Stories of Arlington

The five-star General George C. Marshall organized the largest military expansion in U.S. history. He served as Chief of Staff during World War II and coordinated Allied Operations in Europe and the Pacific, and Churchill later called Marshall the organizer of victory. After the war Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize for his ambitious plan to rebuild the war-torn countries of Western Europe. George C. Marshall was born in 1880 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Section 7 of Arlington National Cemetery.

This episode is about William Egan Colby. He served as an OSS agent during World War II and took part in top secret missions behind enemy lines in occupied France and Norway. Later he became director of the CIA.

Shortly after D-Day Matt Urban destroyed two German Panther tanks with a bazooka, and even though he was severely wounded he kept on fighting and refused to be taken away from the front line.

Ruby Grace Bradley was captured along with many other American service men and women when the Japanese invaded the Philippines at the end of 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though the ruthless Japanese guards didn't allow her to treat the sick and wounded in the POW camp, she continued to take care of the them, risking her life to do so. She survived World War II and also served in Korea during that war. She is one of the most decorated women in United States military history.

James H. Doolittle led the first air attack on Japan in the spring of 1942, just four month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He received the Medal of Honor for the effort even though all the planes involved in the attack were lost. This is the story of what became known as The Doolittle Raid. James H. Doolittle is buried in Section 7A.

Audie L. Murphy is one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. He served in the 3rd Infantry Division and fought in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. He received the Medal of Honor for singlehandedly fighting back six German Tiger tanks. His story is here. Audie L. Murphy is buried in Section 46.

During World War II, John F. Kennedy served in the Pacific commanding a patrol torpedo boat - PT109. One moonless night his boat was rammed by a Japanese Destroyer and sunk. This is the story of how John F. Kennedy used his leadership and swimming skills to save most of his crew.

The African American boxer Joe Louis reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. This is the story of the two matches he fought against the German boxer Max Schmeling in the years leading up to World War II.