In the midst of battling the global pandemic, the world is also marking the 75th commemoration of the end of World War II, a war that took the lives of over 405,000 U.S. military personnel. This is a time to pay tribute to and remember those who displayed so much heroism and who gave the ultimate sacrifice in restoring peace to the world.
Here is the official website of the commemoration: https://www.75thwwiicommemoration.org/
National WWll Museum:
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/75th-anniversary-end-world-war-ii
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Below is a list of ebooks/audiobooks ( and a documentary) available on Overdrive and Hoopla, which carry riveting accounts and vital stories of individual and team sacrifice, determination, and valor in the face of unimaginable hardship, all of which contributed to victory in the war and will continue to inspire us for years to come.
Exploring these tales of resilience and perseverance not only honors these war heroes, but can also motivate us to persevere and triumph over our current affliction.
Beyond Band of Brothers:The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters by Major Dick Winters; read by Tom Weiner Audiobook
The immortalized Band of Brothers suffered huge casualties while liberating Europe, an unparalleled record of bravery under fire. Dick Winters was their commander, and only he was present from the activation of Easy Company until the war’s end. This is their story, told in his words for the first time.
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy
Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them.
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them the last survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. This is the enthralling account of that heroic rescue mission.
82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle by Art Shaw & Robert L. Wise
75 years ago, Art Shaw (1920-2020) was the first American officer ashore Okinawa. It’s taken him a lifetime to speak about the 82 days that followed. Colonel Shaw’s riveting firsthand account of American heroism delivers an unprecedented soldier’s-eye view of the Pacific War’s bloodiest battle.
Every Man a Hero: A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Beach, and a World at Warby Ray Lambert & Jim DeFelice
Omaha Beach legend Ray Lambert’s unforgettable firsthand account of D-Daydelivers one of the most remarkable memoirs of our time, a tour-de-force of remembrance evoking his role as a decorated World War II medic who risked his life to save the heroes of D-Day.
The Last Goodnight: A World War II Story of Espionage, Adventure, and Betrayal by Howard Blum
A riveting biography of Betty Pack, the dazzling American debutante who became an Allied spy during WWII and was hailed by OSS chief General “Wild Bill” Donovan as “the greatest unsung heroine of the war.”
The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau by Alex Kershaw
Traces the remarkable battlefield journey of maverick U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks through the Allied liberation of Europe—from the first landing in Italy to the final death throes of the Third Reich.
Navajo Code Talkers Of World War II– Documentary
During World War II, a group of Native American Marines devised an unbreakable code that helped the United States maintain the upper hand in many battles and, eventually, led to the surrender of Japan in 1945. This documentary provides insights into the lives of these war heroes in regards to their service on behalf of the United States and the Navajo Nation. Filmed on location in key places such as Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Guam, and Saipan, these six World War II veterans will complete a true journey of remembrance as they recite wartime stories and deliver history in its purest form.
No Surrender: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier’s Extraordinary Courage in the Face of Evil by Christopher Edmonds & Douglas Century
Part contemporary detective story, part World War II historical narrative, this is the inspiring true story of Roddie Edmonds, a Knoxville-born enlistee who risked his life during the final days of World War II to save others from murderous Nazis, and the lasting effects his actions had on thousands of lives-then and now.
Shadow Warriors of World War II: The Daring Women of the OSS and SOEby Gordon Thomas & Greg Lewis
Unveils the history of the courageous women who volunteered to work behind enemy lines. Sent into Nazi-occupied Europe by the United States’ Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), these women helped establish a web of resistance groups across the continent. Their heroism, initiative, and resourcefulness contributed to the Allied breakout of the Normandy beachheads and even infiltrated Nazi Germany at the height of the war, into the very heart of Hitler’s citadel—Berlin.
Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned With the U.S. Army to Fight Hitlerby Bruce Henderson & Brett Barry Audiobook
The little-known saga of young German Jews, dubbed The Ritchie Boys, who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, came of age in America, and returned to Europe at enormous personal risk as members of the U.S. Army to play a key role in the Allied victory.
Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jimaby Martha MacCallum
In honor of the 75th Anniversary of one of the most critical battles of World War II, Martha MacCallum pays tribute to the heroic men who sacrificed everything at Iwo Jima to defeat the Armed Forces of Emperor Hirohito—among them, a member of her own family, Harry Gray.
The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War IIby Katherine Sharp Landdeck
When the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army’s rigorous selection process and earn their silver wings.
-Archana, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian