World War II Album

M4 medium tanks in maneuvers in the American desert. Original color photo.

US 76mm Gun Motor Carriage T70, August 23, 1943.

US T49 Gun Motor Carriage prototype (a distant predecessor to the famous M18 Hellcat tank destroyer).

U.S. Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), Iowa, 1942, with M3 Medium Tank.

George S. Patton, then a lieutenant general, in North Africa during World War II, 1943. Note his modified M3 Scout Car in the background.

American soldier loading ammo boxes on side rails of half-track vehicle.

US Chevrolet Model G7127 serial prefix NP - truck cargo, LWB (long wheelbase), 383 built.

US Chevrolet Model G7117 serial prefix NM - cargo body, with winch (26,207 built).

US Chevrolet Model G7107 serial prefix NJ - cargo body, less winch (86,871 built).

US Chevrolet Model G506 field lighting truck.

US Chevrolet Model G7143 serial prefix NF - Field lighting.

US Chevrolet Model G7116 NL - dump body, with winch, front view.

US Chevrolet Model G7116 serial prefix NL - dump body, with winch (5,133 built with a winch).

US Chevrolet Model G7106 serial prefix NH - dump body, less winch (9008 built).

US Chevrolet Model G7106 NH - dump body, less winch. Notice the absence of rear mudguards.

US Chevrolet Model G7105 serial prefix NG (K-51) - panel body. 3658 built.

US Chevrolet Model G7103 serial prefix NE - cab (with chassis) SWB (short wheelbase).

US Chevrolet Model G7133 serial prefix NZ - airfield crash truck.

US Chevrolet Model G7163 NR - telephone body with earth borer. 1,719 built.

US Chevrolet Model G7173 NS - telephone maintenance body. 4,328 built.

US Chevrolet Model G7123 serial prefix NN - COE stake and platform LWB (long wheelbase), 581 built.

US Dodge VF-405 4x4 1.5-ton truck. 1940.

US Ford 51 Marmon-Harrington B5-4 4x4 truck. 1935.

US Chevrolet G7107 (no winch) 4x4 1.5-ton. truck.

US Chevrolet G7117 (with winch) 4x4 1.5-ton truck.

US Chevrolet BV-1001 engine as used in the G506 truck.

US Chevrolet Model G506 Fire-fighter truck - class 135 - fog and foam.

US Chevrolet Model G7153 serial prefix NX - COE fire-fighter truck - LWB.

US Chevrolet Model G506 E5 turret trainer with B-17, B-24, B-25 and B-26 dorsal turret.

US Chevrolet Model G506 E-5 turret trainer for B-17, B-24 Sperry ball turret.

US Chevrolet Model G506 E-5 turret trainer for B-24 Consolidated tail turret.

US Caterpillar Diesel advertisement.

US Chevrolet Model G7128 serial prefix NQ - M6 bomb service truck G35 ESWB (extra-short wheelbase), 7,857 built.

US M18 Gun Motor Carriage "Hellcat".

US M31 tank recovery vehicle. Initially designated T2 TRV.

US M31 tank recovery vehicle.

US M31 TRV with M10 gun motor carriage.

US M31 TRV with DUKW.

Troops loaded on 2.5-ton cargo truck and large trailer.

US DUKWs come ashore on beach "Alpha Red" near Cavalaire, France, 18 August 1944.

US T27 Armored Car.

US T2 tank recovery vehicle.

US M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle.

US Multiple Gun Mount T60.

US T55E1 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage.

US M41 Howitzer Motor Carriage.

US M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage.

USMC rocket launchers pound the Japanese on Saipan, circa mid-1944. The trucks are International Harvester M-2-4 one-ton 4x4 vehicles.

US T45 Multiple Rocket Launcher mounted on the Truck, 1-ton, 4x4 (International Harvester) manned by Marines on Iwo Jima.

From launching platforms mounted on US International Harvester M-2-4 1-ton 4x4 trucks, Marine crews fire a hail of rockets at Japanese positions on a Saipan ridge, 24 June 1944. Note the Leathernecks crouched over the release controls at the forward end of the trucks. The accuracy of this weapon has been greatly improved and it is now used in all war theaters. These were the first pictures to be released showing Marines using land based rockets in the Pacific theater.

US T19 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriages passing the reviewing stand during a combined French and American parade on the occasion of Moslem Holiday Festival. General Nogues and Major General George S. Patton, Jr., reviewing officers, Rabat, French Morocco 18 December 1942.

US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19.

