Spotlights

Victory in Europe!

Conflict: World War II

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VE Day celebrations in Toronto, Canada

On 7 and 8 May 1945, exultant crowds poured into the streets across the Western world to celebrate the news of Germany’s surrender and the Allied victory in Europe. Huge crowds gathered in New York’s Times Square, London’s Piccadilly Circus, and other cities to celebrate and let loose after years of fear and tension.

Newspapers began reporting the end of the war in Europe on the 7th, but it wasn’t officially verified until the 8th, which was declared “Victory in Europe Day.” President Harry Truman and Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave speeches to their respective countries, rejoicing in the victory against Germany but reminding the countries that the war with Japan was far from over.

Truman giving his VE Day broadcast

Truman remarked:

For this victory, we join in offering our thanks to the Providence which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity.

Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors-neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty. [...]

We must work to finish the war. Our victory is but half-won. The West is free, but the East is still in bondage to the treacherous tyranny of the Japanese. When the last Japanese division has surrendered unconditionally, then only will our fighting job be done.

Churchill greets VE day crowds

Churchill made similar comments in his speech:

Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this Island and throughout the British Empire.

We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!

For more, read Truman’s and Churchill’s complete speeches online, or watch a video of London’s VE Day celebrations.

Spam to the Troops

Conflict: World War II

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Troops at chuck wagon getting their lunch of fried SPAM, peas, stew, biscuits, coffee, and canned pineapple

Troops at chuck wagon getting their lunch of peas, stew, biscuits, coffee, canned pineapple, and fried Spam

Spam was invented in 1937 but received most of its fame from the high demand for it in WWII. From 1941 to 1945, the company shipped over 100 million pounds of Spam to allied troops. Since fresh meat was difficult to come across, Spam was the next best thing. It came neatly packaged, was less expensive, and stayed fresh. Spam’s popularity spread from US troops to Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. It was often fried and served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—at least that’s what the troops thought.

Troops in Northern Africa: "They lived in the desert on spam and cabbage..."

Troops in Northern Africa: "They lived in the desert on spam and cabbage..."

Marlene Dietrich eating Spam and stew with servicemen

Marlene Dietrich eating Spam and stew with servicemen

"The menu is usually C-rations, but there is a kitchenette to cook Spam and beans..."

"The menu is usually C-rations, but there is a kitchenette to cook Spam and beans..."

Despite the massive amount of Spam troops had while serving abroad, many were still in favor of the meat when they returned home. Spam continued to grow in popularity, especially in the countries US troops were present in during the war. A timeline of Spam’s prosperity and involvement during WWII can be viewed on their website.

Find more images regarding servicemen’s meals at WWII US Air Force Photos.

The Pig That Almost Started a War

Conflict: Uncategorized

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A view of San Juan Island at the time of the Pig War (artwork by James Madison Alden)

The 1859 “Pig War,” between the United States and Britain, is known for being a war in which the only casualty was a pig.

It all started with an unclear boundary determination off the coast of Washington state. An 1846 treaty stated that the channel dividing Vancouver Island from the mainland would split British and American territory—unfortunately, there were two different channels that fit this description, leaving possession of the San Juan Islands in question. The two countries set up a joint commission to determine where the boundaries actually lay, but the countries’ representatives reached separate conclusions. Each group declared that the treaty referred to the channel that would give their country possession of the San Juan Islands, and nothing was settled.

A map of the boundaries under dispute: the blue line represents the American preference, red the British’s, and green a proposed compromise that didn’t work out

During this time, the British Hudson’s Bay Company started a sheep ranch on San Juan Island, and a couple dozen Americans also settled there. On 15 June 1859, a pig belonging to a member of the Hudson’s Bay Company got into the garden of Lyman Cutlar, an American settler, and ate his potatoes. Annoyed, Cutlar shot the pig. With Cutlar under threat of arrest by British authorities, the settlers asked for American military protection.

In response, around 60 American soldiers were sent to the island; to counter that, the British sent three warships. The situation continued to escalate over the next two months, until there were 460 American troops and 2,140 British. This time of tension was described by British admiral Robert Baynes as “two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig.” Both sides were commanded to only defend themselves and not to fire first, so as a result, no shots were fired.

