U.S. forces reached and defeated German forces in the city Aachen, Germany in one of the largest urban battles fought by U.S. forces in World War II. The campaign in the Hurtgen Forest proved much more difficult and costly as the German Army stalled a U.S. advance and inflicted a high price with U.S. casualties. Meanwhile, in the Pacific theater, General MacArthur and U.S. Army forces returned to the Philippines and began a campaign to defeat Japanese forces. It was a campaign that would last until the end of the war. On the open waters of Leyte Gulf, the U.S. Navy Third Fleet earned a significant victory with three air engagements which left Japan with the loss of 28 ships, including three battleships and one large aircraft carrier. B-29 bombers landed on the island of Tinian and were staged for future bombing operations over Japan.
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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.