unite
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Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., as a sacred place of remembrance, learning, and inspiration. Established in 2007 by the Memorial’s creators, Friends leads efforts to maintain this iconic site, ensuring it remains a must-see destination for over 5 million visitors annu

ally. Through meaningful ceremonies, impactful educational programs, and vital preservation initiatives, Friends honors the legacy of the Greatest Generation and shares the enduring lessons of World War II, inspiring unity, shared values, pride in America, and hope for the future.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kazuo Otani of Visalia, California, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic ...
07/15/2025

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kazuo Otani of Visalia, California, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 15, 1944, near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy.

Otani was born to Japanese immigrant parents and was a Nisei, which means he was a second-generation Japanese-American. His family was interned at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II.

He joined the Army in February 1942 and volunteered to be a part of the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team, mostly made up of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and the mainland. On July 15, 1944, Otani was serving as a staff sergeant in Company G near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy, when his platoon became pinned down by an enemy machine gun and snipers. After killing one sniper, he shouted directions to his platoon and repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire, creating a distraction that allowed some of his men to reach cover. He then crawled to a wounded soldier lying in an exposed position and began rendering medical aid but was killed by enemy fire in the process.

Otani posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 15, 1944. He was one of the 22 Asian American soldiers who received their medals in 2000. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He is buried in Veterans Liberty Cemetery in Fresno, California.

🎓 Free Virtual WWII History Conference!From July 22–24, join Friends of the National WWII Memorial for live, virtual acc...
07/14/2025

🎓 Free Virtual WWII History Conference!

From July 22–24, join Friends of the National WWII Memorial for live, virtual access to our 10th Annual Summer Teachers Conference.

📚 Hear from top educators and historians — including best-selling author Alex Kershaw — in nine powerful sessions exploring this year’s theme: WWII – The Transformation of America.

💻 It’s 100% free and open to all!

👉 Sign up today: https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/summer-teachers-conference/agenda

Happy 101st Birthday to WWII Veteran and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient Master Gunnery Sergeant Carroll William Brax...
07/14/2025

Happy 101st Birthday to WWII Veteran and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient Master Gunnery Sergeant Carroll William Braxton!

Mr. Braxton was born on July 14, 1924 in Manassas, VA. After graduation from High School he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Richmond, VA on June 4, 1943. Mr. Braxton was one of the 20,000 African American Marines from 1942-1949 who received their basic training at a segregated facility, Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, NC. Upon completion of basic training, he was assigned to the 51st Composite Defense Battalion, the first all-black combat unit in the Corps. He would be one of 32 Montford Point Marines selected to attend NCO leadership school and became a Drill Instructor training other Montford Point Marines. Braxton served with the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions in support of Ammunition Company. He also served in Saipan, Peleliu, and Okinawa. He was discharged as a Buck Sergeant in 1946, returning home where he would enroll in college and work for the U.S. government. He was called back to duty in 1950 during the Korean War, assigned to 2nd Marine Division as a combat instructor. He would go into the Marine Reserves in 1955, retiring in 1980 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. After the Korean War ended, Braxton worked for Defense Logistics Agency as a Procurement Analyst for more than 25 years. For close to 30 years, he worked for Saylors Dental Lab before finally retiring in 2014 at 90. In June of 2020, a middle school bearing a confederate name was renamed UNITY BRAXTON MIDDLE SCHOOL to honor Braxton and his wife, Celestine, a teacher hired to integrate the schools in the western end of Prince William County. Braxton was inducted into the Montford Point Marine Hall of Fame in July of 2021. He has also received awards from numerous agencies and organizations including the FBI, CIA, House of Delegates at the VA State Capital, Manassas City Council and the American Legion Post #114. Recently, he was honored during the National Memorial Day Concert 2025 on Capitol Hill. Braxton is a life member of the National Montford Point Marine Association Inc. Quantico Chapter.



Happy 102nd Birthday to retired Air Force Lt. Col. and original Tuskegee Airman James Harvey III of Lakewood, Colorado.J...
07/13/2025

Happy 102nd Birthday to retired Air Force Lt. Col. and original Tuskegee Airman James Harvey III of Lakewood, Colorado.

