Morales 0
Examining the “Real” American GI of World War II
Europe
Alejandro Morales
Morales 1
Examining the “Real” American GI of World War II
Europe
On June 6th 1944, sub-lieutenant Jimmy Green was onboard a LCA (Landing craft
Assault) 910 headed to Omaha beach. On his way to the
beach he passes by a column of LCTs (Landing Craft
Tanks), the very same tanks that were suppose to pave the
way for the landing troops. Green and everyone else on
board decided to move on because they were suppose to
land at 6:30 am with the rest of the 116th 1st battalion.
When they landed, they arrived at an untouched beach
guarded by a walled array of pillboxes.1 Less than 50 yards
away, Sergeant Thomas Valance’s landing craft lowers its
ramp and his platoon move forward to the beach
maneuvering through knee high waves. As he tries to find
balance, a bullet penetrates his palm. The wound feels like
a sting and in a surge of adrenaline he moves forward
throwing behind his heavy equipment. He stops to fire at the pillboxes and one returns
fire and hits his left thigh breaking his hipbone. All around him soldiers trying to make
their way to the beach are pinned down. Others trying to swim ashore are drowned by
their heavy equipment or are picked off by enemy fire.2 The wounded sergeant still
1
Pill Boxes are concrete dug-in guard posts
Alex Kershaw, The Bedford Boys: One American Town’s Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice (Cambridge: De
Capo Press, 2003), 127- 139
2
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moves forward, only now he crawls to the sea wall. He collapses and later writes: “I was
one live body amongst many of my friends who were dead and, in many cases, blown to
pieces.” 3 Thomas Valence was one of many soldiers that marched through Germany to
help take down the Nazi regime. Stories reporting the heroics of troops sensationalized
the American GI as a good-mannered American patriot who went on this crusade to
preserve democracy. Images like “Iwo Jima” or “The Manly GI” (See Figures 1.1 and
1.2) presented the troops as liberators only heightening their status in the American
folklore. However the American soldier action’s overseas showed no sign of respect or
morality. While the United States held its troops as heroes and saviors due to the type of
media coverage, European civilians thought of GIs as thieves, racists, drunks and even
rapists. These soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice but it’s not fair to ignore the shame and
devastation they left behind. In France, Soldiers were to blame for the high rates of rape
and prostitution that brought shame to the country. As they advanced through Germany,
the GIs looted and displaced families in attempt to find alcohol or anything of value. In
addition, the harsh treatment of “colored” also shows how little respect GIs showed to
neither their enemies nor allies.4
Ronald Drez, Voices of D-Day: the story of the Allied Invasion Told by those who Were There
(London: Luisana State University Press, 1994) 201-202
4 Michael C. C. Adams, The Best War Ever America and World War II (Baltimore, MA:John Hopkins
University Press, 1994); Christopher P Loss, “Reading between Enemy Lines: Armed Services
Editions and World War II.” Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Jul., 2003): 811- 834;
Alford,
Kenneth, The Spoils of World War II: The American Military's Role in the Stealing of Europe's Treasures.
(New York, N.Y.: Carol Pub. Group, 1994); Arthur Coleman and Hildy Heel, Great Stories of World War
II: An Annotated bibliography of Eyewitness War-Related Books Written and Published Between 1940
and 1946 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2007); Seth Givens. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and
Looting in Germany during the Second World War.” War In History, 33-54; Arnold T, The 92nd
Infantry Division and reinforcements in World War II, 1942-1945. (Washington, DC: Sunflower
University Press, 1991); Virden, Jenel. "Warm Beer and Cold Canons: US Army Chaplains and Alcohol
Consumption in World War II." Journal Of American Studies 48, no. 1 (February 2014): 79-97; Drea
Edward, “American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.” Journal of
American History 90.3 (2008); Melissa Block. “Interview: Fred Bornet recounts his World War II
experiences,” All Things Considered (NPR) (n.d.): Newspaper Source; John McManus, "Deadly
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In order to understand the real GIs and the role they played in the war, some
historical context must be shined on the events. World War II began where WWI ended,
in Versailles. When the allies met in Versailles, the consensus was that Germany had to
pay for the war. When Germany signed the treaty, it agreed to take all blame from the
war, to pay 6,600 million pounds in reparations, to demilitarize its army and lastly to
relinquish 25,000 square miles of Germany territory. The defeated German people felt
cheated by the deal and no one shared this sentiment more than the Adolf Hitler. The new
Weimar Republic came to power at the end of the war oversaw that the Germany pay
their reparations costs. Throughout the 1920’s Germany stayed afloat thanks to the
Dawes Act, which allowed Germany to borrow 800 million marks from the US.
