Revival History

“Replacements” during basic training in the USA - 1944  These young men were drafted or volunteered in 1944, and were sent for basic training, they were destined to become replacements, ultimately being sent to their receiving units from a "Repple-Depple". Late in WW2 the duration of US Army basic training programs was reduced. As a consequence, although they arrived at the front well-fed & well-equipped, memoirs by vets reveal that in many instances they were woefully unprepared for what was ahead of them. One account of an 18-year old replacement arriving at his unit in the dead of night, completely disorientated and really not knowing where he was or what his duties were. On top of that, the "old-timers" in the platoon looked at him with a degree of suspicion because he was yet to prove himself...and he was filling the place of one of their fallen buddies. Being a replacement in WW2 evidently wasn't easy.

In a controversial move, the Trump administration removed panels honoring Black WWII veterans at the Netherlands American Cemetery, sparking widespread outrage. These panels, which celebrated the contributions of African-American soldiers during World War II, were part of a rotating exhibit, but their removal has been seen by many as an erasure of Black history. Local Dutch officials have condemned the act, calling it “indecent and unacceptable.” The move is particularly troubling given the historical context of these veterans, who fought not only against fascism but also against the segregation they faced at home. This incident has raised questions about the ongoing struggle for recognition and representation in the narrative of America’s military history.

During World War II, a young Belgian schoolteacher named Andrée Geulen noticed something strange. Her Jewish students began arriving at school wearing yellow stars. Most teachers stayed quiet. But Andrée couldn’t. She joined a resistance network and began secretly moving Jewish children into safe houses. At school, she quietly told them, “If someone comes for you, don’t say your real name.” She memorized each child’s identity to reunite them with their families after the war. The Nazis eventually discovered her work. Soldiers raided the school and questioned her. She stayed calm and denied everything. As soon as they left, she risked her life again—sending more children into hiding before it was too late. Years later, someone asked why she did it. She simply said, “What else could I do? They were children.” You don’t have to be powerful to protect others. Sometimes courage is just refusing to look away. Even one quiet voice can save a life when it chooses to act instead of staying sile...

A photo that absolutely haunts me is the photo below of Leni Riefenstahl, a famous movie director from Germany. Riefenstahl’s stylistic movie making skills had helped the Nazis make excellent propaganda for a few years, but Riefenstahl had been largely insulated from the brutality of their reign — she just made some nice films, attended red carpet events and dined with the high and mighty at their most charming. Everything changed in September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and Riefenstahl decided to be a war correspondent… A German officer later relayed the story of the photo above. He said there was a group of Jewish Poles gathered in a square. Riefenstahl was shooting scenes and asked the soldiers to “remove the people from the square” so she could capture the square and the soldiers better… the officer to which Riefenstahl gave the command, relayed it to his men thus: “Riefenstahl says, get rid of the Jews!” And the soldiers nodded, aimed their rifles and opened fire on them. The...