World War II Project - Mr. E's Forum: 2006-2007

Date: Mar 14, 2007

RE: World War II Project

Date: Mar 14, 2007

During World War 2 the Enigma was used by Germans to create messages. The messages the Enigma created were not easily understood by others until the Enigma was figured out. Once the Enigma was decoded it allowed others to understand what Germans were saying throughout World War 2, which significantly shortened the war itself by 2 to 3 years

Between 1940 and 1945 over 300 men escaped out of Nazi Prisoner of War Camps. The Nazis used a prison called Colditz Castle, which they considered to be the most “escape proof’ prison they had. This camp was supposed to hold the most dangerous people that the Nazi’s found. Prisoners that had escaped from their other prisons multiple times were often sent there, yet many still managed to escape. During the war itself about 130 men escaped from Colditz Castle, yet about only 30 of these men ever got away. Those who were caught were put into solitary confinement for up to three weeks.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

D-Day Then invasion of France on June 6, 1944 was a triumph of cleverness, organization, secrecy, and planning. We wanted to set free the mainland in Europe from the Nazi occupation during World War II. Allied leaders kept this massive D-Day invasion absolutely secret until the operation was underway. Roosevelt and Churchill had committed the United States and the United Kingdom to opening a second front in Europe to help in the Soviet advance on Germany. The choose Normandy because it was a less-defended coast and an unexpected but strategic jumping-off point and it had the potential to confuse and scatter the German defending forces. They envisioned a ninety day battle ending with all the forces reached Seine, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder and the U.S. armies wheeling to the right.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Krystal wrote:

1. BBC WWII.This topic tells of the tragedies and honor of the war. It caused people to be hurt, dead, or proud of their country. The whole war has to be summarized. The good and the bad parts of the war are going to be addressed by a war veteran.

3. The Battle of the Bulge.This was the bloodiest battle ever in American history. The notes of General Patton are to be explained to a unit of Army commanders about how to rescue American troops that have been captured by Germans. Patton’s expertise in tank command greatly helped American troops. Also, their unique strategy played an important role in the war.

The Bulge was the worst in WW2, but not in American history (you'd have to go back to Antitiem in the Civil War for that awful honor). Krystal, explain what the importance was, not just what happened. I'm looking for effects here, not descriptions (which everyone seems to be doing). Also, on the BBC site, explain what the importance of personal stories and perspectives on the war and its consequences, not just a brief description of the site.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

My choices are the Enigma and the Auschwitz.

The Enigma is a machine used to encihper and decipher codes by the Germans. It looked like a regular typewriter but it arranged each message into jumbled up form. An example of a code is VYTES YEDLU TERVL FNVUH DWARD LCFFB SDEWN PXKIC
FTREO LKALZ YLSLT OBKEV LYARM KRBOD NALDY PLAET
OLQAD FHSFZ WNAID SMURU OLHRY LLOTW FYLDI CVLUS
VSSFZ YLUNF FXLKT GBCDO BFALE WRPFY WLHUL DARLI
TFLAB FFZCY FUUFB GXXXX. This code confused the Americans and helped the Germans plan and execute secret battles or attacks.

The Auschwitz was the largest Nazi German Concertation Camp. It was located in Southern Poland. Many people died there but they don't have an exact number of deaths. They estimate about 3 million died there. The conditions were very horrible there, worse than most camps.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Sarah Mulvey

March 14, 2007

June 6, 1944 – D-Day

D-Day was the first major attack made by American and British soldiers into the heart of Europe, and into the heart of the German territory. Troops landed and took over Normandy, France, breaking Germany’s stronghold on the country that it had since the beginning months of the war. It was the largest amphibious, meaning largest attack by land and air, that the world had ever seen done in a war before. Over 600 naval ships waited, while smaller craft accompanied this, carrying troops in to the beaches. 11,000 planes dropped bombs and paratroopers in intervals behind German lines to fight their way from the inside. The entire operation had been kept completely quiet, from America, the press, and especially the German army. The messages sent by American generals were encoded and too vague for the German army to figure out. They knew there was going to be an attack, they just did not know where. From their strategic landing point, the Allies had their chance to push Hitler’s armies back out of France, towards the boarder of their own country. With the American and British armies pushing from the West, and Russia quickly coming up from the East, Germany began to lose its iron grip on Western Europe.

Auschwitz – Inside the NAZI State

The concentration camp, Auschwitz, was one of the largest in Germany during World War II. The number of deaths is still unknown, but historians estimate that over 1.6 million Jews were killed there. Deaths occurred not only from the horrific methods practiced by the Nazis, but also from malnutrition, disease and starvation. At first the Allies did not believe the reports of Auschwitz, believing that the reports of mass killings were exaggerated. Two survivors of the camp were finally able to convince the Allies of the horrors of Auschwitz, and they made plans to bomb the camp, which were dismissed due to fear of killing more prisoners without disrupting the Nazi’s killing processes.

