WWII Page

Dare and Endure:
World War II
This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure.
- Winston Churchill

William Davis Rhodes
Veteran of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge

Updated July, 2002

A few years ago, I uncovered a small treasure. It was a document that I had longed to find. And when I finally found it, held it in my hands, it was as if a key had turned within a lock.

It was my grandfather's Honorable Discharge.

William D. Rhodes, born on 17 December 1917, was 25 when he joined up. Three years later, he was much older. He had seen the bloody Normandy beach code-named Omaha. He had stared into the mists of a snowy forest named Ardennes, a frozen hell where over a million men fought the largest land battle of the war.

He had mysteriously "acquired" a motorcycle and cruised the frozen lanes of Belgium, meeting up with a Belgian lass known only as Collette. He had seen a Nazi death camp.

And, somewhere along the way, someone had handed him a Silver Star.

He was a member of the 3rd Armored Division, the Spearhead that drove into the heart of Nazi Germany. The unstoppable 3rd was the first allied unit to enter Germany, the first to capture a German town (Roetgen), and the first to breach the infamous Siegfried Line. And, when the bloody end finally came, it was the last unit of the First Army's VII Corps to cease firing.

When it was all over, the division's artillery officer reported that 490,021 rounds of 105mm ammunition had been fired between D-Day and VE Day, more than any other division in the European theater. This does not count the estimated 100,000 rounds fired by attached light battalions.

Later, my grandfather was part of the 106th Infantry Division, proudly known as the Golden Lions. I have corresponded with some of the members of Company F 423rd Infantry of the Golden Lions. They are a knowledgeable and very interesting group of men.

If you have a WWII veteran in the family, call them up. Tell them thanks. They deserve it.

Memoirs of Ray Reeder

I am proud to present the memoirs of Charles "Ray" Reeder, a veteran of WWII.

Please Help POWs

Several WWII prisoners of war are seeking restitution from rich Japanese corporations that profited from their slave labor. The weekly news periodical Parade (17 June 2001, pages 4 - 6) reported on three men who suffered horrible treatment and privation during their captivity while being forced to work for corporations like Mitsubishi and Kawasaki.

To help show your support, write to representatives Michael Honda or Dana Rohrabacher. You can also write your own representative or senator. Be sure to reference bill HR1198.

Join the Dare and Endure Community

The free WWII newsletter has been replaced by a new internet community. Also, since I can no longer manage the volume of the popular Honor Roll, I have added a self-serve honor roll.

Click here to see more.

Find WWII Books and Movies

Spearheading with the Third Armored Division

Among my grandfather's papers, I found an original document presumably distributed to the men of the 3rd Armored Division. I have transcribed the original text and displayed the original images.

Honor Roll

This section contains the names of Allied soldiers who stepped forward when their country called.

Please note: I am no longer accepting entries for the Honor Roll. Please consider joining the Dare and Endure Community where you can use the self-serve Honor Roll.

Click here to see more.

Medal of Honor

This section contains the names of American servicemen who won the nation's highest award for conspicuous gallantry.

Images

Click here to view a few photos from the National Archives extensive list.

Bastogne - The Soldier's Battle

This is a transcript of a newspaper editorial published in Jan 1945.

In the News

This section contains excerpts from news items printed during the war.

Secret Codes

This section contains a list of code names used during the war.

Famous Fighters

This section contains the names of people who were, or would become, famous who fought in World War II.

Homeward Bound

This section contains a transcript of an original "going home" roster dated 24 Jun 1945.

We Need Your Help

The webmaster of the 3rd Armored Division site needs your help. We want the Medal of Honor (MOH) for this very special tank crew. Click on the image above to learn more about these men.

World War II Memoirs

British POW Diary (Trooper Peter Dungey 44th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment)
D-Day Memoirs (Jim Wilkins)
From Butte to Iwo Jima (Memoirs of William Paull)
I Never Had It So Good (Memoirs of John R. Houser)
Jack Young's WWII Memoirs (401st Bomb Group)
Local Heroes (interviews with Australian veterans)
Pacific Theater (Bob Seedorf)
Military Memoirs - War Stories
Mud and Guts (Memoirs of Arthur J. Clayton)
Omaha Beach Memoirs (John G Burkhalter)
Sgt. William Heller Memoirs
Staff Sergeant John N. Petro: Liberator
Sid's War (Memoirs of Sid Martindale)
Twelve Hundred Days (Memoirs of Russell Grocket)
War Diary (Memoirs of Arthur Krenn)
World War II - Prisoners of War - Stalag Luft I

World War II Links

Battle of Britain
Battle of the Bulge
Bigonville (1940-1945)
Center of Research and Information on the Battle of the Bulge
Dadaw's Scrapbook
Dad's War (great research tips)
Dept of Defense Alumni Search
DHH History and Archives (Canada)
German Armed Forces WWII Maps
German Surrender Documents
Government Printing Office Military History
Loyals and the King's Own Regiment, The (dedicated to Arthur Christie)
Military Network
National WWII Memorial
Normandy Invasion (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Nothing New About Death (planes of WWII)
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
Order of Battle (European Theater)
Pearl Harbor Remembered
Places of World War II
Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
U.S. Army Center of Military History
Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge
War Gunner (dedicated to John Parsons, British gunner and cook)
War Times Journal
WWII US Veterans Web Site
World War II in Europe
World War II Magazine
World War II on the Web (by Mark Conrad)
World War II Photos (some graphic material)
World War II Plus 55 (by David Lippman)
Worls War II Preservation Society
World War II Sounds and Pictures

U.S. World War II Units

1st Infantry Division Museum (Illinois)
2nd Infantry Division
2nd Armored Division
3rd Armored Division
3rd Armored Division (Spearhead)
4th Armored Division
5th Infantry Division
6th Armored Division
7th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Division
9th Armored Division
10th Mountain Division
12th Armored Division
23rd Infantry Division
29th Infantry Division
30th Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
36th Infantry Division
43rd Infantry Division
70th Infantry Division
71st Infantry Division
75th Infantry Division
87th Infantry Division
90th Infantry Division
94th Infantry Division
100th Infantry Division
101st Airborne Division
102nd Infantry Division
103rd Infantry Division
104th Infantry Division
106th Infantry Division
Camp Carson Mountaineer
Merrill's Marauders

British World War II Units

1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 1939 to 1945
2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
15th (Scottish) Division
150 Squadron RAF
221 Squadron RAF
Beaufighter Squadrons
Long Range Desert Group

This World War II Web Ring site is owned by Michael Kulp. Want to join the World War II Web Ring?
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