Unfortunately, the Stock Market crashed in 1929 and this took its toll on Germany. In
1932, a third of its workforce was unemployed and the Weimar Republic could do
nothing to help its people. Adolf Hitler used this devastation to get ahead in the political
sphere along with his new Nazi Party. In 1930, the Nazi Party won 18% but by the
beginning of January 1933, Hitler had been appointed Chancellor of Germany.
Immediately after getting power, Hitler began to plan for war as he oversaw the
expansion of the German army and navy. This violation of the treaty went unnoticed and
the rest of Europe watched as Hitler began to mobilize is troops. From 1936- 1939,
Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II." (PhD diss., The University of
Tennessee, 1996), 1-40; Sam Lebovic, “’A breath from Home”: Soldier Entertainment and the
Nationalist Politics of Pop Culture during World War II,” Journal of Social History Vol. 47 Issue 2
(December 2013): 263-296; Mary Louis Roberts, What Soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World
War II France (London, The University of Chicago Press, 2013); L. Jooste, “The Unkown Force; Black,
Indian and Coloured Soldiers Through Two World Wars,” South African Journal of Military Studies
(2012); Harry Spiller, American POW’s in World War II: Twelve Personal Accounts of Captivity by
Germany and Japan (Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2009); Thomas Bruscino, “The Analogue of Work:
Memory and Motivation for Second World War US Soldiers,” War & Society Vol. 28 Issue 2 (October
2009): 85-103
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Europe stood silent as Hitler and his new army absorbed Austria and the Rhineland. In
1938, when the Hitler wanted to take back the Sudetenland, Neville Chamberlin entered
negotiations with the intent to prevent the outbreak of war. Chamberlin argued that the
Versailles treaty was too harsh and rather than risking war, he appeased Hitler and let him
take the 99% German populated Sudetenland. Chamberlin landed in Europe claiming that
he had assured peace foe his time. However, in 1939 Hitler went on to invade the rest of
Czechoslovakia. In response to this, England and France finally decided that if Germany
were to invade Poland, they would go to war. Germany invades Poland on September
31st, 1939, thus beginning the 2nd World War.
However on the western hemisphere, the United States tried to stay away from the
troubles of Europe. At the end of WWI, the US decides not to join the League of Nations
and went into a state of isolationism. However the US was inclined to peek at the pacific
as it saw the rise of the Japanese state. The Japanese were in deep financial problems and
to solve it they needed to expand their military. In 1931, the Japanese army attacked and
occupied the southern region of Manchuria. The American Government responded to the
invasion by cautioning the Japanese that any further aggression would result in the cutoff
of shipments and raw materials. That did little to persuade the Japanese government as
they decide to leave the League of Nations and formed an alliance with Adolf Hitler in
the fall of 1940. The deal with the growing threat of Japan in Manchuria, the United
States supported the Chinese with the gift of army and equipment. As the Japan marched
further into Indo-China, European nations had enough of the Japanese aggression and cut
off any flow of sources to the nation. Realizing that their conquest could not go on
without supplies, they devised a scheme to take control of the Oil-rich British Malaysia
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and East Indies. Knowing that the United States would not stand for this, the Japanese
army devised a plan to take out the American presence in the pacific. On December 7th
1941, the Japanese army did the unthinkable and bombed Pearl Harbor. Not only did they
bomb Pearl Harbor, the Japanese forces subdued the American presence in the pacific by
taking over their bases in Guam, the Philippines and British Malaysia. The attack
outraged the American public and the very next day, President Roosevelt declared war on
Japan and Germany.
If an effort to maintain high morale at home, reporters wrote pieces
sensationalizing the GI. On July 13, 1943 a New York Times article titled “The
Paratroopers” praised the newly formed paratroopers after they had recently gone to
combat in Sicily. Before the writer concludes, he describes the new paratroopers as “good
natured joking boys proved(ing) that a democracy could be tough when the toughness is
required.”5 This report on paratroopers only helped build up the GI. By presenting a story
of American troopers diving into the battlefield of planes, the author only built the
perception that the American soldier was brave and ready to defend democracy. Stories
like this one would ease the public back home because it offered them security in the
belief that their troops will do anything to preserve democracy. Like the writer of “The
Paratroopers,” reporters at the time were well aware that their reports should not only aim
to report on events, but also to give Americans a sense that all was good on the war front.
In response to this resorted to writing about “dangerous escapes and close encounters
5
"The Paratroopers." New York Times, Jul 13, 1943. 20
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with the enemy.”6 The story of was one of many whose war stories became widely
known in the states. On the meadows of Cherbourg Lieutenant Rebarcheck led “125
Americans to Victory Over 300 Germans.”7 The Lieutenant leaped over three tanks and
dodged an array of machine gun fire and secured a heavily fortified enemy strong point.
This overdramatized battle report was one of many that aimed to boost morale. It made
civilians admire the patriotism of their American troops.
On the contrary, many soldiers wanted the war to be over with and hopefully
make it home in one piece.8 More importantly, they denied and hated the idea that they
fought for a greater cause. Soldier Russell Stoup wrote a letter home describing crowds of
soldiers leaving a movie called In Which We Serve displeased with it. Stoup justified their
displeasure with the movie by writing “'it concerned the war, which they don't like to see,
and it was filled with patriotic sentiment, which is anathema. This isn't just a lack of
patriotic fervor: it's actual hatred of anything that suggests it. They fall for all sorts of
cheap sentiment, except that one.”9 Soldiers could not stand the topic of patriotism
because they weren’t patriots. They also hated the fact that media romanticized their
service in the military, but this was due to the actions the military would take on any
media who wrote negative press. The fact of the matter is that these soldiers were
involved in all sorts of horrible acts such as stealing from civilians or even raping a
French girl, yet they weren’t reported.
Buljung, Brianna. "From the Foxhole: American Newsmen and the Reporting of World War II."
International Social Science Review 86, no. 1/2: 44-64.
7 "LIEUTENANT A HERO IN CHERBOURG Push." New York Times, Jun 29, 1944. 4
8 Bruscino, Jr., Thomas, "The Analogue of Work: Memory and Motivation for Second World War US
Soldiers." War & Society 28, no. 2 (Fall 2009): 85
9 Bruscino, Jr., Thomas, "The Analogue of Work: Memory and Motivation for Second World War US
Soldiers." War & Society 28, no. 2 (Fall 2009): 86
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Fred Bornet served as a combat cameraman in World War II filming War-front
Movies. He was also journalist so he kept a black journal recounting his time in the war.
In his interview with Melissa Block, he shared a passage recounting filming a girl in the
ruins of the Italian town of Cassino:
“later on, by Aquafondata(ph), bare feet in the mud, her hair matted with rain,
standing alone in front of the giant wheel of a GMC truck, crying, `(Foreign language
spoken).' And my camera would grind relentlessly, catching the heartbreak. And the child
would stare straight into the lens, her gaze burning through the glass, darkly, desperately,
as if to say, `Why? Why are you doing this?” 10
This excerpt from Bornet’s journal touches more on the devastation of the war
itself and it would never get published. Reports like these would only rile up the home
front against the war. This excerpt presents more context of the devastation of the war by
presenting a sincere retelling of an uncomfortable event. Bornet’s journal entry differs
greatly from what was usually reported about the war. Typical newspapers and popular
culture portrayed courageous soldiers with the aim to raise support for the war. Bornet’s
passage would never get published because instead of raising support of the war, the
scene would highlight the horrors of war and make the American public turn against the
war effort. The Office of Censorship stressed that the disclosure of vital information
would help the enemy country.11 If a reporter failed to follow these rules “The Office of
Censorship was prepared to complain to the appropriate newspaper or radio station
Block, Melissa. “Interview: Fred Bornet recounts his World War II experiences.” Interview by
Melissa Block All Things Considered
11 Steele, Richard W. "News of the 'Good War' World War II News Management." Journalism Quarterly
62, no. 4 (Winter 1985): 707-783.