Finally, the prisoners of Auschwitz took matters into their own hands and staged an uprising against the Nazi guards of the camp. Now, after serving as a prison for some years, and then falling into disrepair, the Polish government has partially restored the camp, and turned it into a museum honoring those victims of Nazism. Auschwitz was the first time any country had participated in a mass genocide of this scale. The processes of killing were more inhumane than any that had been seen before. Poisonous gasses were developed, and due to inhuman “experiments”, German scientists learned much about the human anatomy and its capabilities. These inhuman practices were proof that the world had been changed forever by the violence of World War II.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

L. Gonzalez wrote:

My two choices are:
Auschwitz: Inside the NAZI State
NAZI Prison Escape

The historical significance of both of these topics is that many people died as a result of the Holocaust during World War II. In Auschwitz was the one site where more people died than the British and the American militarily during the entire war. The constant crimes and murders of the Jewish people gave a good idea of what was actually going on during the entire war. Many Jews died as a result of the hate crimes that were done by the Germans. It was significant because during the entire war this was going on and was happening to the Jewish people.

The NAZI prison escapes were very significant during the time of the war. Many men were able to escape the prison, approximately 300 men. The Colditz Castle, which was supposed to be the most escape-proof prison of all was actually the prison where those 300 men were able to escape from. During the beginning of the war, it said that 130 men were able to escape the prison but only 30 successfully got over frontier. It was significant because there was this one man named Reinhold Eggers who was actually a German officer who tried to help those men escape the prison successfully. It showed that there were those Germans who were actually trying to do good and trying to help out those that were imprisoned in that prison. It showed another side to the German story during the World War II.

Thanks Leslie. One of the reasons the Holocaust was historically significant might be because it led to the creation of the nation of Israel, for example. Also, on the prison site, you could explain how the treatment of captured soldiers during WW2 led to enforcement (or not) of internationally recognized standards for POW's.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

1. BBC World War II

My first topic is # 1. In a way it is like a summary of the whole war. What is unique about this topic though is that it tells the stories from the point of view of the people who were in the action. The soldiers were able to tell countless stories of witnessing death, attacks, and their stories of how they personally showed honor to their country. It includes descriptions of encounters at the Battle of Midway, D-Day, it talks about the Nazi’s, the Soviet-German War, Blitzkrieg, Battle of the Bulge, and other encounters. This topic comes to life with real voice recordings, videos, and stories told from the actual soldiers. The historical significance comes to life through real stories from actual veterans. Real battles are depicted through the eyes of the people who were involved, not by historians that read about the events. Knowing the stories straight from the resource is the best way to understand what it was really like during World War II.

10. They Drew Fire – Combat Artists of World War II
My second topic focuses on the images of war. It describes the war through actual sight. It displays pictures of tanks, the Battle of Midway, the Hamburg Raid, Pearl Harbor, and many others. One topic of pictures revolves around Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi German concentration camps. A large number of people were killed in this camp. This camp was a major element in the Holocaust. The historical significance of this topic is portrayed through the images that are able to show what the conditions were really like for people living through the war. It allows a better understanding for what life was really like. Pictures provide a background of the events while showing the extent of the facts.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Jessica wrote:

4. To supply troops with planes women would help build the planes and fly them across the oceans into the Battles of WW2. WW2 helped support the need of women labor. Now women weren’t viewed as artistic and refined and do-nothings. They now had the opportunity to do the jobs that many men did. The United States needed the women to work because most of the men were over seas fighting in the war. Women constantly fought for their rights to be apart of the air force. Many people mocked and laughed at them however they eventually got the appreciation that they were apart of the force. These women known as fly girls risked their lives so that troops would be supplied with the necessities that they need. All of the Fly girls however didn’t survive, about 40 women died during the risks taking.

5. President Roosevelt issued an order to protect American citizens in national defense by sending children with Japanese ancestors to internment camps supplied by the United States government. Since the Pearl Harbor incident many Japanese were excluded from certain areas and were sent to these internment camps. About 120000 people were imprisoned all for 4 years and half of them were children. It was just like the Hitler incident however the U.S weren’t intentionally killing people but they separated them in to different camps, which were basically really big jails. The Pearl Harbor attack created an increased prejudice against the Japanese, people were assuming that every Japanese person was going to betray the country or try to over ride the United States government. The Japanese citizen were taken straight to the camps with out fair trials just like the incident that just happened in New Bedford

Jessica, you might want to examine whether or not women ACTUALLY got the respect they deserved for their participation in the war and you also want to examine whether imprisoning the Japanese actually protected the American people.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

*Fly Girls
The Woman's Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASPS during WW2 were the pioneers of female aviation. The motivation for the proposals of female pilots was to free up males for combat assignments. Usually they had the women fly the planes over to the site of combat, where the males eventually boarded the planes and took part in actual battles. There women already had their flying license and were very dedicated in helping their country. 38 WASP pilots lost their lives during the war.

*Auschwitz

Auschwitz was the largest of all concentration camps as well as one of the most brutal. About 6 million people were killed during this harsh time. This camp lasted 5 years making it the single most devastating killing in the history of humanity. This concentration camp idea was all part of Hitler’s racial purification scheme.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

4. FLY GIRLS: These were women who had built and fly aircraft to supply troops during World War 2. This proved that women are getting more independent and that they can do the same things as men. To be one of the best, they faced prejudice because they were women in contributing in the air force. They have set standards as to what women can do.

6. AUSCHWITZ: Aucshwitz was the largest of the Nazi German Concentration camps during the Holocaust. It was located in southern Poland. Auschwitz was very significant because a very large amount of people were killed at Auschwitz, from 1.1-1.6 million people, 90 percent of which were Jews from almost every country in Europe during WWII. Methods of killing people were usually gassing by Zyklon-B, systematic starvation, lack of disease prevention, individual executions, and "medical experiments."

