The story
African-American US Marines and sailors resting at the base of a Japanese war memorial, Okinawa, Japan, 12 Apr 1945. On steps: Snowden, Martin. On monument: Walton, Ellenberg, Brown, Brawner.High school girls from Chiran, Kagoshima, Japan waving cherry blossom branches to bid farewell to Lt Toshio Anazawa of Japanese Army 20th Shinbu Special Attack Unit in Ki-43 Hayabusa, 12 Apr 1945USS Tennessee burning shortly after being struck by a Japanese D3A special attack aircraft of Operation Kikusui No. 2, off Okinawa, Japan, 12 Apr 1945American soldiers advancing past a dead Japanese soldier near Balete Pass, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 12 Apr 1945
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.