US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19. This view shows the rearward placement of the half-track's fuel tanks. Details of the howitzer mount can be seen, along with the .50 cal. pedestal mount in the rear of the vehicle. The right-angled corners of the fighting compartment are also obvious.

Rear view of mount with gun installed in US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19 pilot, Aberdeen Proving Ground, 27 November 1941.

US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19. Crew positions are show here mounted (left) and ready for action (right).

US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19. The howitzer mount T2 was standardized as the mount M3.

US 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19.

Production US T23 Heavy Tank with cast turret for 76mm M1A1 gun, electrical transmission, and vertical volute spring suspension. The T23 turret was designed to be interchangeable with the turret ring of the M4 Medium Tank.

US LVT helping LCVP off the beach.

US LVT(A)-4 (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) with 37mm gun turret, Okinawa, 1945.

August 29, 1942: After landing in force, U.S. Marines pause on the beach of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands before advancing inland against the Japanese during World War II.

US Heavy Tank T26E1.

US Heavy Tank T26E3.

US 155mm Gun Motor Carriage M40.

US M40 155mm Gun Motor Carriage.

US T1E4 Light Tank.

US T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage.

US Medium Tank T23.

US M40 Gun Motor Carriage.

Chevy built 3,800 T-17 Staghound armored cars in Flint, Michigan, most with the 37mm cannons shown here, between October 1942 and April 1944.

American 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19 (W-403610), “Cathy.”

American T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage with trailer.

A line-up of T19 HMCs of the US 9th Field Artillery at Newport News, Virginia, 20 October 1942. These units were part of Task Force A, en route to North Africa.

Front view of American 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19.

Rear view of American 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T19.

American Medium Tank T25E1.

American Light Tank T2.

American Light Tank T2 (Modified).

American Light Tank T2E1.

American solider operating a searchlight, 1941.

American soldiers cleaning an anti-aircraft searchlight, circa 1941-42.

US M3 Medium Tank during training.

American M3 medium tank "Barbarian" disabled after falling into an anti-tank ditch in Tunisia, 1943.

US M2 Half-track (W-4011894).

M16 Gun Motor Carriage being used for direct fire, US 209th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, supporting the 32nd Infantry Division, Villa Verde Trail, Philippines, August 1945.

US 76mm Gun Motor Carriage T70 pilot number 3 was photographed on June 11, 1943 at Aberdeen Proving Ground where it was undergoing testing. Early examples of the T70 used the 76 mm Gun M1A1, which lacked threads on the muzzle for installing a muzzle brake. The T70 had the Continental R-975-C1 radial engines mounted in the rear of the hull and the 900T Torqmatic transmission and the final drives in the front of the hull.

US M18 Gun Motor Carriage "Hellcat".

A US soldier mans the M2 .50 caliber machine gun on an M18 GMC (40145323) during a training maneuver.

During a lull in the fighting in Brest, France, on 12 September 1944, crewmen of a US M18 GMC (40145153) nicknamed “Big Gee” inspect their vehicle.

M18 GMC crewmen from the US 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, 6th Armored Division, relax around their vehicle in Marnach, Luxembourg, 21 February 1945.

A group of M18 GMCs attached to the US 6th Armored Division halt before a disabled German PzKpfw VI King Tiger tank somewhere in Germany, 28 February 1945.

An M18 GMC from the US 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division, guards an intersection in Luneville, France, 22 September 1944.

US M18 GMC featuring an unusual placement of sandbags along the upper hull sides.

The same family carrying buckets of water as they continue past the two tanks.

These Axis prisoners were taken during the Allied assault on German positions near Sened, Tunisia, 1943. Note US M3 Medium tank in background.

US M25 Tank Transporter moving a PzKpfw. V “Panther” tank, Germany, post-war.

US M31 tank recovery vehicle with German pre-built bunker.

US T9 Light Tank. The T9 was the prototype to the American M22 Locust airborne light tank. American manufacturer Marmon-Herrington drew up the design in 1941. It was primarily the British who wanted a new airborne tank to replace their aging Tetrarch design. However, the British industry was limited at the time and so American companies were selected for the task. Marmon-Herrington created a ~7.4 ton (6.7 tonne) vehicle operated by a crew of three. The main armament was a stabilized 37 mm M6 gun accompanied by a coaxial .30-caliber Browning M1919 machine gun plus two more machine guns installed in a twin mount in the hull. The T9 was powered by a 162 hp Lycoming six-cylinder engine, providing a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). Armor was up to 12.5 mm thick. Unlike the British Tetrarch, the T9 was designed to be deployed by a powered aircraft--not a glider. The Douglas C-54 transport aircraft (a military variant of the civilian DC-4 airliner) was chosen as the delivery vehicle. The tank's hull would be attached to the belly of the C-54 while the turret was stored inside the aircraft's cabin. The turret would then be reattached at the respective destination. Through 1942, the original T9 design underwent a number of changes. For instance, steel beams were added to the suspension for increased strength, the front hull was redesigned with the twin machine guns removed, and the vehicle's turret was modified. After some delay, the tank entered production in April 1943 and was first delivered to British and American units in mid-1943 into early-1944. During this time, the T9 was renamed as the M22.