James Harvey III was born in Montclair, New Jersey, on July 13, 1923, and moved to Nuangola Station, Pennsylvania as a teen with his family. He was drafted into the Army in 1943 as an Army Air Corps engineer and was then admitted to the Tuskegee Flight School's Aviation Cadet Training Program. After attending Basic Training in Biloxi, Mississippi, Harvey was transferred to Tuskegee Army Air Field to begin pilot training. On October 16, 1944, Harvey graduated from the Tuskegee Flight Program Army Air as a member of Class 44-4, receiving both his wings and a commission as Second Lieutenant Flying Officer. In April 1945, Harvey completed combat training at Walterboro Army Air Field in South Carolina, where over 500 Tuskegee Airmen trained as replacement pilots for the 332nd Fighter Group and the entire 447th Bombardment Group until the base closed in October 1945.

The United States Army Air Corps assigned Harvey to the 99th Fighter Squadron in Godman Field, Kentucky. The war ended before Harvey’s unit could deploy to Europe or fly support in Okinawa. Harvey's squadron disbanded after the U.S. military officially ended segregation in 1949. Harvey joined the 332nd Fighter Group and was one of three pilots in the first U.S. Air Force Weapons Meet at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. His unit placed first in the competition, and Harvey earned the nickname “Top Gun.” However, the Air Force did not recognize the victory until 1995.

Harvey went on to fight in the Korean War, becoming the first Black jet pilot in combat, flying 126 combat missions. He retired in 1965.



U.S. Army Sergeant Roy W. Harmon of Talala, Oklahoma, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic action...
07/12/2025

U.S. Army Sergeant Roy W. Harmon of Talala, Oklahoma, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 12, 1944, near Casaglia, Italy.

Harmon joined the Army from California and, by July 1944, was serving as a Sergeant in Company C, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division. On July 12, 1944, near Casaglia, Italy, he single-handedly attacked three German positions which were firing on a friendly platoon. Despite being wounded on his approach, he destroyed one position and continued to silence another. He was killed while attacking the third position.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 12, 1944. Harmon is buried at the Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gerald Leon Endl of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for h...
07/12/2025

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gerald Leon Endl of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 11, 1944, near Anamo, New Guinea.

Endl was inducted into the Army in April of 1941 and was serving in New Guinea as a staff sergeant in the 32nd Infantry Division by July 1944. During a Japanese attack on July 11, 1944, near Anamo, Endl single-handedly held off the advance until several wounded comrades could be rescued. He was killed while carrying the last wounded man to safety.

For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor eight months later, on March 13, 1945. He is buried at Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.

U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Robert Craig, born in Scotland and raised in Toledo, Ohio, was posthumously awarded the Meda...
07/11/2025

U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Robert Craig, born in Scotland and raised in Toledo, Ohio, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 11, 1943, near Favoratta, Sicily.

Craig entered the Army in February 1941, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served with the 15th Infantry of the 3rd Infantry Division.

On July 11, 1943, during his service leading troops in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, Craig set out to destroy an Italian Army machine gun nest that had halted the advance of his company, making his own attempt following the wounding of three other officers who had tried to locate and silence that machine gun emplacement. Craig located the enemy position and killed its three crewmen.

As his company advanced, Craig and his platoon encountered the fire of enemy soldiers. Craig ordered his men to withdraw to cover while he drew the enemy fire on himself. From a kneeling position, he killed five and wounded three enemy soldiers while providing the covering fire enabling his platoon to reach cover. He was killed by enemy fire, but his men carried on. His example is credited with spurring them to victory.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 11, 1943.

🎉 Celebrating 100 Years of Michael Jankowski!Today we honor WWII veteran Michael Jankowski—proud U.S. Army veteran, devo...
07/11/2025

🎉 Celebrating 100 Years of Michael Jankowski!

Today we honor WWII veteran Michael Jankowski—proud U.S. Army veteran, devoted husband and father, beloved grandfather, and cherished member of his community.