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Amanda wrote:

During World War 2 the Enigma was used by Germans to create messages. The messages the Enigma created were not easily understood by others until the Enigma was figured out. Once the Enigma was decoded it allowed others to understand what Germans were saying throughout World War 2, which significantly shortened the war itself by 2 to 3 years
Between 1940 and 1945 over 300 men escaped out of Nazi Prisoner of War Camps. The Nazis used a prison called Colditz Castle, which they considered to be the most “escape proof’ prison they had. This camp was supposed to hold the most dangerous people that the Nazi’s found. Prisoners that had escaped from their other prisons multiple times were often sent there, yet many still managed to escape. During the war itself about 130 men escaped from Colditz Castle, yet about only 30 of these men ever got away. Those who were caught were put into solitary confinement for up to three weeks.

Amanda, think about the decoding for a minute. This was a particular problem in WW2. If the Allies changed their plans based on what they overheard from the Germans, then the Germans would figure out that their code had been broken and would change it. How then could or did the decoding shorten the war? Also, consider some of the previous comments I made concerning the treatment of prisoners and the impact that had on wars after WW2.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Butchie wrote:

My choices are the Enigma and the Auschwitz.

The Enigma is a machine used to encihper and decipher codes by the Germans. It looked like a regular typewriter but it arranged each message into jumbled up form. An example of a code is VYTES YEDLU TERVL FNVUH DWARD LCFFB SDEWN PXKIC
FTREO LKALZ YLSLT OBKEV LYARM KRBOD NALDY PLAET
OLQAD FHSFZ WNAID SMURU OLHRY LLOTW FYLDI CVLUS
VSSFZ YLUNF FXLKT GBCDO BFALE WRPFY WLHUL DARLI
TFLAB FFZCY FUUFB GXXXX. This code confused the Americans and helped the Germans plan and execute secret battles or attacks.

The Auschwitz was the largest Nazi German Concertation Camp. It was located in Southern Poland. Many people died there but they don't have an exact number of deaths. They estimate about 3 million died there. The conditions were very horrible there, worse than most camps.

Milford, consider the other comments I made concerning historical significance and not simply describing the sites you've chosen, ok? Thanks.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Where are you, Mr. E?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

mre wrote:

sarah wrote:

hey Mr. E, just to let you know
the link under the Auschwitz topic brings you to a site about the Atom Bomb.

Ah. Is that what Crystal was saying? I'll fix it.

Si sen'or, that's what i was saying. so i wikipedia'ed it. (auschwitz)

Date: Mar 14, 2007

sarah wrote:

Sarah Mulvey
March 14, 2007

June 6, 1944 – D-Day

D-Day was the first major attack made by American and British soldiers into the heart of Europe, and into the heart of the German territory. Troops landed and took over Normandy, France, breaking Germany’s stronghold on the country that it had since the beginning months of the war. It was the largest amphibious, meaning largest attack by land and air, that the world had ever seen done in a war before. Over 600 naval ships waited, while smaller craft accompanied this, carrying troops in to the beaches. 11,000 planes dropped bombs and paratroopers in intervals behind German lines to fight their way from the inside. The entire operation had been kept completely quiet, from America, the press, and especially the German army. The messages sent by American generals were encoded and too vague for the German army to figure out. They knew there was going to be an attack, they just did not know where. From their strategic landing point, the Allies had their chance to push Hitler’s armies back out of France, towards the boarder of their own country. With the American and British armies pushing from the West, and Russia quickly coming up from the East, Germany began to lose its iron grip on Western Europe.

Auschwitz – Inside the NAZI State

The concentration camp, Auschwitz, was one of the largest in Germany during World War II. The number of deaths is still unknown, but historians estimate that over 1.6 million Jews were killed there. Deaths occurred not only from the horrific methods practiced by the Nazis, but also from malnutrition, disease and starvation. At first the Allies did not believe the reports of Auschwitz, believing that the reports of mass killings were exaggerated. Two survivors of the camp were finally able to convince the Allies of the horrors of Auschwitz, and they made plans to bomb the camp, which were dismissed due to fear of killing more prisoners without disrupting the Nazi’s killing processes.
Finally, the prisoners of Auschwitz took matters into their own hands and staged an uprising against the Nazi guards of the camp. Now, after serving as a prison for some years, and then falling into disrepair, the Polish government has partially restored the camp, and turned it into a museum honoring those victims of Nazism. Auschwitz was the first time any country had participated in a mass genocide of this scale. The processes of killing were more inhumane than any that had been seen before. Poisonous gasses were developed, and due to inhuman “experiments”, German scientists learned much about the human anatomy and its capabilities. These inhuman practices were proof that the world had been changed forever by the violence of World War II.

Sarah, Butchie said in his post that 3 million died there. You said 1.6 million. Which do you think it is?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

CRYSTAL wrote:

mre wrote:

sarah wrote:

hey Mr. E, just to let you know
the link under the Auschwitz topic brings you to a site about the Atom Bomb.

Ah. Is that what Crystal was saying? I'll fix it.

Si sen'or, that's what i was saying. so i wikipedia'ed it. (auschwitz)

I fixed it. And tell everyone that our quizzno is tomorrow...

