World War II Album: Land War #5: American

American troops who took part in fighting on Guadalcanal stand with bowed heads at gravesides of their fallen comrades, on June 29, 1943.

With his helmet liner as a pillow and the coral ground as his bed, Private John W. Emmons, Sheffield, Alabama, and his “friend” take a well earned rest in front of a 105mm howitzer on Okinawa on June 27, 1945. The tired artillery man is with the Sixth Marine Division and his friend is a unit mascot.

General George Smith Patton Jr.

The original 29 Navajo "code talkers" and their officers at Camp Pendleton in 1942.

A code talker is the name given to American Indians who used their tribal language to send secret communications on the battlefield. Most people have heard of the famous Navajo (or Diné) code talkers who used their traditional language to transmit secret Allied messages in the Pacific theater of combat during World War II.

A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their knowledge of Native American languages as a basis to transmit coded messages. In particular, there were approximately 400 to 500 Native Americans in the United States Marine Corps whose primary job was to transmit secret tactical messages. Code talkers transmitted messages over military telephone or radio communications nets using formally or informally developed codes built upon their native languages. The code talkers improved the speed of encryption and decryption of communications in front line operations during World War II.

First Negro contingent of Women's Army Corps (WACs).

GI with a captured Japanese Type 89 Grenade Projector in Buna, New Guinea, 1943. Here we see why Americans incorrectly called it the "knee mortar". It is hoped he didn’t actually fire it that way as it could result in a broken thigh.

General Douglas MacArthur (C) and Gen. Richard Sutherland (L) and Col. Lloyd Lherbas waded ashore during the American landing at Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945.

A Marine making friends with Okinawans.

A Navy pharmacist’s mate with the 1st Marine Division comforts a child found in a cave where Japanese soldiers were killed on Okinawa.

A Marine approaches fearful members of an Okinawan family.

A Marine with an Okinawan girl.

A destroyed Kawanishi N1K1-J at Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, May 1945. Marines are using the shell hole in the foreground for bathing.

General view of the Hightstown, New Jersey training area, October-November 1940. Free descent tower in left foreground, captive tower in left background.

Captured German rifles taken by the 11th Armored Division are examined by American soldiers, in Andernach, Germany. Note that some of the rifles are likely secondary-reserve, nonstandard arms issued to the Volks Sturm civilian conscripts, and that the soldier on the left is armed with an M3 Grease Gun. March 13, 1945.

Survivors of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division, gather for a group portrait after the end of a one-week siege in Bundenthal, Germany that resulted in brutal fighting against attacking German forces, December 1944.