Henderson Field Archives

An SBD flies over the environs of Norfolk, Va. Visible are the split dive brakes at the trailing edge of the wing so important to the stability of the aircraft in a dive-bombing run on an enemy ship.

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The Douglas SBD “Dauntless” Dive-Bomber

By John D. Gresham

World War II gave us many stories of aerial warfare, men and their machines fighting their way to victory and glory in the name of humanity. Read more

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Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey

By Glenn Barnett

Just before dawn, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise turned into the wind to launch her planes. Nervous and excited pilots roared into the darkness of the vast Pacific toward the unsuspecting Japanese. Read more

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U.S. Marine legend Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller

By Michael D. Hull

Crouched in their foxholes along Edson’s Ridge on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, the Marines formed a critical but thin defense line between strategic Henderson Field and seasoned Japanese infantry lurking in the jungle. Read more

The Battle of Buna during the defense of Australia in New Guinea saw both sides battle stubborn resistance, harsh jungle, and treacherous mountains.

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The Battle Of Buna: Costly For Both Allies and Japanese

By Glenn Barnett

In March 1942, General Douglas MacArthur was ordered out of the doomed Philippines by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to organize the defense of Australia. Read more

In the wake of the Pearl Harbor aftermath, the Navy's gallant salvage effort became an epic of skill, bravery, and ingenuity.

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Pearl Harbor Aftermath: the Salvage Effort to Keep the Navy Fighting

By Mike McLaughlin

The Pearl Harbor aftermath presented the U.S. Navy with a sobering question: how to recover? More than 2,000 men had died. Read more

Carlson’s Marine Raiders participate in rigorous training with rubber boats along a Hawaiian beach. A month later, the Raiders were in action on the Japaese-held island of Makin.

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Evans Carlson Forms Carlson’s Raiders

By Michael D. Hull

One of America’s earliest heroes in World War II was the tall, soft-spoken son of a Connecticut Congregational minister who distinguished himself in some of the fiercest fighting in the South Pacific. Read more

A twin-boomed P-38 Lightning flies over snow-capped mountain peaks. With its tremendous range and firepower, the P-38 saw service in every major theater of World War II.

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What Made the Lockheed P-38 Lightning So Special?

By Sam McGowan

Due largely to their use in the postwar U.S. Army Air Forces and present proliferation among the air show community, the North American P-51 Mustang is thought of by many as the most important American fighter of World War II. Read more

For turning the tide in the Pacific while incurring no casualties, the USS Washington battleship is one of America's most famous.

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The USS Washington Battleship: How it Turned the Pacific Tide

by Brad Reynolds

Prior to American entrance into World War II, the USS Washington battleship’s initial assignment was escorting supply ships between England and Russia in support of the Lend Lease Act. Read more

From Around the Network

Operation Aphrodite

The Greek Civil War: World War II’s Epilogue in the Mediterranean

Buddies Graves and Lang do CIA wet work in Conflict: Denied Ops.

Celebrating U.S. Army History