See Aachen through the eyes of the 26th Infantry - block by block, house by house. This short YouTube documentary pairs restored combat footage with today’s streets, then lands beside Irvin Schwartz’s letters from our “Letters from War” project, where 57mm guns and sniper fire turned a city into hell. Read the full story.
In this special episode of the Public History podcast, we share the story of Irvin Schwartz and his experiences during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Schwartz, a native of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, served as an anti-tank gunner in the US Army's famed 1st Division. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during the battle. Listen to the full story.
Private Irvin Schwartz vividly recalls December 7, 1941, when news of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted a radio broadcast. He was later deployed to Normandy in 1944, serving with the US Army's 1st Division until Victory in Europe Day in 1945, sharing his experiences through letters to his hometown newspaper. Read the full story.
The final chapter in our "Letters from War" series on Sergeant Irvin Schwartz and his service in World War II.
In one of our final posts in the Letters from War series, we examine Irvin Schwartz's post-war life.
Irvin Schwartz returns to his pre-war beat as the sports reporter for Pine Grove High School after serving in World War II.
In a lengthy final letter from war, Sergeant Schwartz describes his departure from war-torn Europe bound for his home in America.
A broken down ship becomes all that's standing between Irvin Schwartz and his first visit to the United States since 1943.
Sergeant Schwartz writes home to inform his family and friends that he had reentered France on his way home to Pennsylvania.
Sergeant Schwartz begins his slow journey home from war-torn Germany to his hometown in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.