World War Two - Tumblr Posts

The Patriot

Name: Thomas William "Tom" Jeffries.

Super Hero Name: The Patriot.

Age: 25.

Team Affiliation: Team Leader.

Abilities: trained acrobat, circus strongman, amateur boxer.

In 1941, after Pearl Harbor, Tom Jeffries, a circus strongman and formerly acrobat, was hired by a production company to play the comic book character The Patriot in a stage show to sell war bonds, looking for anything to do for the war effort seeing as his many circus injuries kept him from being enlisted. After a year in production, the stage show was sent overseas to entertain a camp of new recruits to keep them calm while awaiting their orders; before the show started, however, Nazi troops invaded the camp and took half of the American troops for experimentation, leaving the other half wounded and dying.

During the attack, a small group of German soldiers stormed backstage, only to be subdued by Tom in his Patriot costume. After the attack ended, Tom and the showgirls tended to the wounded as best they could before Tom decided to try and save the troops; some of the showgirls joined him and the rest of the cast stayed to tend to the wounded. After taking some weapons and uniforms, Tom and the showgirls (later dubbed his Patriettes) track the Nazi's to a makeshift camp ten miles from where the American camp is, finding a fleet of trucks to transport the soldiers further into Germany. After successfully liberating the Americans, the U.S. Government recruited Tom to be a symbol of freedom and righteousness in the world, redesigning the costume into a more military look and creating a stronger shield for him to wield. Some of the girls who helped liberate the troops expressed an interest to continue fighting, and Tom was able to convince his superiors to recruit them as part of his team, along with a few of the troops he rescued.

Somehow surviving all of World War II, Tom was asked to return to fight in both the Korean and Vietnam War, and some of the Cold war, retiring in the mid-seventies due to old age and worsening injuries, writing several books about his time as the Patriot and around other soldiers.

This was just a little something for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor; I rewrote and redesigned the patriot after I became more interested in the wars of the 20th century, choosing WWII for Tom because of the affect it had on both America and the world, but also because Captain America is one of my favorite superheroes.

(Sorry for the white background, I couldn't find a flag background that would work, and I couldn't draw one as it was almost eight at night when I finished the picture of Patriot after starting at two in the afternoon.)

The Invisible Agent (1942) Dir: Edwin L. Marin

People Who Live In Transparent Bodies Shouldn't Be So Suspicious.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034902/

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QDbfCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=The+invisible+agent&source=bl&ots=nxVSriDQuh&sig=rCMoDzyzD_BtYQ7tSE6HYmmKX-c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpr7r0s4TXAhWIh7QKHc3NB3I4FBDoAQg1MAM#v=onepage&q=The%20invisible%20agent&f=false

https://machinemean.org/2016/05/11/universal-monsters-in-review-invisible-agent-1942/

http://jeffowens.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/invisible-agent-1942.html

https://thetelltalemind.com/2015/08/21/the-invisible-agent-1942-the-visuals/

A Noob’s guide to Day of Infamy

This is Day of Infamy.

*ding*

This 2017 game made and published by New World Interactive using the Source engine, is a game that I am sad about. Not because it is sad, but because it is an interesting gem. It’s like finding a brownie shaped like a piece of turd, but it is made with the most exquisite of fudge and chocolate. It is a good game, even with a few flaws (we’ll get to those, don’t worry). In fact, I dare say that this had to be both one of my favorite first person shooters and my favorite World War 2 games. So here is a quick introduction and tutorial of how to survive this game.

First thing to know is that Day of Infamy is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter, set in the European theatre of the Second World War. With different game mods, with most of them being some variant of finding a point on the map, and politely telling the enemy already there, to shod off. This gentle persuasion is achieved with the liberal application of both high explosives, and small automatic firearms. The maps range from The beaches of Normandy in 1944, the Streets Salerno in 1943, all the way to Crete in 1941. With such a breadth of time (6 calendar years), and a vast swath of maps (mostly France, Italy, and one Greek map), factions are vast, at the number of 3. The different factions play on certain maps, so don’t expect to see Americans at Dunkirk. Each faction has unique weapons, and units. These units don't affect gameplay all that much admittedly, as it is mostly cosmetic, but they are still nice. You can earn them through leveling up, or alternatively, you can just buy them.

First is the Americans, because of course there is.

