A 1942 photo captures a coal miner’s joy as he collects his paycheck in West Pittston, PA during World War II. Learn how miners balanced booming wartime demand with labor strikes, Federal seizure of mines, and a landmark UMWA settlement in 1943. Read the full story.
A photograph of Corporal Harry Kimmel appeared in a July 1942 edition of the West Schuylkill Press-Herald of Tremont, PA. Learn more about the World War II soldier from Donaldson, PA. Read the full story.
Sergeant Walter Baranowski was wounded while serving as a paratrooper in France one week after D-Day. Read the full story of his evacuation from the front lines.
The remains of Sergeant Orlando Vincenti, a coal miner from Carbondale, PA returned home in June 1949 for a solemn military funeral after falling in his B‑17 “Aw‑R‑Go” raid over Muenster, Germany, in 1943. Read the full story.
Dive into a compelling podcast episode where writer Derek Thompson interviews historian Richard J. Evans about his book "Hitler’s People." Hear fresh research on Nazi support, Weimar politics, and antisemitism as Evans debunks myths and reveals how ordinary Germans enabled Hitler’s rise to absolute power. Read my full reflection and listen to the podcast.
Meet Corporal Albert Scherzinger, a Pottsville native who helped arm B-17 Flying Fortresses with 500-pound bombs in England. Read the full story.
On May 8, 1945, drenched but ecstatic, Wilkes-Barre’s streets exploded with horns, confetti, and church bells as Coal Region residents celebrated VE Day victory. From umbrella-clad crowds in Public Square to ticker-tape showers from office windows, the rainy jubilation captured both relief and remembrance. Read the full story.
This May marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe - and it’s the perfect moment to revisit our Coal Region World War II history stories, from frontline letters to home-front efforts. Reflect on these powerful accounts, learn from their lessons, and honor those who lived them. Read the full story. Read the full stories.
On V-E Day, May 8, 1945, The Record American of Mahanoy City published a powerful tribute honoring local soldiers who died in World War II. This special edition reflected the deep loss felt in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region, where families sacrificed both on the battlefield and the home front to support the war effort. Read the full story and see their photographs.
On V-E Day 1945, Anthony Kupko of Schuylkill Haven, PA raised a toast in a brewery in war-ravaged Nazi Germany - while memories of liberating Buchenwald’s starving survivors lingered painfully. His account blends victory’s relief with the haunting aftermath of the Second World War, offering a profound glimpse into a Coal Region soldier’s return home. Read the full story.