Renee LeMaire,'The Angel of Bastogne'; 1944 » The story of Renee LeMaire is among the many accounts of valor in Bastogne on Christmas Eve, 1944. Renee was a Beligian nurse who volunteered to stay and assist at the makeshift aid station of the US Army's 10th Armored Division while the fighting in Bastogne intensified. Renee's story is highlighted in episode 6, "Bastogne" in the 'Band of Brothers' series from 2001.

The Battle of Mindoro, Philippines; 1944 » The success in capture and soldifying a base of operations on Mindoro was deemed essential for combat operations to progress on to Luzon in the northern Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur would enlist the US Army's 24th Infantry Division, 19th Infantry and the 503rd PRCT with the task of leading the assualt against Japanese forces.



The Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy; 1944 » The Battle involved the U.S., U.K., Canada, Poland, New Zealand and others against the German Army and air forces. Allied success was key in the push through the Winter Line (various German defenses) and finally on to overtake Rome. The battle would be very costly with Allied casualties reaching 100k, and the U.S. Fifth Army suffering 90k alone.

The Battle of Anzio, Italy; 1944 »The combat actions by Allied forces at Anzio (U.S., U.K. & Canada) were implemented to flank the German defenses and fortifications at the Winter Line. Losses from both the Allied and Axis forces were about equal, with the Allied tally at 43k. The Winter Line was ultimately defeated and Rome would be taken and secured by 5 June 1944.


Ernie Pyle » was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during WWII. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944. His articles, about the out-of-the-way places he visited and the people who lived there, were a folksy style much like a personal letter to a friend. He enjoyed a following in some 300 newspapers.


Bill Mauldin » A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist from the United States, he was most famous for his WWII cartoons depicting American soldiers, as represented by the archetypal characters Willie and Joe, two weary infantry troopers who stoically endure the difficulties and dangers of duty in the field. These cartoons were published and distributed in Stars and Stripes.