10
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owners, or to publicize the recalcitrant and presumptively unpatriotic behavior.”12 The
creation of the OFC shows that the federal government was wary of the American public
turning on the war. The US was founded on the notion of freedom of speech and freedom
of the press. So what happened? What did they want to control?
The American GI grew up hearing tales of romantic adventures from their fathers
who served in WWI which lead to myths that France was land of “wine, women and
song.”13 After liberating France, many Americans were free to live out these romantic
adventures that in turn stories that resulted in cases of rape and prostitution, the spread of
venereal diseases and tensions with the French. The photograph titled the “Manly GI”
(See Image 1.2) shows an American GI cuddling up to a couple of French girls. Images
like these were used as propaganda to bolster the idea that the Americans were the
saviors. On September 1944, General Charles H. Gerhardt ordered the creation of a
prostitution house outside St. Renan. Unfortunately, it was shut down after five hours of
business.14 This was one of many brothels that popped up all over France. At one point in
France, it became apparent that the “spectacle of sex was the price paid by the French for
American discretion.”15 Sexual relations between soldiers and French civilians became
more common and in some cases, soldiers would even have sex in broad daylight. In the
French town of Reims, authorities received many letters from mothers concerned with the
influx of prostitutes to the city. There were reports of prostitutes being “accosted” on the
Roberts, Mary Louise, What soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World War II (Chicago, MI: The
University of Chicago Press) 1
14 Roberts, Mary Louise. “The Price of Discretion: Prostitution, Venereal Disease and the American
Military in France.” American Historical Review 115, no. 4 (October 2010): 1002
15 Roberts, Mary Louise. “The Price of Discretion: Prostitution, Venereal Disease and the American
Military in France.” American Historical Review 115, no. 4 (October 2010): 1010
13
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streets in the presence of children. The local hotels could not house all the prostitutes that
came to the city of Le Havre. This caused prostitutes to set up their businesses in local
parks and cemeteries. 16 The French people were horrified by the debauchery that became
of their towns. This only fueled resentment towards American troops. This influx of
prostitutes in turn not only resulted in the rise of venereal disease but most importantly
increased tensions between the French and troops because American Military wasn’t
necessarily worried about their soldiers engaging in sexual relations with French
civilians. Pierre Voisin, the mayor of Le Havre reached to the American military to help
deal with the prostitutes and proposed that the military create a restricted zone far from
the public eye. The restricted zones would contain tents left for prostitutes and GI. The
restricted area would have to be guarded by police and medical personnel. Col T.J. Weed
responded to Voisin’s proposal by making it clear that the mayor had and should handle
the matter on his own and second that the daunting task of transporting soldiers in and out
of the city was more important. This response to Mayor Voisin points out that the
military did not care about the huge impact its soldiers where having on the city. Instead,
the army cared more about limiting the spread of venereal disease to its troops because it
threatened the “endurance of the troops.” The army issued GIs condoms in order to
prevent the spread of venereal disease. Responding to high rates of venereal disease, on
December 1943, Commander Jacob Devers wrote to all soldiers: “the loss of manpower
from venereal Disease cannot be excused. Each soldier who contracts venereal disease
betrays the United States as completely as one who willfully neglects his duty.”17 The
Roberts, Mary Louise, What soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World War II (Chicago, MI: The
University of Chicago Press) 188
17 Roberts, Mary Louise, What soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World War II (Chicago, MI: The
University of Chicago Press) 163
16
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commander echoes the idea that the health of the American soldier was more important
then anything else because the war effort depended on the strength of the American
troopers. The military’s worry over the health of their boys lead to the tensions with the
nations they were saving. The French grew tired of the troops for example: when “the
locals sold the troops “dishonest bottles of wine.” The GIs countered by throwing from
their vehicles, in answer to begging cries for cigarettes and candies, used and ripe old
condoms, “filled,” said one soldier, “with our drainings (Paul Fussell Pg 40).”” 18As one
can see there was a clear division between the GI and the French people. France was “A
country that means nothing to us,” boasted GI Mitchell Sharpe. The rest of the military
felt the very same sentiment. The American troops had no respect for France or its
citizens. Even after the Americans sailed home, prostitutes stayed in the city of Le Havre
and by January of 1946, Prostitutes sickly with venereal wards filled the expensive clinics
that the port had set up for them. The events that occurred in port Le Havre reflect the
Military’s inability to take responsibility of for the devastation it caused France. More so
then that, American troops defiled and disrespected the French people.
