Historical

The Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, more commonly known as the GI Bill, allowed millions of returning World War 2 veterans to go to college, making higher education widely available to the American middle class for the first time. Veterans Jeanne Bearmon, who had been a WAC, and Sherman Garon, an Army veteran originally from Duluth, recall … [Read Transcript...]

Claude Williams was flying a bombing mission from England when his plane was shot down and he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He recalls the event, and his sister remembers how the family heard about his capture. She also tells about how the family on the home front in South St. Paul tried to reach the imprisoned soldier with packages shipped through the auspices of the International Red Cross. [Read Transcript...]

The American public was horrified by the surprise Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, which pulled the U.S. into war. The dramatic event prompted many patriotic young Americans to join the military. Minnesotans Bill Olson and Herbert Gager recalled how they were inspired to enlist immediately after the shocking events of December 7, 1941. [Read Transcript...]

Minnesotan George Vandersluis was early in his six years of military service in the Marine Corps on December 7, 1941. Vandersluis was aboard the USS Honolulu that was tied up at the pier in Pearl Harbor as the Japanese began their surprise hit on the Pacific Fleet. He witnessed the attack that pulled the USA … [Read Transcript...]