World War II

World War II. Concord Township American Hero Memorial. , (1941-1945) Fought in every corner of the globe, this world war drew 100 million combatants from 65 countries into the fray. Over seven million soldiers and 30 million civilians died as a result of the six-year conflict while uncounted millions were left destitute and homeless., The US entered the war following surprise attacks by Japan on the naval base at Pearl Harbor and bases in the Philippines on Dec. 7, 1941. The close alliance of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill served to forge a united front against the aggressions of fascist-led Germany and Italy, and Imperial Japan. American industrial output was the key that eventually turned the tide against the Axis powers., The Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 ('D-Day') represent the single-largest military operation in human history., A last ditch German offensive in December created a temporary bulge in Allied lines. Over 600,000 US troops participated in the ensuing month-long Battle of the Bulge, the largest battle Americans have ever fought. Germany surrendered four months later, and the horror of the Nazi death camps was exposed., After a costly 'island-hopping' campaign, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 ended the war in the Pacific. The opening of the atomic age would lead to a nuclear arms race between the US and the Soviet Union. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , In honor of those individuals who willfully accept the , responsibility to serve and defend this nation, Dedicated November 14, 2004.