US T6 Gun Motor Carriage. The T6 was the pilot prototype to the American M12 Gun Motor Carriage. The vehicle was completed and ran trials in 1942. The T6 was actually initially rejected by Army Ground Forces, but the artillery branch liked it. This led to an order put in for 100 vehicles which was completed between September 1942 and March 1943. The production vehicles were designated "M12".

US Dodge VF-404 1.5-ton truck. The VF-404 was built during 1940 with a total of 1,956 trucks built. The vehicle was part of the U.S. Army G-621 series.

US T29 Heavy Tank. Only eight T29s were produced, beginning in April 1945. This particular vehicle is owned by the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection at Fort Benning in Georgia.

US T23 Medium Tank prototype. The T23 was a further evolution of the T20 Medium Tank series. The vehicle was equipped with a Ford GAN V8 engine, combined with an electric transmission. The base T23 was armed with a 76 mm gun. Testing revealed the prototype to be quite agile and 250 vehicles were ordered in May of 1943. Soon after, however, the project was cancelled as further upgrades were made to related prototypes. The whole T20 series would eventually culminate in the M26 Pershing medium/heavy tank.

US T20E3 Medium Tank prototype. The T20E3 was the fourth evolution in the American T20 Medium Tank prototype series. The vehicle originally was the T20E2, but was modified and completed as the E3. The tank rode on torsion bar suspension and was armed with a 76 mm gun. Earlier T20 designs were given HVSS suspension as on the M4 Sherman medium tank. The T20 series would eventually lead to the M26 Pershing medium/heavy tank.

Both M6A2E1 prototypes lost their hull machine guns but did not receive additional armor.

M6A2E1, rear view.

Second M6A2E1 prototype, October 3, 1945.

Subcaliber T29E3 round tested on the second M6A2E1 prototype.

Potentially the last "living" photograph of the M6A2E1 first prototype. Several years later, the tank was scrapped.

Experimental Christie T3E2 tank, shown here during tests in 1936.

J. Walter Christie with an early tank design.

Tanks of the Sixth Marine Division probe the outskirts of Naha, capital city of Okinawa, Japan, on May 27, 1945.

Yanks of 60th Infantry Regiment advance into a Belgian town under the protection of a M4 medium tank. Spangle, September 9, 1944. (US Signal Corps #111-SC-193903. National Archives Identifier 531213)

US troops pose on an M8 Greyhound armored car with tire chains near Capas, Philippines, early 1945.

M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle, El Guettar Valley, Tunisia, 1943.

The longest Bailey bridge built in France, was put up by the US 1303rd Engineer Battalion to span the Marne River at Chalons, France. The retreating Germans did a good job wrecking the concrete bridge there.

Elements of the US 120th Regiment, 30th Division, cross a footbridge over the Roer near Schophoven, Germany, 23 February 1945. Bridge laying activities were hidden from view of the Germans by smokescreens thrown up by the 38th Chemical Company.

American infantrymen crossing the Danube over a footbridge.

Newly constructed American treadway pontoon bridge over the Moselle River.

Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division advance out of Bastogne following the siege.

On D-Day + 11, Marines fire 155mm howitzer on Iwo Jima.

Towed US 155mm guns M1 cross a Bailey bridge over the Seine.

On 23 February 1945 shells from 30th Division artillery burst on the German side of the Roer as the Ninth Army laid down a heavy barrage.

"American troops of the 28th Infantry Division march down the Champs Elysees, Paris, in the `Victory' Parade." Poinsett, August 29, 1944. US Signal Corps #111-SC-193197. National Archives Identifier: 531209

"American howitzers shell German forces retreating near Carentan, France." Franklin, July 11, 1944. US Signal Corps #111-SC-191933. National Archives Identifier: 531199

Original Caption: “Down the ramp of a Coast Guard Landing barge Yankee soldiers storm toward the beach-sweeping fire of Nazi defenders in the D-Day Invasion of the French Coast. Troops ahead may be seen lying flat under the deadly machine gun resistance of the Germans. Soon the Nazis were driven back under the overwhelming Invasion forces thrown in from Coast Guard and Navy amphibious craft.” Photographer: CPhoM. Robert F. Sargent, June 6, 1944. 26-G-2343. National Archives Identifier: 513173.