In “Warm beer and Cold Cannons: US Army Chaplains and Alcohol
Consumption in World War II,” Jenel Virden explores alcoholism in American camps
during world war II Europe.19 She drew most her assertions from the view point of
Chaplains (a member of the church who works for a branch of the armed forces), who
believed that exposure to alcohol in camps would only result in the increase of drinking
Paul Fussell. The Boy’s Crusade: The American Infantry in Northwester Europe (New York, The
Modern Library): 40
19 Virden, Jenel. "Warm Beer and Cold Canons: US Army Chaplains and Alcohol Consumption in World
War II." Journal Of American Studies 48, no. 1 (February 2014): 82
18
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habits after the war. Though religion may play huge part in their sentiment towards
drinking in camps, the author makes a good point that there was a huge worry about
drinking in camps. At that time, prohibition had recently been abolished; so many of the
young boys who went overseas were in a free environment where beer and alcohol was
made readily available to them. Especially in times of war, soldiers used alcohol to relax
and get away from the harsh realities of the war. In some cases soldiers seeking alcoholic
beverages would go to great extremes to get drunk. Bootleg alcoholic drinks like “Jungle
Juice”, were really popular in training camps. From January to July, Bootleg Methyl
(wood) alcohol accounted for the death of 188 GIs in 1945.20 The army itself failed to
control the consumption of alcohol because it provided soldiers with beer and alcohol by
allowing the sale of alcoholic products in camps. In essence, the American army didn’t
do much to keep their troops from consuming alcoholic drinks. Not only that, many of
these instances were barely reported. The consumption of alcohol during the war resulted
in soldiers coming home alcoholics. Many of these soldiers would take their drinking
habits back home thus influencing an already changing drinking culture in Post-World
War II America.
In addition, the army’s reluctance to control drinking had an effect on the way
they behaved during the war. The first thing soldiers looked for when arriving to new
towns were bars and breweries. If there wasn’t a brewery, soldiers like David Webster
figured that “wine, beer, and all blends and ages of hard liquor were available for the
Virden, Jenel. "Warm Beer and Cold Canons: US Army Chaplains and Alcohol Consumption in World
War II." 90
20
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asking in almost every house and Bierstube (was) within short driving range.” 21
Webster’s proposal to take alcohol from civilians brings into light the GIs willingness to
steal from civilians. It shows that soldiers were more preoccupied with their own needs.
The GIs had no problem stealing for the German people. The article, “Liberating
the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second World War,”
writes that American GIs felt that looting in Germany was “morally and legally
justifiable.”22 Americans justified their looting in Germany because they felt that German
people is getting what they truly deserve. Looting is “justifiable” and “moral” because the
Germans started this war and soldiers like private first class Richard Courtney felt they
were “giving the Germans a taste of what they have doing to others for years.”23 Such
sentiments show that the American GI held a really strong animosity towards the
Germans. Soldiers essentially got their revenge on Germany by stealing from its people.
These acts of revenge just go to show that the American GI weren’t the moral liberators
publicized by local media. In some cases American troops would search buildings and
remove owners from their properties just so GIs would have somewhere to spend the
night. In the German town of Kassel, man from Patton’s third army reportedly entered a
civilian home and searched it before they ordered the German family to pack their
belongings and take refuge in their cellars.24 (Givens 36) As one can see soldiers didn’t
just loot homes, but they also confiscated them. This shows that the GI was not afraid of
Givens, Seth. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second
World War.” War In History no. 1(January, 2014): 39
22 Givens, Seth. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second
World War.” War 33-55.
23 Givens, Seth. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second
World War.” 34
24 Givens, Seth. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second
World War.” 36
21
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taking advantage of German people. It shows that they were not a moral. Although
American troops looted for alcohol or a “quick buck,” the main reason American troops
felt this was acceptable was because they used looting as a way to punish the German
people for their atrocities.