Date: Mar 14, 2007

mre wrote:

Alex Z. wrote:

My choices are #10 “They Drew Fire” and #2 “D-Day.”

Artists who depicted WWII while it was going on provide vital insight for all future generations. Their works can show those who know very little of war what it’s really like, as well as (possibly) provide inspiration for future soldiers.
D-Day was a turning point for the American forces and other Allies. Not only had the Americans “faked-out” a portion of the enemies with their phony army, but the massive amphibian assault overwhelmed the remaining forces (despite great losses) and eventually led to the fall of the Axis’ powers (sp? gm?). This somewhat desperate move (on America’s part) turned out worthwhile.

Thanks Alex Z. Consider also that art is an interpretation of events and issues through the eyes of the artist. Generally, it represents themes and motifs concerning human society and human nature. On the part of D-Day, it's also important to note that Stalin had been begging for an attack on the western front to relieve pressure off of the Stalingrad and Leningrad battles. Churchill and Roosevelt waited almost two years before they attacked NAZI controlled Europe.

Thanks, Mr. E

Consider it all considered!

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Butchie wrote:

Where are you, Mr. E?

I am actually in Mr. Scott's room testing the class to see how well they would do if I wasn't there.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Japanese Internment camps

Brought fourth during the world War, Japanese internment camps were specifically the fault and blame of The Americans bad response to the bombing of Pearl harbor. Issued by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the executive order 9066, the response was supposed to protect America from potential spies for through Japanese connection. It was wrong because it imprisoned 120,000 Japanese in America and over 60% were US citizens. It would only be until 1988 when Ronald Reagan would apologize for what was done to the Japanese Americans. It deals with civil rights devastation. Did he have the right to even though America was in the time of war.

sorry i ll send the other part tonight i didn't have enough time
!!!!!

Date: Mar 14, 2007

mre wrote:

Butchie wrote:

Where are you, Mr. E?

I am actually in Mr. Scott's room testing the class to see how well they would do if I wasn't there.

Actually, I just moved into another room to avoid detection.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

mre wrote:

Sarah, Butchie said in his post that 3 million died there. You said 1.6 million. Which do you think it is?

:/ that was the last figure they got in like....1990, so Butchies' might be more correct.

And yeah, I thought that was a little...lacking. Concidering it was the largest of all the concentration camps.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Steven wrote:

Japanese Internment camps

Brought fourth during the world War, Japanese internment camps were specifically the fault and blame of The Americans bad response to the bombing of Pearl harbor. Issued by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the executive order 9066, the response was supposed to protect America from potential spies for through Japanese connection. It was wrong because it imprisoned 120,000 Japanese in America and over 60% were US citizens. It would only be until 1988 when Ronald Reagan would apologize for what was done to the Japanese Americans. It deals with civil rights devastation. Did he have the right to even though America was in the time of war.

sorry i ll send the other part tonight i didn't have enough time
!!!!!

Thanks Steven. Wave to the camera above the door... I'm monitoring you all!

Date: Mar 14, 2007

lol Mr. Everett....
if you are hiding in this school?
You are more fun than I thought you were.

lol i love you, you're insane.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

sarah wrote:

lol Mr. Everett....
if you are hiding in this school?
You are more fun than I thought you were.

lol i love you, you're insane.

Insanity is the nicest thing anyone has called me in days. Wait for the bell...

Date: Mar 14, 2007

CRYSTAL wrote:

mr.everrett,
the auschwitz site takes meto "super bomb"

....i don't get it

Yeah he made the wrong link. If you type it in the way it's suppose to be it works!

Date: Mar 14, 2007

10. They Drew Fire-

This website talks about the different views of people during the war. Many of the soldiers became artists known as “combat artists”. Over 12,000 pictures were drawn of the war alone or even a picture of the feelings that the soldiers had going through their minds. There have also been biographies written or recorded about these soldiers. Many of these pictures have actually been hidden from the public eye since the war. There are hundreds to thousands of museums with these pictures on display.

Julia, you captured the historic significance with the first topic but not with the second. You described what the website did as far as portraying art on WW2 was concerned, but not why it was historically important that they did so. Can you add that in? Thanks.

Okay. The artists were important because people got a feel of what war was really like. They made their work to express their emotions. Their hate, fear, everything was put into these works of art. It also made people want to help the soldiers to get out of there quicker, and it was also a way of documenting history.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

nuh uh mr. ev, were you really in school?
and avoiding us?!?

well, adam did say that you were there before homeroom...
but why would you stay in school?
i agree, insane

Date: Mar 14, 2007

CRYSTAL wrote:

nuh uh mr. ev, were you really in school?
and avoiding us?!?
well, adam did say that you were there before homeroom...
but why would you stay in school?
i agree, insane

Gee, thanks. Like the new format?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Mr e, i have a question. For my topic (#10) how long does my "historical significance" part have to be? Because there are 20 pictures, so if I write a huge background description for each, then that's like 20 paragraphs, and then I still have to do the part about why the war artistic thing should still be in contact for each, so in all that's like 40 paragraphs. I'm not trying to complain I just seriously want to know how much "historical backgound" I need to provide for each picture.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

and do you know if there's something wrong with the link for topic #1? It may be just my computer, but every single link is working besides that one..