A group of U.S. Army soldiers, rifles in hand, wears gas masks during a training exercise in California related to chemical attacks. 1943.

U.S. soldiers with guard dogs walk patrol on a beach in Los Angeles, California, in order to spot possible Japanese attackers. 1943.

A U.S. landing craft filled with troops approaches the French coast for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

U.S. Army soldiers are engage in combat with German forces near the cathedral in Cologne. April 1945.

A camouflaged American serviceman holds his pistol while making a call on a walkie-talkie. Circa 1943.

Major General Harry C. Ingles decorates Private First Class Mary Jane Ford, Signal Corps, with the Soldier’s Medal, in recognition of her attempts to save the life of a drowning soldier. She was the first WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps) to receive the decoration. 25 July 1944.

A US Army mortar team fires on advancing German forces during the Battle of the Bulge, near St. Vith, Liege, Belgium. 1945.

Tenth Mountain Division soldiers at Camp Hale, Colorado, 1943 or 1944. All have M1943 mountain rucksack and are carrying Garand rifles.

Tenth Mountain Division soldier at Camp Hale, Colorado during the war. The division practiced rock climbing in preparation for the invasion of Italy. Camp Hale was active for just three years; it was deactivated in November 1945 and the 10th Mountain Division moved to Texas.

A rare photo of Captain Ronald Reagan as a Cavalry officer during World War II.

Sniper falls. American infantry eliminate a German sniper that was targeting a 105mm howitzer unit, Italy, 1944.

Soviet and American officers, including Bradley, admiring a horse, May 1945.

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt with Lt.Gen. Alexander M. Patch after the former’s capture.

Personnel of the First Special Service Force being briefed before setting out on a patrol, Anzio beachhead, Italy, 20 April 1944.

Forcemen of 5-2, First Special Service Force, preparing to go on an evening patrol in the Anzio beachhead, Operation Shingle, Italy, ca. 20-27 April 1944.

Forcemen of the First Special Service Force boarding a Douglas C-47 aircraft during parachute training at Fort William Henry Harrison, Helena, Montana, August 1942.

Unidentified sergeant of the First Special Service Force, wearing the distinctive USA-CANADA spearhead shoulder title, Anzio beachhead, Italy, 20 April 1944.

Forcemen of the First Special Service Force with a Browning light machine gun in the Anzio beachhead. April 20-27, 1944.

Forcemen of 3-1, First Special Service Force, in an M2 60mm mortar pit, Anzio beachhead, Italy, April 20-27, 1944.

Normandy Invasion, June 1944. U.S. Army Rangers show off the ladders they used to storm the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, which they assaulted in support of Omaha beach landings on D-Day.

Men of the Communications section, HQ Co., 2nd Ranger Battalion, with communications equipment and a rescued puppy. From left to right: Cpl L. Lisko, T/4 S.A. Liscinsky, T/Sgt J.B. Parker, Lt I. Eikner. Normandy, 12 June 1944.

Soldiers of the 6th Ranger Battalion move through a village on Dinagat Island, Philippines, 18 October 1944.

Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill (left) and Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell (right) meet near Naubum, Burma, 1944.

Merrill's Marauders rest during a break along a jungle trail near Nhpum Ga, Burma, 1944. The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), code name GALAHAD, became famous as Merrill's Marauders.

Merrill's Marauders move along the road with pack horses and mules for transportation of supplies. 1944.

Two members of the 29th Ranger Battalion demonstrating their fitness for photographers at the training center in Scotland. By the time this image was published in Yank the battalion had been disbanded and the men returned to their parent organizations. 27 February 1944.

The insignia of the Marine Raiders.

Lt Col Evans Carlson, USMC, Carlson's Raiders after the Makin Island raid.

"Marine Officers on Tulagi: Here are some of the officers directing U.S. fighting against the Japanese on tiny Tulagi Island in the Solomons. Tulagi lies off Florida Island and is important for its harbor facilities. Seated on the steps of the staff house are, left to right, front row: Lieut. Colonel O.K. Pressley, Colonel M.A. Edson, Lieut. Col. H.E. Rosecrans, and Lieut. Colonel R.E. Hill, all USMC. Second row: Lieut. E.B. McLarney (MC) USN and Brig. General W.H. Rupertus, Colonel R.C. Kilmartin, Major William Enright, all USMC. Third row: Captains Ralph Powell, Daryle Seeley and Thomas Philpott, USMC." Quoted text is from the original picture's caption, which is dated October 28, 1942. The photograph was probably taken soon after the Marines captured Tulagi in August 1942.