American society at the time segregated, and nowhere was this more evident than
in the American military. Most African Americans were assigned to service and supply,
which reflects the transfer of ideas such as segregation and racism from American society
to overseas.25 Not only that, there are little accounts of the contribution of minorities
during World War II, because most the reports were written by white officers who often
“excluded, limited, or misreported African-American soldier’s contributions.”26 The
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 prohibited discrimination by race or color in
recruitment but it didn’t stop the segregation of black soldiers who were assigned to the
most menial jobs. One of the big misconceptions about the American military in World
War II was the notion that the African American soldier could not hold jobs of authority
such as pilots and officers. African American veteran William H. Thomas recollects an
incident in Tuscany where he and other African American soldiers were banned from
attending a beautiful resort that they had helped liberate. Not only that, the most shocking
part was that the order came directly from an American general in charge that did not
want black soldiers to attend the resort.27 This is only one of many times cases where
superior officers put down their colored troops. On October 6 1644, the US chief of
McGuire, Phillip. “Judge Hastie, World war II and Army Racism.” Journal of Negro History 62, no.4
(October 1977): 351-362.
26 Black, Helen. “A War Within a War: A World War II Buffalo Soldier's Story.” Journal of Men’s Studies
20, no. 1 (January 2012): 36
27 Black, Helen. “A War Within a War: A World War II Buffalo Soldier's Story.” 40
25
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police in the ETO (European theater of operations) met with the marshal to present a list
of crimes that the soldiers were charged for. The report listed rape as the top offense. The
report stated that 152 GIs were being tried for rape and of these 139 of them were colored
troops. 28 Although the colored GI was only 10% of all troops there, the report makes it
obvious that mostly “colored” troops were being tried and charged for rape. However In
the town of Cheltenham, its civilians grew angry at the treatment of black soldiers. The
townspeople were given the title of “nigger lovers,” because they favored black soldiers.
A woman working a troop canteen echoed that belief when she stated “we find the
colored troops nicer to deal with. We like serving them; they are always so courteous and
have a very natural charm that’s most of the white miss. Candidly, I’d far rather serve a
regiment of dusky lads than a couple of whites.” 29 From the incident in Cheltentelham to
the opinion of bar attendant, it’s evident that racism was very prevalent in the army. It
became apparent that the black GI found no comfort in its own army as soldiers and even
higher-ranking officers felt that they could mistreat and disrespect their own American
comrades.
It’s important to understand that the American military went to great lengths to
censor the actions of their troops. The American military tried hard to control their
soldiers, but it’s quite evident that they had a hard time doing so. The real American
soldier that took down the Nazi Regime was just as flawed as any other guy. The soldiers
who fought in World War II were not the courageous characters that movies and
Roberts, Mary Louise, What soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World War II 195
Paul Fussell. The Boy’s Crusade: The American Infantry in Northwester Europe (New York, The
Modern Library): 22
28
29
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newspapers wanted to exploit. In trying to exploit the courageous deeds of the American
soldier, we have created this false image of the “Good War” which saw as much horror
and indecency as any other war. The idea of the “Good War” was developed in order to
generate civilian support of the war. This notion worked so well that many civilians at
home felt like their contributions matched those of the foot soldiers in Europe. 30 Most
importantly, one must understand that the Good War is a great example of collective
memory.
The real question is, who is the real American GI? Its become quite evident that
the American soldier is not the hero movies and media presented. The real American GI
is a man with flaws. The American army command stood motionless as its soldiers
engaged in sexual relations that showed very little respect to the French people. More
than that, the American soldier had little regard for laws of the army because he looted
allied territories and simultaneously drank dangerous amounts of alcohol, which put him
and others in danger. Another problem with the American army was the relevance of
segregation and Jim Crow laws, which worked well to omit the contributions and stories
of African American soldiers. The “Good War” tried to omit many of the flaws of the
American military in Europe. In omitting these negative aspects of the war, we present a
flawed interpretation of the army that has been popularized by lack of reports on the
negative activities of American GIs.
Michael C. C. Adams, The Best War Ever America and World War II (Baltimore, MA: John Hopkins
University Press, 1994)
30
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Annotated Bibliography
I. Primary Sources
Block, Melissa. “Interview: Fred Bornet recounts his World War II experiences.” Interview
by Melissa Block All Things Considered
In this interview, Fred Bornet talks about his experiences in World War II as a
combat cameraman. He shares excerpts from a journal that kept during the war.
