Americans in WWII,European Theatre of War

4F(Military Label/Classification)

Label given to certain draftees that were considered unfit for military service due to physical, mental. or moral reasons.

accolades

an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit.

Airborne

transported by air

paratrooper

a soldier who is trained to jump out of a plane using a parachute

Postponed

to put off to a later time

Private(MilitaryRank)

a soldier of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines

Bayonet

a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon

Squad(Military Unit)

7-14 soldiers, commanded by a Sergeant

Platoon(Military Unit)

3-4 Squads:20-50 Soldiers, led by a Lieutenant

Company(Military Unit)

2-4 Platoons: 100-250 Soldiers, led by a Captain

Batallion(Military Unit)

2-5 companies: 400-1200 solders. led by a Lieutenant Colonel.

C.O. (Military Acronym)

Commanding Officer

Contraband

(n.) illegally trafficked or smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited

Infantry

soldiers who fight on foot

Trooper

soldier

Stick(Airborne Military Term)

In military airborne operations, refers to a group of paratroopers jumping from the same aircraft

Ambush

an attack in which the attacker hides and surprises the enemy

Krauts

offensive terms for a person of German descent

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt(F.D.R.)

the President of the United States during The Great Depression and WWII. Served from 1933 to 1945, he was the only president in U.S. history to be elected to four terms.

Parry

(v.) to ward off, fend off, deflect, evade, avoid; (n.) a defensive movement in fencing and other sports

Court-Martial

a military court convened to try members of the armed forces for offenses against military law.

Chaplain

A person chosen to conduct religious exercises for the military,

N.C.O. (Non-Commissioned Officer)

Enlisted Soldiers that have attained a certain rank high enough to allow them to give orders and lead soldiers in combat; Different from Officers who are granted their rank through graduation of a Military Academy.

X.O.

Executive Officer, the second-in-command, reporting to the Commanding Officer (CO)

Mutiny

Open rebellion against authority

D.Z.

Drop Zone

Quaker

A unique denomination of Christianity: famous for having accepted different religions and ethnic groups throughout History. The state of Rhode Island is home to the largest group of Quakers in the U.S.

Operation Torch (1942-1943)

British-American invasion of North Africa to drive German occupying forces out of the area

Operation Overlord (D-Day)

Allied forces landed in Normandy, France to begin a massive offensive against the germans in the occupied territory of Europe. (happened in 1944)

Bangalore torpedo

is an explosive charge placed within one or several connected tubes. It is used by combat engineers to clear obstacles

Defilade(Tactics)

A defensive position with cover or concealment; can be used to describe troops finding/taking a defensive position or it can also describe natural terrain or buildings/architecture with defensive capabilities

Hitler Youth

Organizations set up under Hitler to train and educate German young people in Nazi beliefs

D.D. tanks

On D-Day, amphibious Sherman tanks modified with a canvas skirt and propellers, were intended to land ahead of infantry and provide support fire, but many were lost in the rough seas at Omaha Beach due to a lack of testing in such conditions.

C-47 Skytrain

Cargo plane, a military transport aircraft (military jargon) in WWII

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, later went on to become one of the Presidents of the United States after the war was over.

Operation Fortitude (1944)

Codename of fake operation to deceive the Germans into believing an invasion would occur at Calais, France

Utah Beach and Omaha Beach

Code names for the U.S. landing beaches in Normandy on D-Day

American Beachhead on D-Day that suffered the highest casualties

Omaha Beach