Military service seems to create a penchant for collecting wartime souvenirs. When conventional armies fought each other, there was an ample supply of enemy equipment and memorabilia to bring back from the battlefront. But the Vietnam War played out differently. The United States didn’t face a highly standardized and universally equipped enemy. The availability of “war trophies,” or “battlefield pickups,” […]
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Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this seldom seen 1987 release stars James Earl Jones, James Caan, Anjelica Huston, D.B. Sweeney, Dean Stockwell, Mary Stuart Masterson and Laurence Fishburne. Despite its all-star cast, the film was released on a limited basis and received mixed reviews, though it earned the admiration of Chicago’s very own Roger Ebert for its unflinching look at […]
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My Uncle Carl Maffia was born on New Year’s Eve 1926 in Chicago. A graduate of Crane Tech High School, he entered the Army in March 1945. As an 18-year-old draftee, he was destined for the infantry, to be used in the final drive to defeat Germany and Japan. Before heading overseas, Maffia joined the ranks of a small group […]
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Based on a John Steinbeck story and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this 1944 drama was nominated for three Academy Awards. It centers on the occupants of a lifeboat, all of whom survived a German U-boat attack on a passenger ship in which both vessels were destroyed. The film stars Hollywood legend Tallulah Bankhead as Connie Porter, a wealthy journalist, and […]
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Louis Venditti’s combat exploits began on June 6, 1944, when he parachuted into France with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division in the pre-dawn hours of D-Day. By war’s end, he had a chest full of medals, including four Battle Stars for his participation in four major European campaigns, and two Invasion Arrowheads on his European Theatre of […]
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Louis Venditti served with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the legendary 101st Airborne Division. He was one of the “Band of Brothers” made famous by the Stephen Ambrose book and the HBO miniseries. When he returned home from WW ll, he did so in an Army uniform with a unique set of patches and badges not commonly seen. In […]
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Based on actual events, this 1956 spy thriller stars Clifton Webb as Lt. Commander Ewen Montagu, author of the book by the same name. It’s 1943 and the Allies are about to invade Sicily. British Intelligence develops an ingenious plot to fool the Germans into thinking the invasion will take place elsewhere. Using a recently deceased corpse, they create a man who never existed, with […]
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A captured enemy pistol was one of the most popular souvenirs brought back by GIs serving overseas during WW ll. They were readily available, of no practical use to the U.S. government and easy to carry. The U.S. military permitted GIs to bring back these coveted war trophies by the thousands. The pistol pictured above was brought home by World War […]
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Based on a book by the same title, this 1944 film follows the unprecedented 1942 bombing of the capital of Japan during WW II. It stars Van Johnson as Lt. Ted Lawson, author of the book and a pilot on the mission, and Spencer Tracy as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The film won an Oscar, was nominated for another and […]
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Q — What’s the difference between a Silver Star and a Bronze Star? A — Our museum celebrates several Silver and Bronze Star recipients, including Army Sgt. James Orlando “Lon” Fornelli during World War II (right) and Army Pfc. John Puccini during the Korean War (left). Both medals are awarded for actions in connection with combat, but it’s a matter […]
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