"The Paratroopers." New York Times, Jul 13, 1943. 20
This was a newspaper article that talked about the new paratrooper division that
were just formed and went into action. The writer praised the boys for their
heroism as they went on their first mission to Sicily.
“Lieutenant a Hero in Cherbourg Push." New York Times, Jun 29, 1944
This newspaper article tells the story of an American GI named Lieutenant John C.
Rebarcheck. The lieutenant and his GIs successfully captured an armored position in
the meadows of Cherbourg.
II. Secondary Sources
Adams C. C. Michael, The Best War Ever America and World War II (Baltimore, MA: John
Hopkins University Press, 1994)
In this book, Michael Adams takes down the myth of the “good war.” He challenges
many assumptions of the period to and shines light on what really happened in the
war
Black, Helen. “A War Within a War: A World War II Buffalo Soldier's Story.” Journal of Men’s
Studies 20, no. 1 (January 2012)
Helen black chronicles the experience William H. Thompson as an African American
GI in World War 2. Since white officers wrote most accounts of the war, Black wants
to explore how racism in the war affected them and how they dealt with it from the
words of African American GIs.
Bruscino, Jr., Thomas, "The Analogue of Work: Memory and Motivation for Second World
War US Soldiers." War & Society 28, no. 2 (Fall 2009)
Bruscino’s article touches on the motivations of men who fought in American wars.
In this article makes distinctions between the soldiers who fought in the wars and
their motivations to go on these crusades.
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Buljung, Brianna. "From the Foxhole: American Newsmen and the Reporting of World War
II." International Social Science Review 86, no. 1/2: 44-64.
Buljung’s take on censorship highlights that the journalist of WW2 had to write
articles boosting public morale. She also talks about how drastically censorship has
change over time. She concludes that modern reporting with less censorship has
contributed to the loss of support for military operations.
Drez Ronald, Voices of D-Day: the story of the Allied Invasion Told by those who Were There
(London: Luisana State University Press, 1994) 201-202
In this book, Paul Fussell’s writes about the unforgettable experiences of American
infantryman in World War 2. Based on the author’s own experiences, it tells a
narrative from the point of view of a childe because the soldiers that went to war
were just that. Through this narration, he wants to debunk the myths of the war and
bring more attention to the brutality of the war.
Givens, Seth. “Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the
Second World War.” War 33-55.
In this article, Seth Givens explores the many reasons GIs looted Germany. He draws
from memoirs, letters, and troops to justify why soldiers committed these crimes.
He also elaborates on how the American army reacted to these crimes and what
steps they made to eradicate looting.
Kershaw, The Bedford Boys: One American Town’s Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice (Cambridge: De
Capo Press, 2003), 127- 139
Based on extensive interviews with survivors and relatives, as well as diaries and
letters, Kershaw's book focuses on telling the story of one small American town
that went to war and died on Omaha Beach.
McGuire, Phillip. “Judge Hastie, World war II and Army Racism.” Journal of Negro History
62, no.4 (October 1977): 351-362.
This article narrates the story of William H. Hastie who was the aid to the Secretary
of War. McGuire writes about how Hastie’s recommendations on black equality
helped bring some much needed changes to the military in terms of race.
Steele, Richard W. "News of the 'Good War' World War II News Management." Journalism
Quarterly 62, no. 4 (Winter 1985): 707-783.
Focuses on the news management used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during
World War II in the U.S. Creation of an Office for Censorship to encourage
cooperation of the press; Objective of the censorship to prevent publication of
information useful to the enemy; Function of newsreels in conveying the everyday
meaning of the war to the American people.
Morales 18
Roberts, Mary Louise, What soldiers do: Sex and the American GI in World War II (Chicago,
MI: The University of Chicago Press)
In this book, Roberts tells of the story of the French people who were disrespected
by the GIs who liberated them. She sheds light on the American soldier’s fault in the
rise in prostitution and rape of French women.
Virden, Jenel. "Warm Beer and Cold Canons: US Army Chaplains and Alcohol Consumption
in World War II." Journal Of American Studies 48, no. 1 (February 2014)
Jenel explores the issue of alcohol in camps from the point of view of military
Chaplains. Chaplains at the time were alarmed by the alcohol binges they saw
around them because they worried of the effects of alcohol on the morality of the
soldiers. This article chronicles the difficulties of military chaplain’ s who attempted
to save their “flocks.”