In Their Words - Interesting Facts

"Fat Man" was the code name of the atomic bomb, made from plutonium, that destroyed Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. It was 128 inches long and 60 inches in diameter. The bomb was dropped from the B-29 named "Bock's Car."

Did You Know that the bomb, nick-named "Fat Man" in a reference to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, measured just under 3.5m (11ft 4in) in length, had the power of 22 kilotons of TNT and weighed 4,050 kg (9,000 lbs)?
On March 25, 1944, seventy-six prisoners of war escaped from Stalag Luft III, sixty miles northeast of Berlin, Germany. The prisoners dug a huge tunnel, planning to get two hundred men out before being discovered. One of the greatest manhunts in history ensued, when over five million Germans were used to track down the escapers.

Did You Know that Hollywood later made a movie about the WWII event, which was entitled "The Great Escape"?
PT Boats were used by the U.S. Navy in World War II. They were designed by a British engineer, Hubert Scott-Paine, to be lightly armed and to depend exclusively on speed for defense.

Did You Know that the "PT" in PT Boats stands for plywood torpedo?
Cracker Jacks are molasses-coated popcorn created by F. W. Rueckheim in 1873, and are sold all over the world.

Did You Know that during World War II the prizes in each Cracker Jacks box were all military oriented to support the war effort?
The phrase Gung Ho actually is Chinese for "work together."

Did You Know it was the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps unit known as Carlson's Raiders in World War II?
The name "Nazi" was coined by journalist Konrad Heiden as a term of derision for members of Hitler's party. Heiden never dreamed his term would be so universally accepted.

Did You Know that originally the party members were called Nasos, an abbreviation of National Socialist?
The Purple Heart was given to 1Lt Annie G. Fox as a result of combat, while serving at Hickam Field during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec 7, 1941. Lt Fox was later awarded the Bronze Star.

Did You Know Lt. Annie G. Fox was the the first woman to be awarded a Purple Heart?

Kamakaze pilot attacking the U.S.S.
Missouri earlier in the war. They
would later surrender on this very ship
In the morning of 2 September 1945, more that two weeks after accepting the Allies terms, Japan formally surrendered. This took place on board the battleship USS Missouri.

Did You Know the ceremonies, took less than half an hour and that the USS Missouri was anchored with other United States and British ships in Tokyo Bay?
Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier in World War II, enjoyed a Hollywood acting career after the war.

Did You know that he portrayed himself in 1955 the autobiographical movie "To Hell and Back"?