British troops on San Juan Island, 1872

When word of the situation finally reached Washington and London, both governments were surprised to hear that things had gotten so out of hand. President Buchanan sent an official to mediate the disagreement. The negotiator got the two sides to agree to a joint occupation of the island, with no more than 100 soldiers each, until the boundary dispute could be settled. The American Civil War postponed the decision for a decade or so, but the troops from the two sides lived amicably during that time.

Finally in 1871, as a side result of a treaty resolving other issues, Britain and the United States decided that their boundary dispute would be solved through international mediation. They picked German Kaiser Wilhelm I—who in turn picked a three-man committee that met for a year. Finally, in 1872, the committee ruled in favor of the United States, giving it possession of the San Juan Islands. Within the month, Britain had withdrawn its troops from the island, peacefully ending the 26-year dispute.

For more information about the Pig War, visit the San Juan Island National Park website.

Art Looting Investigation Unit

Conflict: World War II

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U.S. soldiers load art from Göring's secret stash. Göring was a German politician who acquired many of his possessions through confiscation or by using his status to get extremely discounted prices.

In 1944, before the Allied invasion of Europe, Justice Owen J. Roberts met with Brig. Gen. William J. Donovan of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and requested that a unit be formed that could deal with art looted under German authority. The inter-branch directive which authorized the group, known as the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU), described their mission:

“It will be the primary mission of the Art Looting Investigation Unit to collect and disseminate such information bearing on the looting, confiscation and transfer by the enemy of art properties in Europe, and on individuals or organizations involved in such operations or transactions, as will be of direct aid to the United States agencies empowered to effect restitution of such properties and prosecution of war criminals.”

Much of the looted art went to one of Hitler’s pet projects: the Führermuseum. The Führermuseum was to be built in Linz, Austria, with the purpose of displaying art that had been plundered by the Nazis during World War II.

In the Consolidated Interrogation Reports relating to the unrealized Führermuseum, the ALIU made record of the confiscated art and the methods by which it was acquired.

ALIU report stating that confiscation played a role in German art acquisitions for the museum

Usually, the Allied groups focused on returning the art where it belonged (most notably the American ALIU) would work to bring the art back to its original country and leave it at that, hoping that the country’s authorities would find a way to complete the process of restitution to the owners themselves. In some cases, the artworks were successfully returned to their previous owners, but it is estimated that more than half of the artworks never made it back to their original homes.

U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, inspecting art treasures stolen by Germans in a salt mine in Merkers, Germany.

Check out the ALIU page to learn more about their process and purpose, or check out this website to learn more about the looted art and browse the collections.

“In 1814, We Took a Little Trip…”

Conflict: War of 1812

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The Battle of New Orleans, by Edward Percy Moran, 1910

On 27 April 1959, “The Battle of New Orleans,” sung by Johnny Horton and written by Jimmy Driftwood, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song stayed on the chart for twenty-one weeks, hitting #1 on 6 June and staying there for six weeks. The song also reached #1 on the country single chart and won a 1960 Grammy for both Song of the Year and Best Country & Western Recording.

Album cover for “The Battle of New Orleans”

The ballad is an extremely simplified (yet somewhat exaggerated) account of the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans, fought on 8 January 1815 as the last major battle of the War of 1812. The part of the song recounting the battle describes it like this:

Old Hickory said we could take ‘em by surprise
If we didn’t fire our muskets
‘Till we looked ‘em in the eye
We held our fire
‘Till we see’d their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns
And really gave ‘em – well we

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin’
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin’
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Yeah, they ran through the briars
And they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
Where the rabbit couldn’t go
They ran so fast
That the hounds couldn’t catch ‘em
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

While the Americans did defeat the British (with 71 casualties versus the British’s 2,042), and the British did withdraw, the battle wasn’t nearly as straightforward as the song presents. Quite a few things went wrong for the British from the beginning of the attack that had nothing to do with the Americans, including a dam failing, ladders and fascines being forgotten, and fog (intended to be used for cover) lifting. These factors combined with others to allow the Americans to essentially slaughter the British. After the British retreated, they received reinforcements and a siege train and could have attacked New Orleans again, but it was decided that the costs of such an attack would be too high. So the British instead sailed to Mississippi, where they successfully captured Fort Bowyer.

For the full lyrics of the song and a video of Johnny Horton performing it, visit the website http://ronny.cc.

Of course the War of 1812 is near to our hearts here at Fold3 as we work to digitize the paper pension files of soldiers who served in the War of 1812.  You can learn more about the project here.