Date: Mar 14, 2007

1 and 8 will be my 2 if i counted correctly.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Mr e I REALLY need you to reply to my questions because I'm not going to be at home like at all this week, so I NEED to get most of this done now. So for # 10, are we supposed to write ONE detailed description about why the program should be kept, or do we have to keep saying over and over again why we think the program should be kept for each picture??

I don't mean to seem pushy... but I need to because I need to get this done!!

So I would GREATLY appreciate your feedback as soon as possible. Thanks!

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Brandi wrote:

Mr e, i have a question. For my topic (#10) how long does my "historical significance" part have to be? Because there are 20 pictures, so if I write a huge background description for each, then that's like 20 paragraphs, and then I still have to do the part about why the war artistic thing should still be in contact for each, so in all that's like 40 paragraphs. I'm not trying to complain I just seriously want to know how much "historical backgound" I need to provide for each picture.

No, no, no. You don't have to explain the significance of each picture, just the significance of artists creating art in the midst of war. What impact did that have? Why was that?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

Brandi wrote:

and do you know if there's something wrong with the link for topic #1? It may be just my computer, but every single link is working besides that one..

Yes, the BBC changed its address - the real one is http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/

Date: Mar 14, 2007

okayokay.
Did the new format include putting the posts in like....
reverse order?
Or is that just my computer being ridiculous?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

1. One of the reasons why history should be recorded and remember is so we can examine certain cultures, societies, and empires and see what was done wrong. Aside from education and pleasure learning about the history or a certain person, place, and things understanding and examining the ways things were done can give us a better understanding of what we should do if something similar happens and in other cases such as war, things we shouldn’t do.

6. Auschwitz is a memorial site. Although the things that occurred in the concentration camp during WWII are disgusting and in-humane remembering the people who died and people who were able to suffer through it and survive is a huge deal. People used to go there to die and now people go there to remember what happened and the people that go there can think of how wrong it was for the Germans to do what they did to the Jews.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

June 6, 1944 1:35 PM

Under the cover of the early morning fog, American and British troops were launching their top secret counter-attack to Hitler’s ongoing rampage against Europe. With over 600 warships waiting far from shore, the troops were brought to the beaches of Normandy in small crafts that were not sturdy against the waves. Suffering seasickness, the soldiers clambered out of the small boats as the landing ramp came crashing down into the shallow waters. The troops stormed the beach, running up the sand as machine guns fired all around. Some soldiers were lost in the water, carrying backpacks that weighed well near 70 pounds, which weighted them down so much they drowned. Overhead, more than eleven thousand planes were dropping bombs and firing at the German defenses from the air. Paratroopers were also released from the aircraft to fight behind the German lines. The German defenses were weak, considering they had concentrated a large amount of troops farther North, where the American Navy had planted a decoy fleet offshore. The Germans could not hold the beach for long, and finally it was overtaken by the Allies. From this stronghold on the beach, the Allies have the necessary launching point to push into Germany from the West, just as reports are coming from the Soviet side that they are mobilizing to attack from the East.

June 7, 1944 11:25 AM

The Allies have brought their 600 naval carriers to shore, to unload massive amounts of tanks, jeeps, and more and more soldiers. They have set up camp on the beach, their home base of operations. "Operation Overlord" had been completely successful. While British and American troops pushed into Germany from the East, officials in charge of the Soviet army were making contact with the Allies in order to synchronize an attack on Germany from both sides of the country. The joining of these two forces could mean a quick downfall of Germany, and the liberation of Europe. The war may be over sooner than we could have hoped for.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

that was my project for #2, by the way. :]
forgot to title it.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

sarah wrote:

okayokay.
Did the new format include putting the posts in like....
reverse order?
Or is that just my computer being ridiculous?

No, you're right. Perspective is reality. I thought that it would be a lot easier if the newest posts were first. What do you think?

Date: Mar 14, 2007

mre wrote:

sarah wrote:

okayokay.
Did the new format include putting the posts in like....
reverse order?
Or is that just my computer being ridiculous?

No, you're right. Perspective is reality. I thought that it would be a lot easier if the newest posts were first. What do you think?

Ummm....Mr E. im not gonna lie to u but it is a bit confusing. i was like

when trying to see the new posts at first.

Date: Mar 14, 2007

I never knew my father. He died when I was young. When I arrived at Auschwitz I got there with my mother and two sisters. They were taken from me. I knew I’d never see them again and I didn’t know what to do. The emotional emptiness was so great I didn’t know how to cry. I distinctly remember not saying a word for almost two weeks. I didn’t talk to anyone around me and I didn’t say anything when they yelled at me.

After two months I had come to accept that fact that this was life now and that I’d just have to wait it out. That’s a pretty hard concept to grasp when your only twelve years old. I was bigger than most of the other kids. My mother said my father was tall and had a big build and I was just like him. Being bigger I think helped me feel stronger. I was hit, beaten, and broken. After seven months of being there I snapped and got angry. I was cooled right off after having the butt of a rifle thrown into my face.

A couple months before the war ended I had turned thirteen but of course no one knew. Everyone in my barracks, there were probably three hundred of us in a shack no bigger than 1200 ft2 , woke up with the sound of the door being banged on by one of them. He came in and asked who wanted to shower and be moved to another camp. Everyone knew that the showers meant gas chamber but still some raised their hands. Twenty of those faces I would never see again, I didn’t care about seeing them again, in fact I think they were pretty brave but what bothered me was the man at the door knowingly taking twenty men, some no older than himself to die.