With all the classic American WW2 weaponry, like M1 Garand, and Thompson, they will be familiar for many. As for units, once again, many of them will be familiar for those that dabble in WW2 history and/or media, such as the 101st Airborne, or the 1st Infantry Division (better known by the nickname “The Big Red One”). I also want to give a shout out, because I’m pretty sure that this is one of the only games that actually remembered that African Americans actually fought in WW2, in the form of including the 92nd Infantry Division, and the 761st Tank Battalion.

Next is everyone's favorite member of the second world war, the Wehrmacht (Germany).

I say Wehrmacht, because the vast majority of their units are Wehrmacht, such as the 272nd Volksgrenadier Division, or the 29th Panzergrenadier Division. The only exception is the 17th Panzer division, who while listed as Wehrmacht, were historically Waffen SS, so now you guys know which unit not to get. Again, most of the weaponry will be familiar for those who play WW2 shooters, such as the MP40, and MG42.

The last faction are the British… or should I say Commonwealth.

This is another reason why I like this game. You see, NWI remembered that the Brits in the second world war, had an empire, and they are willing to bring said empire into their scuffles. This means that while they do have British units like the famous/infamous Black Watch, they also have many units of Canada, such as the Princes’s Patricia’s Canadian Light infantry, as well as Australians (2/17th Battalion, who also happen to be my favorite) and Indians (12th Frontier Force Regiment). As for weaponry, most will be familiar… provided you are familiar with the British in WW2, such as the Bren, or the Lee-Enfield No. 4. They also have the one exception of where units do affect load out (we’ll get to that) with only the 2/17th Battalion being allowed to use the Owen Mk. 1.

Now that you have been familiarized with the factions, one must remember that as this is a team based game, it becomes like medieval Europe, where class matters. There are 9 classes, each with unique load outs, and purposes. Most of them also have limited slots.

Firstly, we have the basic class, the rifleman. The only class to not have a limit for slots, they are armed with a rifle. It should be noted that just because you are using a bolt action for the most part, you’re still deadly. With extra stamina, and access to rifle grenades, it is a very solid class.

Next is the assault class, who solves your issues at close range with the liberal application of an smg. Following that, is Support, who provides support by using a light machine gun, like a Bren or BAR. After that is the trifecta of basic shooter classes of Engineer (use explosives), Machinegunner (MOAR DAKKA!), and Sniper (one shot, one kill). Now the unique classes for the game starts now. After that, is Flamethrower, who decides that turning people into a barbeque is only a war crime the first time.

Now, here is the interesting part. You get one Officer, who has the ability to call support of any sort, from the innocent supply drop and smoke screens, to less innocent ones, such as artillery barrages, aerial strafings, and bombing runs. However, they can’t actually call these in, without a radio, which is accomplished with the last class, radioman. With a radio on their back, all they do is stand next to the officer, while they call in an artillery strike that will wipe the enemy team, and half of your team who were caught in the blast. (rule of thumb, you should always have both an officer and a radioman).

After choosing game mod, faction and units, and class, you have your loadout. Everyone has a primary weapon, secondary weapon, access of up to two different types of grenade, and a melee weapon. Furthermore, attachments to your weapon such as slings, bayonets, or scopes. Furthermore, you also have access to vests that can increase the amount of ammo you have. So what’s the catch? Well, weight is a factor, as in the more stuff you carry, the slower you are. Furthermore, your access to this is determined by supply points. You gain more supply points by playing the objective, so play. The. BLOODY. OBJECTIVE!!!

Anyway, items cost certain amounts of supply points, so this means you have to compromise about what you bring in. For example, if you play an American assault, an M3 Grease Gun with a sling, costs 5 supplies, while a Thompson M1A1 by itself costs 6 supplies. So, with this knowledge, prepare to compromise, especially with your first rounds.

After all that has been said, many of you might remember what I have said earlier about their flaws. Well, here they are. Map designs can be kind of poor, and lack of content update. They still support the game, but don’t hold your breath for new content that isn’t fan made (remember, this is the source engine. It’s super easy to mod… so I’ve been told), considering that the last update was back in December of 2017. This ties into the big elephant in the room… lack of players. Because of the lack of long term support, due to it being released just before another major NWI release, Sandstorm Insurgency (also a really good shooter), player counts can be pretty low. This is in spite of the fact that the vast majority of reviewers like the game. Many players often complain that the game is dead, but that isn’t quite the truth. A lot of the players for some reason seem to be on European servers. Of course, this is also the reason why I’m talking about this game.