Lieutenant Colonel James Roosevelt, USMC, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt requested assignment to combat duty and was transferred to the Marine Raiders in January 1942, a new Marine Corps commando force, and became second-in-command of the 2nd Raider Battalion under Evans Carlson (Carlson's Raiders) whom Roosevelt knew when Carlson commanded the Marine Detachment at the Warm Springs, Georgia residence of Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt's influence helped win presidential backing for the Raiders, influenced by the British Commandos, which were opposed by Marine Corps traditionalists.

Colonel Harry B. "Harry the Horse" Liversedge brought the 3rd Raider Battalion into existence in September 1942 and then became the first commander of the 1st Marine Raider Regiment upon its activation in March 1943. Here he cuts a cake for his raiders in honor of the Marine Corps birthday on 10 November 1943.

Marine Raiders and their dogs, which are used for scouting and running messages, starting off for the jungle front lines on Bougainville, ca. November/December 1943.

Indian scouts Private William Major and Private Andrew Paxson patrol the southern border from a peak of the Huachuca Mountains. Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. April 1, 1942.

A Few Minutes Snooze For Marine Raiders. This is all the sleep they are allowed as they await the order that will start them off through the jungle on their practice maneuver. This group of Raiders is commanded by LtCol James Roosevelt (shown smiling in the center). Picture was taken on the second day of three day and night problem. Talking with Roosevelt is Major James Clark. Note his water-soaked dungarees, ample evidence of the type of going Raiders find in jungle depths.

A Marine Raider, injured during the Makin Raid, is lifted through a hatch on USS Argonaut (SM-1) to be taken ashore at Pearl Harbor, 26 August 1942.

A BAR man in the bow of the rubber landing craft provides covering fire as a 10-man boat crew of Marine Raiders reaches the undefended beach of Pavuvu in the Russell Islands during Operation Cleanslate. February 1943.

General Robert T. Frederick, commander of 1st Special Service Force.

Soldiers of the 3rd Ranger Battalion board LCIs that will take them to Anzio. Two weeks later, nearly all were captured or killed at Cisterna.

Canadians and Americans wear the same uniform in the First Special Service Force. Lieut. J. Kostelec (Calgary, AB) and Lieut. H.C. Wilson (Olympia, Washington) resting on the steps of the Force's Clearing Station, near Venafro, Italy. January 1944.

William Orlando Darby, pictured here in 1944 as a full colonel. Established and commanded "Darby's Rangers" that later evolved into the U.S. Army Rangers.

MG James Earl Rudder, commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion during World War II; later president of Texas A&M University; led the Ranger assault on Pointe du Hoc on D-Day.

Second Lieutenant Leonard Lomell, served as platoon leader 2nd Ranger Battalion during the D-Day landings. He is best known for his actions in the first hours of D-Day at Pointe du Hoc. Was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.

General Merrill (far left) observes the Marauder's along the Ledo Road. 1944.

General Stilwell awarding medals at Myitkyina.

LTG Samuel V. Wilson, Chief Reconnaissance Officer and Intelligence & Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) (Merrill's Marauders); ultimately served as the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) before retiring as a Lieutenant General in 1977.

A team of Alamo Scouts pose for a photo after completing a reconnaissance mission on Los Negros Island, February 1944.

US Rangers en route to liberate Allied soldiers in the Cabanatuan POW camp, 30 January 1945.

The Alamo Scouts after the Raid at Cabanautan. Top row left to right: Gil Cox, Wilbert Wismer, Harold Hard, Andy Smith, and Francis Laquier. Bottom row left to right: Galen Kittleson, Rufo Vaquilar, Bill Nellist, Tom Rounsaville, and Frank Fox. February 1945.

Henry Andrews Mucci (March 4, 1909 – April 20, 1997) was a colonel in the United States Army Rangers. In January 1945, during World War II, he led a force of 121 Army Rangers on a mission which rescued 513 survivors of the Bataan Death March from Cabanatuan Prison Camp, despite being heavily outnumbered. It is widely considered the most successful rescue mission in the history of the United States military.

Comanche code talkers of the US 4th Signal Company.