My story of Auschwitz is no different than anyone else’s. There are thousands more with the same story but even if you heard everyone one of those stories you would never be able to comprehend our hell on earth. I don’t want to be pitied for what happened to me, I don’t even want to be apologized too by others, there is nothing that can be done to change what happened. I tell you if I ever got the chance, that man that came in and took those twenty guys away, I’d rip his heart out with my bare hands and hold it in his face just to watch him die, and that still wouldn’t bring back my mother and sisters.

I once owned a book

I once owned a bed

I once had a family

But now their dead

The men

They scream

They laugh

They joke

With red their hands do soak

Keep quit

Keep working

Keep living

And soon I won’t be shivering.

I tell myself it will end soon

It’ll all be over just one more moon

The things I’ve seen in life would make you choke by surprise

A man with his head cut off who opened his eyes

There was nothing we could do except watch his demise

Some don’t even tell themselves their going to get out its, all lies

These words that I live by, one day, I’ll die by

It’ll make my mom cry before it gets worse I’d rather be living in dirt.

We speak in codes walking down the dangerous roads

We don’t know how much longer but its hard to stay stronger

The odds were against me, crooked and impossible

I lived to see the end but the grave was seen by many other men

mre. i dont really know what the guidlines were for everything, like if there should be some kind of limit too how long or short it should be. please let me know if this should be improved upon and how it should be done.

Date: Mar 15, 2007

mre wrote:

Brandi wrote:

and do you know if there's something wrong with the link for topic #1? It may be just my computer, but every single link is working besides that one..
Yes, the BBC changed its address - the real one is http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/

Ok thanks mr e

Date: Mar 15, 2007

mre wrote:

Brandi wrote:

Mr e, i have a question. For my topic (#10) how long does my "historical significance" part have to be? Because there are 20 pictures, so if I write a huge background description for each, then that's like 20 paragraphs, and then I still have to do the part about why the war artistic thing should still be in contact for each, so in all that's like 40 paragraphs. I'm not trying to complain I just seriously want to know how much "historical backgound" I need to provide for each picture.
No, no, no. You don't have to explain the significance of each picture, just the significance of artists creating art in the midst of war. What impact did that have? Why was that?

OOoh ok. Thanks for explaining that, because I was just a little confused at first.

Date: Mar 15, 2007

No offense to your "backwards forum" but I'm getting REALLY confused haha. I truthfully don't mind scrolling down to the new posts.

Date: Mar 15, 2007

7. The Enigma

The Enigma was patented in 1919.It was used by the German army in 1926. It was a machine used to type and decipher secret codes. It was made up of a keyboard with 26 letters. It consisted of wheels and bulbs that arranged in a specific order which was responsible for coding the messages. Overtime it was refined. Since the secret would repeat after a certain amount of time, messages were limited to only 250 letters.

6. Auschwitz-Inside the Nazi state

Auschwitz was a prison camp responsible for the largest mass murder in the world’s history. Originally it was not a prison camp, but became one after Hitler took over the territory in southwest Poland. It was supposed to hold Polish whom the Nazis considered a threat. 10,000 people died in twenty months because of horrible treatment. The Person in charge of the concentration camp was Rudolf Hoss.

Date: Mar 15, 2007

it's hard to get the hang of this backwards thing :(

Date: Mar 15, 2007

Wow, Alex. Your post was really well written. It sounds like you were actually there. Good job!

Date: Mar 15, 2007

Mr e, I just tried posting my topic 10 part and I went to press post and everything just went away, but my pictures weren't showing up anyways, so can I just post my descriptions? I'll post those and then maybe I'll see if I can get the pics on here later.

Topic # 10

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese imposed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack was the attack that dragged the US into WWII. Twenty-one US ships were damaged and over 2,000 people were killed. This attack was significant because it was the start of WWII for the US and changed America’s gears from trying to defeat the Germans to focusing more on the Japanese. This painting by Griffith Bailey Coale demonstrates the beginnings of war. Its amazing description captures the US in a time of surprise and defeat for a moment. These kinds of pictures are needed to remind the citizens of this country where we have come from.

This picture by Tom Dunn in a way portrays the strength of the US. The photo depicts two dead Japanese soldiers, in a way showing that the US was able to overcome and strike back after Pearl Harbor. The Japanese were depicted in this photo almost as inferior due to their animal-features. The photo itself is also very dull and dreary, making the Japanese look totally defeated.

George Biddle in this photo captured the war from a different perspective than the soldiers; he captured the faces of civilians during the war. This is significant because of the fact that not only soldiers suffered. It was not only soldiers that were made to sacrifice their lives. The average people of the country died in the war and are shown in this picture doing so. It depicts how skinny they were, probably from lack of food, and it shows the misery and pain on their faces as they lived through the realities of WWII.

Franklin Boggs painted this painting probably exactly in mind of what he wanted his message to be. The number of emergency beds that are lined up in this photo show what a toll the war took on the lives of people. The man is bent over after a long day’s work washing the blood off the litters because more were needed. Not many people saw this behind the scenes work. The commitment of a soldier was more than fighting, it was doing to smaller tasks that no one knew about. But the actual number of multiple death beds is the focus of the picture to show the devastation of war.