So in summary, if you want to try a good team-based fps, or a good WWII game, I strongly recommend giving Day of Infamy a try. It comes cheaply too, being 15 USD for the base game, and 20 USD for the deluxe edition, and it can be cheaper during sales. Also, final note, this game also has amazing voice acting, of various types for the various American, German, and Commonwealth units, using a mixture of your typical fps voices, but also many witty, and genuinely funny lines (in that regards, shout out to the commonwealth voice actors, with my favorites being the Scottish and Australian voice) Many of these voices can be found on Youtube.

So take a dive into Day of Infamy, and this has been a Noob’s guide to Day of Infamy, which can be found on Steam. Enjoy the rest of your day.

London Lookout

A British soldier on the lookout in London during the Blitz (WW2). 

Baruch Steinberg

Baruch Steinberg was Chief Rabbi of the Polish Army during the Invasion of Poland in September 1939. He was captured by the Soviets and became a prisoner of war. He was executed, along with about 22,000 Polish POWs, in the Katyn Massacre by the NKVD at the age of 42.  This was drawn on October 28, 2022. Based on a photo taken before WW2. 

80 years ago on June 6, 1944, D-day began.

Wounded soldiers of the U.S. 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division on a smoke break after capturing Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Drawn in 2021.

A Spotter in London (1940)

An Observer Corps Spotter on a rooftop in London (1940). The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defense organization in the UK that ran from 1925 to 1996. Mostly ran by civilian volunteers, their task was to spot, track, and record aircraft over the country. The ROC's origins dates back since the Great War when the country experienced bombing raids from German zeppelins. They played an important role in WW2, notably the Battle of Britain, and was titled "Royal" by King George VI in 1941 for their service. 

Here's a photo of two American soldiers messing around during WW2.

Tommy Dunkirk it’s my best friend Tommy Dunkirk

The Bob Semple Tank's better relative but AA.

A British A.A Light Tank Mk.1 armed with four 7.92mm Besa MG’s - Egypt 1942

One of many reasons why Japn was losing the war.

A Japanese Type 95 light tank damaged during fighting - Malaya, Dec 1941

when my name was keoko

ahhhh hello hello (not me coming back from the dead to talk about a novel of all things) but i just wanted to get this post out first before giving myself time to breath and enter the social media world again haha.

i think i spent the last few months researching about korea, its history, and just the folklore surrounding the culture. and there's just one book i stumbled on that i thought i had to talk about: when my name was keoko.

set in Korea during Japanese colonization and WWII, this book alternates the POV between a young boy and girl, both siblings, who have not only lost their names but identities as Koreans. it's the most heartwrenching and heartwarming book you'll ever read.

and it's hard, finding a book about Korea colonized. i'm just grateful that this book exists, and I had the opportunity to read it.

so if anyone wants to check it out [and read my long ass grateful/sappy review] go right ahead!

i'm just grateful for this book for existing.

if you don't know, Korea has been colonized by Japan for years, decades even. as a Korean American, there's barely any readings (much less teachings unless you search for them) on this topic; it's also even more difficult to find a novel based on the context of this era.

this era is so, so, important. it is the cause of the strained relationship between the two countries, a consequence that continues to this day. it is an era that all, and I truly mean all koreans remember. colonization has shaped us, but haunted us as well.

I come to Korea, and my grandmother remembers like it was yesterday. my mother lived through the park chung-hee era, under a dictatorship and through the march revolution. so many historical events and issues in Korea that I was never taught as an American, that I could never follow, that i was ashamed to learn.

it just shows the strength that we had. we lived through this. we found ways to fight back. we found ways to preserve our culture - our names, our language, our national symbols.

it's insightful, horrific, intriguing, heartwarming, and tear-jerking. but I'm just so grateful that somewhere out there, this book is piecing together another part of Korean history that is unheard and untold of.

Does anyone else have the hc that if Eugene Roe opened his mouth to sing, he’d sound like hozier?

They were wearing a yellow star

Noisy and dark were the nights

They were wearing a yellow star

But their bones and skin were the same

Of others humans

In the city it was chaos

And they were all alone

I know you all agree

I wanted to remember

Their lifes matter

Königsberg Cathedral

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:A.Savin

Just. Warboys kissin. :P

(Soviet *Left* - Major with 'Order of the Red Star' Merits. American *Right* - Staff Seargent, Undecorated)

From Pinterest - Unknown

Original - Unknown - Archived

If you haven’t seen this, you are not a real Marvel fan.

did anyone else form a very personal connection to the diary of Anne Frank in middle school and feel like you were holding your breath your whole fifteenth year only to realize you were outliving her, continue to outlive her, continue to grow like she deserved to and you die a little inside or is that just me