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Date: April 26, 1944

USS COLORADO (BB-45) at sea near Puget Sound, Washington. She had been overhauled and modified with a tower structure to replace the stub cage mainmast.

Note: she is painted in Measure 31 Design 3D.

NARA: BS 65033

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All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

Basic Story: Two teenagers on opposite sides of the war are drawn together through radio broadcasts from their childhood.

Fan Thoughts: Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel of the same name, All the Light We Cannot See follows the slowly intertwining lives of Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfenning.  Marie and her father Daniel LeBlanc are living in Paris when the Nazis invade; Marie is totally blind, and in an attempt to protect her Daniel takes them to Saint-Malo, bringing with them a supposedly cursed diamond from his job at the Museum of Natural History to keep it from Nazi hands.  Daniel leaves to lay a false trail for the Nazi Reinhold von Rumpel who is after the diamond, and Marie broadcasts on a radio nightly to talk to him, hoping for his safety when he doesn’t return on time.  Unbeknownst to Marie, her broadcasts are being listened to by Werner, a radio operator who was recruited by the Nazis after making radios from scratch in the orphanage where he grew up.  Werner and Marie’s paths slowly converge as the Reinhold tries to find Marie, convinced she knows where the diamond is, and Werner tries to protect her from being caught for illegal radio transmissions.  Even without having read the book, the story seemed simplified and several of the characters lacked depth that I knew must have been present in the novel.  While it certainly is not the first time I’ve seen a World War II film entirely in English despite it being set in a non-english speaking country, it was a bit odd for Netflix to do so given they have plenty of foreign language productions they’ve produced before.  The romance between Werner and Marie felt very rushed, given they actually knew each other for a very short amount of time; in research for this review I found that the author felt this was a compensation to the readers of the novel who were disappointed in the lack of romance.  The actors do their best in a script with weak dialogue and having visually impaired actress Aria Mia Loberti in the lead role added depth to her performance.  While weak in some areas, and unsurprisingly lacking the depth of the novel, it’s an easy watch and will keep the audience’s attention, if not necessarily a standout miniseries. 

Warnings: characters shot on screen (non-graphic)

Available On: Netflix

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All the Light We Cannot See | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Admirable Little Character of the 458th Bomb Group and crew, April 1944

Standing: Richard Christensen (RO), Matt Davan (N), Don Harrington (B), B.J. Newmark (CP), Gilbert Schulze (P) Kneeling: Charles Metcalf (BTG), Richard Black (NTG), Herbert Shaffer (WG), Roger Brown (E), William Burk (TG)

The aircraft would be shot down by an FW-190 on a mission over France on 25 April 1944 with four KIA

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US soldiers and a Sherman tank of the U.S. 3rd Army make their way down a country lane - Metz, north-east France; November 1944

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X Company 1x02

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An American soldier undergoes training at Fort Worth, Texas - 1942

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recommending Wingwomen podcast!

Thank you for the recommendation!

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WWII. December 1944. Supermarine Spitfires of No. 452 Squadron, shortly after leaving Sattler Airfield, Darwin, NT, en route to Morotai, Dutch East Indies.

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I was in a rhythm, you know? Three days, three missions, three wheels down. Boom, boom, boom. It's like Gene Krupa. You don't stop Gene Krupa in the middle of a drum solo, do you?

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Tailspin Tapestries: The Colorful Faces of WWII Aircraft 🃏

Nose art, the decorative painting or design on the fuselage of military aircraft, has a storied history that peaked during World War II. This vibrant, often cheeky artwork served as a morale booster for the crew, adding a personal touch to the grimness of war and providing a sentimental tie to the home they were fighting to protect. The practice traces its origins to Italian and German pilots in World War I, but it was during World War II that American airmen embraced this form of expression with unparalleled creativity.

World War II represented the golden age of nose art, with American crews stationed in Europe and the Pacific leading in creativity. Artworks ranged from ferocious animals and cartoon characters to pin-up girls and patriotic symbols, each with a unique name that reflected the aircraft's character, the crew's aspirations, or an inside joke among the squadron. Names like "Memphis Belle," "Enola Gay," and "Sack Time" became as legendary as the aircraft themselves, symbolizing the spirit of the crew and their mission.

Nose art was crucial to boosting morale among crew members, providing a sense of individuality and ownership over their aircraft in an otherwise regimented and dehumanizing environment. This artwork fostered an emotional attachment to their planes, with each piece a vivid manifestation of the crew's bond. It represented a piece of home and personality in foreign skies, a reminder of what they fought for and the camaraderie that sustained them.

The subject matter of nose art varied widely, reflecting diverse personalities within the crews. Cartoons and comic characters like Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny were favorites for their humor and relatability. Artwork also featured fierce sharks, tigers, and eagles, symbolizing the aircraft and crew's power and aggression.

Many nose art pieces were painted by the crew members themselves, though some squads had designated artists. Individuals like Don Allen, who painted nearly 100 pieces of nose art, were celebrated for their contributions. Using whatever materials were at hand, these artists created masterpieces under challenging conditions, showcasing remarkable ingenuity and talent.

The practice of nose art declined after World War II, largely due to stricter military regulations and the evolving nature of warfare. However, its legacy endures, captivating historians, veterans, and enthusiasts. World War II nose art remains a powerful reminder of the human element amidst war's machinery, a colorful testament to the resilience, creativity, and spirit of those who served.

The National Archives holds a treasure trove of photographs featuring this iconic nose art, often discovered in ordinary crew photos where the art itself isn't the primary focus of the image. This creates a fascinating treasure hunt for enthusiasts and researchers alike, offering glimpses into the past where this artwork accompanies stories of bravery, camaraderie, and the personal touches that made these aircraft more than just machines of war.

More resources on the National Archives website and Catalog:

https://nara.getarchive.net/topics/nose+art https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos

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The Wasp Nest, 44th Bomb Group

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Medal of Honor Monday: Ernest Childers

On this day in 1944, a hero receives the Medal of Honor. Ernest Childers was a Muscogee (Creek) Indian and one of just five American Indians to receive a Medal during the 20th century.

In retrospect, much of his early life had prepared him for what was to come.

Odd as it might sound today, Childers got his first gun when he was just 8 years old. His father taught him to hunt with that gun. It was a skill that would get put to use when his father passed away just a few years later. Finances were so tight that Childers’s mother would give him just one .22-caliber cartridge a day. It was the young boy’s job to hunt a rabbit for dinner with that single bullet.

“I got to be a very good aim,” he later said. “Because if I missed, we didn’t eat.”

The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-ernest-childers-moh

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Jane Russell as plane art in WWII

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HARRY CROSBY + TEST PILOT (1938) ↳ masters of the air (2024), part one & six

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A Dog's Life and her crew, 458th Bomb Group