The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between Nazi Germany in Western Europe and the Allied forces. Its codename was Operation Overlord. It is still the largest sea-borne invasion in history. The US set up a fake army and instead went to Normandy. (D-Day)Lawrence Beale Smith shows the damage if this battle. This battle was considered one of the war’s most important battles. The significance of this battle and photo is that the Allied forces won, but if they didn’t, Hitler might have been able to negotiate a treaty with Stalin, which would have left Europe under Nazi control. The was a devastation for some, but a victory for others.

Tom Lea painted this picture in a way that shows the explosion as if it’s coming towards you. The significance if this picture is the power of bombs. This is only a picture of one of the explosions during the war. Imagining what constant warfare would be like is a mind blower. Just one bomb, such as the bomb that was dropped at Nagasaki, could do a great deal of damage. That one bomb to the Japanese caused them to finally surrender. This photo shows the bomb up and close with the soldiers. It was painted at an angle that allows you to see the expression on the soldiers’ faces as they were hit.

Franklin Boggs entitled this photo "Race Against Death". One description focused on the Corpsmen that had to stick their hands into buckets full of limbs and hands in order to bury them. This picture shows a man that has horrible gashes and wounds and is "racing to stay alive". The only race to stay alive wasn’t only out on the battle field. This picture is significant because it shows a man working hard in the "operating room". It was valued as being in the front of the line in battle. It took much courage to properly help your fellow soldiers who were in fear of dying because of their agony and pain.

This painting is called The Morning After by Ed Reep. The scene in the picture is of a couple men that are standing dazed after a German bomb hit while they were in an underground theatre. The fact that they were watching a movie in an underground theatre probably meant that the only time they had to have fun and relax they had to spend it underground and in hiding. Now that was destroyed, and they stood there dazed and in disbelief. The importance if this picture is brought out through the men’s expressions and the roaring sky that is supposed to resemble the fierceness of a dragon. The war was causing chaos in many situations and in many places.

Soldier Taking a Bath by Ed Reep shows exaggeration and also shows the smarts one man used to make a "luxury" for himself. This soldier took a bathtub and filled it with water and the burned a gas tank to heat the water. The painter showed exaggeration in the soldier’s face. Even though he had found a way to make something that would benefit him, he still was in a place where war was going on and bombs would hit constantly. A soldier had to find ways to survive on his own and do things for himself during war.

This painting by Robert Benney shows the Battle of Midway. Benney made this picture a significant part in understanding a huge part in the war. The Battle of Midway was a victory for the United States on Japanese terms, as shown very artistically in the painting. Benney showed the defeat of the Japanese through the Japanese colors of red and white sprouting through the air, almost as if to be viewed as the spraying of Japanese blood and defeat. At the bottom a Japanese soldier is also visible trying to keep himself afloat after being thrown into the water by force.

Mitchell Jamieson painted this picture as a symbol of what it was like right before the actual fighting. It wasn’t only the fighting conditions that were harsh but it was also the process of getting to those positions. This was an invasion craft. These invasion crafts were tight and uncomfortable because they had to fit the men and their weapons. They would open out into water, and many men would drown once the doors were open because of the heavy armor and the heavy weapons. The cramped conditions to these soldiers were all part of the war process.

The significance of this picture came to life with the title that Manuel Bromberg gave it. If someone were to look at this picture quickly, or maybe even a long time, it would appear to be some dead or wounded soldiers. But the picture is not titled Soldiers Wounded, it is titled Soldiers Resting. The title in itself helps to explain the conditions that the soldiers faced during WWII. A time of rest for them was in the middle of the action or on the battlefield. No time was a nice peaceful resting time.

Leaving Home by Richard M. Gibney shows a son, maybe a father, leaving off to join the war. Around stands his family, maybe some friends. The picture depicts pain, but not in a physical war as war usually brings. This painting shows the heartache kind of pain that occurred when young men had to leave their families to go help in the war.

Landing on Tarawa is a painting by Richard M. Gibney. The caption under the picture described the picture in a way that could give someone chills. Men could see the island from a far distance but see the smoke, hear the destruction, and feel the pain of the people as if it were right next to them. The sound was said to roll over the water like thunder. This painting does not show people but it shows an island in despair and in torment from war, so bad that people far away felt like they were in that hell.

This painting is called the Last Full Measure. When painting this, Richard M. Gibney wasn’t sure whether he should paint how many dead bodies of American Marines there really were lying face down in the water, but then he realized he would have needed a bigger canvas. This one single man stands for all of the marines that had died and were lying in the water. He represents a much greater number of victims in WWII.

Helping Wounded Man by Kerr Eby focuses mostly on the expression of pain on the man’s face that is wounded. It was probably not the easiest thing to help a man that was screaming and moving around in agonizing pain. This is just one man; in order to fully understand the concept of how many people were wounded and what it was like for them, these paintings help to demonstrate that.

Canton Island painted by Paul Sample is a painting that allows people to see the little entertainment the soldiers received. The soldiers in this picture are watching a movie, one specifically about romance, probably because their loves are so far away. There were so many of them gathered around to watch this spectacle. But of course, as they were relaxing someone always had to be on guard, which is why there is a little watch man in a tree. The soldiers got a little down time but always had to be on the lookout for danger.