Born July 11, 1925, to Polish immigrants in Pennsylvania, Michael moved to Cleveland as a young child. After graduating East Tech High in 1944, he enlisted in the Army, serving with the First Cavalry Division. He arrived in New Guinea in April 1945, then joined the Luzon Campaign in the Philippines. On Sept 2, 1945, Michael watched from Tokyo Bay as Gen. MacArthur signed Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri, before his unit landed to occupy Japan. There, he was reunited with two of his brothers also serving in the Army.

Returning home in 1946, he built a life rooted in service and family. He worked at Ford Motor Company for 30 years, co-founded The Lottie Club, and held leadership roles with the Alliance of Poles and Harmonia Chopin Singing Society. A lifelong Cleveland sports fan, he still never misses a baseball game on the radio.

Michael visited the WWII Memorial through Honor Flight in the mid-2000s—a moment his family treasures.

💛 Happy 100th Birthday, Michael Jankowski!

🖊️ Sign his birthday card: https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/birthday-card/michael-jankowski

💬 Or leave your message for him below.

We say goodbye to another one of our treasured heroes!World War II Veteran Robert Louis Buchheister of New Baltimore, MI...
07/10/2025

We say goodbye to another one of our treasured heroes!

World War II Veteran Robert Louis Buchheister of New Baltimore, MI, died on June 26, 2025 at the age of 102.

Buchheister enlisted in the US Army Air Corps right after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He served as a mechanic.

Buchheister returned home to the U.S. and became a husband and father. He worked as a chief draftsmen in engineering.

Rest in Peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!

U.S. Army Air Forces First Lieutenant Donald Dale Pucket of Longmont, Colorado, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Ho...
07/10/2025

U.S. Army Air Forces First Lieutenant Donald Dale Pucket of Longmont, Colorado, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 9, 1944, over Ploieşti, Romania.

Pucket joined the Army from Boulder, Colorado, in 1942, and by July 1944, was a first lieutenant piloting bombers with the 98th Bombardment Group. During a raid on July 9, 1944, over Ploieşti, Romania, his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire. He ordered his crew to abandon the craft, but three men were too frightened to parachute out. Pucket voluntarily stayed behind with the men and tried unsuccessfully to regain control of the plane. The aircraft crashed into a mountainside, killing all on board.

Pucket was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on June 23, 1945. He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Purple Heart. He is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The remains of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Harry LeBert of Jennings, Louisiana were laid to rest on July 2, 20...
07/09/2025

The remains of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Harry LeBert of Jennings, Louisiana were laid to rest on July 2, 2025, 81 years after he was killed in action in World War II.

LeBert joined the Marines at 24 years old. He fought in the Battle of Tarawa, where he was injured. After getting better, he returned to the front lines, joining his unit for the Battle of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. On the second day of that fierce and pivotal conflict in June 1944, LeBert was mortally wounded. He was temporarily laid to rest in a trench grave alongside his fallen comrades until his remains could be recovered.

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified his remains in 2022.

Rest in Peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!

John Joseph Parle of Omaha, Nebraska, an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his he...
07/09/2025

John Joseph Parle of Omaha, Nebraska, an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 9, 1943, near Sicily.

Parle was a 1942 ROTC graduate of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. On July 9, 1943, Parle was serving as an ensign and was involved in the preparations for the Allied Invasion of Sicily. That day, he noticed a fire aboard a small boat loaded with explosives and ammunition. Knowing that an explosion would alert the defenders on Sicily of the impending invasion, he rushed to extinguish the fire. Although successful in dousing the flames, he later died of smoke inhalation.

Parle, 23 years of age at his death, was buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska.

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Founded in 2007, the Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the national memory of World War II and to creating the next “Greatest Generation” of tomorrow. To meet this mission, Friends sponsors an annual public lecture series featuring prominent historians; hosts an annual teachers conference in Washington, DC; and collects and archives video interviews of World War II veterans and other members of the Greatest Generation. Additionally, Friends has the lead responsibility in planning, staging, and funding five or more major national commemorative events annually and is currently sponsoring a national four-year World War II 75th anniversary commemoration. Friends relies on private support to breathe new life into the Memorial and to ensure that it continues to serve as a living lesson for all Americans.