Army code talkers. Front Row, left to right: Roderick RedElk, Simmons Parker, Larry Saupitty, Melvin Permansu, Willie Yackeschi, Charles Chibitty and Willington Mihecoby. Back Row, left to right: Morris Sunrise, Perry Noyebad, Ralph Wahnee, Haddon Codynah, Robert Holder, Albert Nahquaddy, Clifford Ototivo and Forrest Kassanavoid. Not pictured: Elgin Red Elk and Anthony Tabbytite.

General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area on an inspection trip of American battle fronts, met representatives of five different American Indian tribes in one United States Army unit. Left to right: S/Sgt. Virgil Brown (Pima) Phoenix, Arizona; First Sergeant Virgil F. Howell (Pawnee) of Pawnee, Oklahoma; S/Sgt. Alvin J. Vilcan (Chitimacha) of Charenton, La.: General MacArthur; S/Sgt. Byron L. Tsignine (Navajo) of Fort Defiance, Arizona; Sgt. Larry L. Dokin, (Navajo) of Copper Mine, Arizona.

Corporal Henry Bake, Jr., left, and Private First Class George H. Kirk, Navajo Indians serving with a Marine signal unit, operate a portable radio set in a clearing they have just hacked in the dense jungle close behind the front lines.

Navajo Indian, attached to a Marine artillery regiment in the South Pacific, relays orders over a field radio in his native tongue.

Private First Class Preston Toledo, left, and Private First Class Frank Toledo, cousins and Navajo Indians, attached to a Marine artillery regiment in the South Pacific, relay orders over a field radio in their native tongue.

Private First Class Carl Gorman, left, and Private First Class Jack Nez, two Native American Navajo Indians serving with the Marines, act as observers on a hill overlooking Garapan, Saipan, June 1944.

Private First Class Carl Gorman, an Indian Marine, as he mans an observation post on a hill overlooking the city of Garapan, while the Marines were consolidating their positions on Saipan, June 27, 1944.

Private First Class Peter Nahaidinae, left, Private First Class Joseph P. Greenwood and Corporal Lloyd Oliver, Navajo Indians, attached with the 1st Marine Division in the Southwest Pacific, study a night problem at the Amphibious Scout School conducted by the intelligence section.

A Native American Navajo code talker serving as a Marine uses a field radio on Tarawa. November 1943.

Also participating in the Bougainville operation in December 1943 were these Navajo code talkers. Front row, left to right: Pvt Earl Johnny, Pvt Kee Etsicitty, Pvt John V. Goodluck, and PFC David Jordan. Rear row, left to right: Pvt Jack C. Morgan, Pvt George H. Kirk, Pvt Tom H. Jones, Cpl Henry Bake, Jr.

Navajo Indian communication men with the Marines on Saipan landed with the first assault waves to hit the beach. June 1944.

US Marine Paratroopers shoulder insignia.

US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) shoulder insignia.

US Airborne Troop Carrier units shoulder insignia.

US First Special Service Force shoulder insignia.

S.F. wings worn by members of the Jedburgh teams and others in OSS.

US 99th Infantry Battalion insignia.

US Alamo Scouts – this is an unauthorized insignia.

US 10th Mountain Division shoulder insignia and Mountain shoulder tab.

US 474th Infantry Regiment. This combines insignia of the three units from which the original members came: the First Special Service Force (red arrowhead), Darby’s Rangers (scroll), and the 99th Infantry Battalion (Viking ship).

Wartime poster: "Do with less - so they'll have enough! Rationing gives you your fair share."

Poster: During the First World War, a tension developed between "social hygiene" reformers, who condemned illicit sexual behavior and emphasized education as the key to fighting venereal diseases, and more pragmatic medical officers who promoted prophylactic stations for the treatment of venereal diseases on military bases. This 1918 poster illustrates a common message promoted by social hygienists, who worked vigorously to close down red-light districts in American cities and to educate soldiers about refraining from sexual activity. The image equates venereal disease and "enslaving habits" (such as masturbation) with a loss of personal and political freedom, asking the viewing soldier whether they will choose to be free or chained by the consequences of sexual indiscretion. This strategy was part of a larger campaign to define a male sex role that was at once powerful and virile yet pure and virginal by combining a high sense of moralism with a confident masculinity.