This painting by Fletcher Martin uses color in a way that many others didn’t. The significance in this picture is actually the flowers. Everything around the soldier was green, green, and more green. His uniform was green, his tank was green, and the grass was green. But the flowers served as a separate light and stand out immensely in this photo. His jeep is all ruined and damaged and so is his uniform, but the flowers are radiant. The man looks quite delightful as he picks the flowers, which may be the only pretty sight that he sees through the whole war.

Pill Call by Franklin Boggs shows another torturous part of the war.. Malaria. The soldiers had to take pills in order to cure the malaria, but many men did not want to, because they figured they would not be sent to the front line in war if they were yellow. But the men were sent to the front of the line anyway, and they were forced to take the medicine. Disease was another tragedy that the soldiers were faced with during war.

This Photo by Howard Brodie is called Execution. He painted this painting because of the Battle of the Bulge. Germans had posed as GI’s and infiltrated their lines. Three men were executed and they were defenseless. Howard Brodie even stated, "A defenseless man is different than a man in action". The significance of this photo is that it was censored. The execution and fighting was so bad at the Battle of the Bulge that his painting actually had to be censored. This photo represents all of the men who died defenselessly during this battle.

Request for Existance of the Wartime Artistic Program
The Wartime Artist Program is a program that allows people of all generations to witness the pain, the tragedy, and the different conditions of the war. Not having physical documentation of the happenings of a tremendous war is one less piece to the history of our country. This program should keep its existence until the end of time, for all people of American decent should know where their country has been. How can we move forward in life if we can’t see where we’ve been? People will not truly understand the depth of the war if they cannot see it. Written documentation is good, but many people learn by seeing, and this program allows people to see what World War II was like. The pictures that I have selected are pictures that will capture many people’s hearts, even if they do not know what they are about. And if people are not good at reading about history, many pictures are self explanatory or come with brief descriptions. I know that mostly all of you have pictures from your childhood, or maybe have pictures of your children’s birthdays and childhood, but how much more do you remember those events when you have photos? Paintings and photos lead the way to remembering and understanding the history of the country in which you live, and in which many people died so that you can live freely here. So the existence of the Wartime Artistic Program is greatly needed in order to know truly the depth of where our country has come and how far it has come in history.

Date: Mar 15, 2007

Assignment: Imagine yourself as a Holocaust survivor of the Auschwitz death camps. You've suffered almost more than any human could bear and yet, you feel the need to relay your emotions and tell your story to the world. Using the site above, create two manuscripts for publication: one factual account of the camps and one set of poems describing your emotions. AuschwitzPart 1When someone speaks of the name Auschwitz, terrible memories and goose bumps quickly come over my body. I have seen more agony in my lifetime there than a whole race of people should see in their lifetime put together. In my dreams I can still hear the screams of terror and pain from the people in the cells next to me. The shot of a gun startles me and puts me in a completely defensive mood. It was there in Auschwitz where I lost essentially everything of any important value to me. Upon arrival at this camp, I came with my mother, father, and sister in our best Sunday attire. It was not long before my father was stripped apart from us to go work in the labor men’s concentration camp. My mother, sister, and I were left to fend for our own. I’ll never forget the last time I saw my father. We didn’t even have the time for a normal goodbye. If I could change everything I would not let my fathers last impression of me be in tears. I would have wanted him to see me smiling and shining like normal. Next, they herded all of the women into a room where they stripped us all naked and shaved out heads. We were next branded with our own number. My name was no longer Jillian, but now 474375. My mother was not the healthiest being to begin with, so I knew it was not long before she would perish. A few days without proper nutrition she was gone. The only thing I had left was my beloved sister. We talked and laughed and tried to relive our childhood for months and months. With every month the struggle to survive became greater and greater. One day my sister fell sick. I tried everything in my power to make her better, but there was nothing I could do. I used to sleep right next to her at night so that I could catch whatever deathly disease she had so that I would perish with her. Unfortunately I was not as lucky. The next morning I woke up next to a completely cold, blue body. My sister, my bestfriend was gone. She was the last thing I had left in that hell, and she was now gone. Part 2Auschwitz, the place where I spent a dreadful amount of time,And also the place where I gave up everything of mine.What did I do to deserve this pain? I promise I’ve been good.This is nothing a little Polish girl should remember of her childhood.You took my mother you took my father, do you want anything more?Of course that was not enough, you needed my sister, my savior. Assignment: Imagine yourself the daughter of a woman working as an Airforce Serivce Pilot. Living on the base has been difficult, but you enjoy the company of the other children of soldiers as well as your days at school on base. You've been given the assignment of describing a hero in your life. Write out your classroom speech about your mother using information from the site above to provide background and context. My hero is someone I know very well. I actually live with her everyday, because my hero is my mommy. Not only is she the best mother in the world, but she is also a pilot and is part of the WASPs. For those of you who don’t know what a WASP is, its not a bug you find flying outside. A WASP is a female pilot. WASP stands for Womens Airforce Service Pilots. These women, including my mother have the courage to stand up against the men of the armed forces and say they have the power to do the same jobs men do. These women have the same pride in theire country and should be given the same opportunities. I’ll never forget the day in December 1944 when mommy picked me up and hugged me so tight because it was declared that the WASPs were being allowed to serve as military pilots for the first time. My mommy has inspired me to do anything I set my mind to, and to not let anyone or any rule get in the way.