August brought good news of a new amphibious landing in France and military progress in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war. On August 10, the island of Guam was liberated by American Army and Marine Corps troops after landing there on July 21. Allied advancement in France also saw progress. On August 15, the Allied forces made a second amphibious invasion of France, this time on the southern coast. Codenamed Operation Dragoon, an initial force of 151,000 American and French soldiers landed along the beachhead at Provence, France and began their push northward into German lines. In northern France, a much-celebrated liberation took place on August 25 as the city of Paris was liberated after four years of occupation by the German military. French and American forces took a triumphant march down the historic Champs Elysees through thousands of Parisians who gathered to welcome their heroes.
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Author | Speaker | Academic Historian | Personal Historian
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About Ronald P. May
About Ronald P. MayAuthor, Historian, Public Speaker, and Preserver of Life Stories
Ron holds a Masters’ Degree in World War II Studies from Arizona State University. He is the author of four published books: three of them feature stories of World War II veterans and his most recent book highlights World War II Landmarks in Indiana.
Ron May is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and lives in Westfield, Indiana with his wife, Glenda. He was a Lutheran Pastor for 25 years and a Navy Reserve Chaplain for 22 of those years. Ron currently serves as the Chaplain at Hoosier Village Retirement Center Community in Zionsville, Indiana. He is also a personal historian specializing in helping veterans preserve their military service stories. Ron does public speaking engagements focused on World War II history and veteran stories. He also portrays himself as America’s most beloved war correspondent, Indiana native Ernie Pyle, reflecting on his wartime experiences through a dramatic first-person presentation.