One notable member of the crew was Florida native Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Eason (1922-1945), who served for over three years in the U.S. Army Air Forces' (USAAF) as a waist gunner on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Sweet and Lovely" and "Princess Pat." SSgt. Eason completed 28 missions in both the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II. On January 20, 1945, he was killed near Altenheim, France, after his airplane was shot down by enemy combatants. Over the course of his service, SSgt. was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters.]]> black and white photograph.]]> Epinal American Cemetery Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> 1-page typewritten questionnaire by Earl D. Greenstreet.]]> Epinal American Cemetery Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]>

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Although Japan and China were already engaged war since 1937, September 1, 1939 is generally considered the beginning date of World War II. It was on this day that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, inciting France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany. Through the course of the war, belligerents were general divided into two groups: the Allied Powers, consisting of the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, China, Poland, Canada, Australia, India, Yugoslavia, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Denmark, Luxembourg, Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, Mongolia, and Iran; and the Axis Powers, consisting of Germany, Japan, Italy, Hingary, Romania, and Bulgaria. The United States did not join the Allies until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. War was waged for several years. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered to Soviet and Polish troops in response to the capture of Berlin just a few days earlier, in effect ending the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific theater did not end until Japan surrended on August 15, 1945, in response to the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

World War II transformed the globe's geopolitical context. The United Nations (UN) was established and the United States and Soviet Union emrged as opposing superpowers, setting the stage for the 46-year long Cold War. Much of Europe was left in economic collapse and decolonization began in Asia and Africa.]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>