On May 3, 1915, Canadian physician John McCrae penned the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” in honor of a fallen fellow soldier following the Second Battle of Ypres. The poem became a rallying cry among Allied nations to continue fighting and support the war effort.
On May 2, 1863, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was mortally wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville. Regarded as a gifted tactical commander, his death was a major blow to the confederacy.
Edward Roscoe Murrow was born on April 25, 1908, in Guilford County, North Carolina. A respected radio and television news reporter for 30 years, he’s considered one of America’s major figures in the field of journalism.
Artist Charles Willson Peale was born on April 15, 1741, in Chester, Province of Maryland. A prolific artist from the Revolutionary era, he painted more than 1,100 portraits, including several of George Washington.
On April 7, 1862, Ulysses S. Grant won the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee. The bloodiest battle in US history up to that point, one in four soldiers was killed, wounded, or captured.
President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress on April 2, 1917, asking to declare war and join World War I. Despite Wilson’s desire to remain neutral, Germany had attacked several ships carrying US citizens, with no promise of stopping.
On April 1, 1945, the Battle of Okinawa began. Lasting nearly three months, it was the last major battle of the war and the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific.
On March 22, 1941, James Stewart was inducted into the US Army, making him the first major US movie star to don a military uniform during World War II.
On March 15, 1938, the Merchant Marine Cadet Corps was established. Merchant Marines transport cargo and passengers in peacetime and are called upon in times of war to deliver troops and supplies wherever needed.