Poster: While posters generally made prophylaxis the soldier's responsibility, women were invariably represented as the cause of the venereal disease problem. The soldier or sailor was admonished to be continually on his guard against the evil she represented. The posters below target a prevalent theme in the social hygiene movement dating back to the early twentieth century—the threat of "loose women" and prostitutes. Posters associating women with venereal disease frequently appealed to the viewing soldier by using illustrations of attractive or available women. In this 1942 poster by Feree, a striking blonde woman lights up a cigarette in front of a bar. Standing alone, the image does not necessarily communicate a negative message. The headline, however, makes it clear that this is a warning—this is not just any woman, she is a dangerous threat, indicated by the military-inspired epithet "Juke Joint Sniper." In this poster and many others, the "pick up girl" is labeled as the source of syphilis and gonorrhea. Reflecting the persistence of sexual taboos, however, the association is made without being overly explicit.

Poster: This 1940 poster uses the same technique of featuring the heavily made-up, cigarette-smoking woman as venereal disease carrier. Appealing to the soldier's interest in the eye-catching woman, the headline playfully warns "She may be … a bag of TROUBLE." The contrasts in color, font size, and capitalization draw the viewer's attention to the word "trouble" in an attempt to create an association between the word and the image. Below the warning, the inclusion of the words "syphilis - gonorrhea" further suggest to the viewer that this is not an appealing woman but a treacherous menace.

Poster: This 1940 Charles Casa illustration of a prostitute leaning against a brick wall on a deserted street corner uses boldly contrasting colors to accent its message. The title, "Easy to get," refers to both the woman and the disease. The contrast of yellow on red background and the suggestiveness of the image and text are both used to catch the attention of the viewer while ultimately challenging the soldiers' correlation between sexually available women and good times.

Poster: Also from 1940, this poster extends the warning to soldiers by identifying venereal disease as a global problem. The glamorous woman in the illustration, posing in a low-cut red dress, is set against a shadowed globe in the background. This poster might also be adopting the language of anti-Communism and borrowing the color of the "red menace." The headline warns, "Venereal disease covers the earth," and the caption at the bottom reiterates another message seen in some of the posters discussed above: the responsibility of the soldier in protecting himself.

Poster: This poster warned that even the perfect girl-next-door could not be trusted. In contrast to the cigarette-smoking, heavily made-up women in posters warning against exposure to prostitutes, this poster features an apparently average and conservatively dressed woman who might also pose a threat. Featured in the poster is the warning to all servicemen that "She May Look Clean -- But pick-ups, good-time girls and prostitutes" could be possible carriers of infection. The underlying caption uses the persistent tactic of appealing to the soldier's sense of patriotism in urging them to protect themselves for the sake of the country, suggesting that, "You can't beat the Axis if you get VD."

Poster: You may think she’s just your “gal” but she may be everyone’s pal. Prophylaxis prevents venereal disease.

Poster: Men Who Know Say No!

Poster: Don’t be HER pin-up boy.

Poster: Men Who Know Say No to Prostitutes.

Poster: “Two girls I know want to meet you in the worst way.”

Poster: Steady buddy – There’s a come-back!

Poster: Them Days Is Gone Forever.

Poster: Saboteuse.

Poster: “Boys, your sweetheart, your wife or your parents may never know it if you contract a venereal disease – but I’ll know it and I’ll suffer from it.”

Poster: Smash the Prostitution Racket. Prostitution spreads venereal disease.

Poster: Warning: These enemies are still lurking around.

Poster by Salvador Dali: The Sickly Skull of Venereal Disease (1942).

Poster by Reginald Mount, 1939-45.

Poster: Enemy Agent.

Poster: …young …pretty …easy … but full of germs. Avoid pickups!

Poster: Prostitution spreads syphilis and gonorrhea.

Poster: Loaded? Don’t take chances with pickups! VD is not Victory. Loose women may also be loaded with disease.

Poster: Booby Trap. Syphilis and Gonorrhea.

Live up to it soldier—“I bet you’re stronger ‘n’ braver than anybody!” Guard against Syphilis and Gonorrhea.

War Correspondent Ernie Pyle.

Major General Norman D. Cota, commanding the U.S. 28th Division accepts some home-made cookies from Sgt. Joseph Bunch of the 110th Infantry Regiment.

Military Police, M1A1 submachine gun, Italy.

Marine shaking sand from his "boondockers" while sitting on a dud 16-inch shell.

Marines of the US 2nd Raider Battalion fight from a muddy hole on Bougainville. The 2nd Raiders invaded Bougainville on Nov. 1, 1943, landing on the beaches of Cape Torokina.

The US 1st Ranger Battalion loads into LCAs (British-built Landing Craft Assault) for beach landing maneuvers near Naples, Italy, in preparation for the Anzio landing. Within two weeks of the landings, most of the battalion was lost.

U.S. Army Rangers in a landing craft, prior to leaving England for the invasion of France, early June 1944.

US Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, June 6, 1944.

US Rangers in Rurberg, Germany, March 3, 1945, prepare for patrol.

Troops of the US 5037th Composite Unit (Prov.) – Merrill’s Marauders – advance on a pillbox with a flamethrower and rifles during a demonstration near Haamshingyang, Burma.

Men of C & E Companies, US 6th Ranger Battalion, are shown advancing toward the Japanese prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan, Luzon, the Philippines.

US Rangers and the POWs they rescued from Cabanatuan at the 92nd Evacuation Hospital in Guimba.

US Rangers introduced to amphibious operations by the British, 1942. Training included artillery fire.

A US Ranger leaps from an obstacle during training. The British Commando standing by seems to be dreading the coming impact with the ground.

US Rangers come ashore from a small boat during amphibious training. They wear the old World War I-era “Brodie” helmets but are armed with M1 Garands.

Sgt. Franklin “Zip” Koons of the 1st Rangers was reckoned to be the first U.S. Army soldier to fire a shot in anger in Europe. For his bravery in the Dieppe raid, he received the British Military Medal – the second award for bravery – awarded by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Darby’s Rangers training featured extensive speed marching for all personnel, including Darby (in the middle in this photo). Arzew, 1942.

US Rangers set up a Browning M1919 .30-caliber light machine gun to secure one of the French gun positions they captured at Arzew.

US Rangers about to board a British LCA landing craft, to be lowered over the side of the assault transport off Arzew. They wear the U.S. flag shoulder insignia intended to deter the French from shooting.

US Rangers on the hills around Arzew, the route that they used to outflank and take the Batterie Superiere, here being used for training.

After the US Rangers were sent into urban combat at St. Cloud, Darby added it to the training program he set up at Arzew.

U.S. soldiers with guard dogs walk patrol on a beach in Los Angeles, California, 1943.

Bivouac area of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division in the Ruhr Pocket.

A GI of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division guards captured German war loot in a church near Ellingen, Germany.

Soldiers of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division attack a road block near Eichstadt, Germany.

Elements of G Company, 343rd Infantry Regiment, U.S. 86th Infantry Division, move into a wooded area near Ingolstadt, Germany.

Russian slave laborers cheer as Maj. Anthony J. Malankowski and Pfc. Arthur Fields of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division remove the commandant of the concentration camp at Attendorn who had barricaded himself inside his building in the compound. 12 April 1945.

Troops of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division line the deck of the transport bringing them home from Europe. The division was slated to be shipped to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan.

American infantry assault boat during night landing in Louisiana maneuvers, 1942.

US Bazooka Anti-tank Rocket Launcher.

American GI with German and American rocket launchers.

US Bazooka Anti-tank Rocket Launchers.

This was anything but a pleasant or safe job for the men of Company D, US 373rd Engineer GS Regiment, who clear a Le Havre beach of mines, 1 October 1944.

A sergeant of Company D, US 373rd Engineer General Services Regiment, detonates a charge that blows up German concrete barges underwater off Le Havre, France, 1 October 1944.

Paramarines during maneuvers, 1942.

Original World War II pair of USMC Paratrooper wings, made by AMICO (American Insignia Company) during the war.

Pfc Kenneth Kleist strikes an aggressive pose after a training jump (San Diego, Feb 1943). He wears a camouflage parasmock and carries a folding-stock Reising submachine gun. The Reising initially was considered ideal for the parachutists because it was small enough that they could jump with it.

Navy Lt Robert Leonard, a parachute qualified doctor, poses with a Johnson light machine gun at Camp Elliott in February 1943. Paratroopers preferred the Johnson family of weapons due to their accuracy and reliability, but they were never produced in adequate numbers to fully equip Marine jump units.

Parachute trainees undergo their initial training at San Diego. This included leaps from platforms to practice the proper landing technique.

At the completion of his jump from the Hightstown fly-away tower, a Marine learns how to control his parachute in the wind.

US Paramarine.

The US .45 Reising submachine gun was manufactured by Harrington & Richardson (H&R) Arms Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was designed and patented by Eugene Reising in 1940. The three versions of the weapon were the Model 50, the folding stock Model 55, and the semiautomatic Model 60 rifle.

The folding stock US Model 55 Reising submachine gun.

Maj. Gen. Clayton B. Vogel's recommendation letter regarding the enlistment of Navajo Indians. Page 1 of 2.

Maj. Gen. Clayton B. Vogel's recommendation letter (page 2 of 2) regarding the enlistment of Navajo Indians.

World War II Album #0002: American Ground Power (282 photos)