A poster from 1943 depicting sights that mirror those on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
This World War II Era poster was created in 1943, approximately two years before the 1945 formation of the United Nations (UN). In the poster, the term "United Nations" is used twice. This declaration of unity shared between several countries demonstrates not only the resolve of nations desperate to end World War II's bloodshed and the birth of a shared sense of purpose that could only be fulfilled by banning together to keep the world balanced. The poster also depicts an advancing assault of tanks on land, planes by air, and ships by sea toward an undisclosed destination. Though dated in 1943, the poster, either wittingly or not, foreshadows D-Day's events.
Sgt. John R. Dolin was deployed from New York to England in November of 1943, which happened weeks before the Tehran Conference later that month. In February of 1944, Dolin is still stationed in England, and the plans for Operation Overlord have been put into effect. Considering the events of the Tehran Conference and the mobilization of the United States Military that occurred in the months immediately following the Conference, it is quite possible that Sgt. Dolin's shipment to England resulted from the plans for Operation Overlord, or D-Day, being put into motion.
Citation:
Ragan, Leslie. United - The United Nations Fight for Freedom. Poster. Hennepin County Library Digital Collections. Minneapolis: United States, Office of War Information, 1943. Hennepin County Library. Accessed March 24, 2023. https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll3/id/1099/.
A page of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 outlines the legislation's purpose and subjects.
In 1944, the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, approved the passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act. Sixteen days after the events of Operation Overlord unfolded, the Act became law. The Act offered financial assistance and education to former servicemen and women upon their return to the United States after serving in World War II. The Act, nicknamed the "G.I. Bill of Rights" by the publicist of the American Legion, Jack Cejnar, was largely successful for white Americans while black Americans were left without support. The Act expired in 1956 after twelve years of providing home loans and college education to veterans. This link will give you more information about the successes of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act as well as its shortcomings.
In a 1942 article titled "The Effect of War on the American Family," author Ernest W. Burgess summarizes the experiences of American servicemen returning to civilian life and how their life as former soldiers works against their acclimation back into society. On Page 345, Burgess mentions the decline in marriage rates during the early 1940s. He explains that in some instances where couples wait to get married once World War II has ended, there may not be a wedding if their plans to get married change or men are lost to the war. This link contains Ernest W. Burgess' article, available on JSTOR with school or library access or a paid subscription.
In August of 1945, Sgt. John R. Dolin was discharged from the United States Army and left England. With the war's end came an array of challenges that many service members had not anticipated. Sgt. Dolin served his country and participated in a worldwide fight for power and peace, only to return to the United States and be expected to fall back into place as a civilian and eventual husband and worker. Dolin expressed his uncertainties about returning home to South Carolina and marrying Ms. Margaret Payne in his letter to her. Though the Servicemen's Readjustment Act was designed to help former soldiers reenter society following the deadliest war up to that point, it did not prepare former servicemen and women for the emotional weight of having been a part of such an unparalleled conflict. Furthermore, Ernest W. Burgess' article raises several points on how former soldiers and their families must bear that weight to uphold the bonds of the family unit, yet his claim some engaged couples would not marry ultimately rang true for Sgt. Dolin and Ms. Payne. Dolin had doubts about marrying Ms. Payne, and he did not return to South Carolina so that they could marry.
Citations:
"Milestone Archives - Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944)." National Archives. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/servicemens-readjustment-act#.
Burgess, Ernest W. "The Effect of War on the American Family." American Journal of Sociology 48, no. 3 (1942): 343–52. Accessed April 12, 2023. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2769092.
Video Description:
"The US Army Timberwolves or the 104th Infantry division, return from Europe and gets off the ship. Happy soldiers wave from a troop train taking them to Seattle where they'll wait for orders to go to Japan. When Japan surrenders the Timberwolves were able to finally return to their homes. After serving in Europe in some of the bloodiest battles after D-Day, including Battle of Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulges, the division returned to the United States on 3 July 1945. Upon return, it continued the process of demobilization until 20 December of that year, when it was inactivated. The division suffered 1,294 killed in action, 5,305 wounded in action, 385 missing in action, and 27 prisoners of war. The division suffered a further 6,396 non-battle casualties, for a total of 13,407 casualties.The division took 51,727 German prisoners during the war, most of whom surrendered following the armistice. During World War II, soldiers of the division were awarded two Medals of Honor, 14 Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, 642 Silver Star Medals, six Legion of Merit medals, 20 Soldier's Medals, 2,797 Bronze Star Medals, and 40 Air Medals.[12] The division received 9 Distinguished Unit Citations and three campaign streamers during 200 days of combat."
This footage from July of 1945 depicts the arrival of servicemen returning to the United States after serving in Europe. Though most of the men continued their service in the U.S. Army, they were granted a furlough which allowed them to return home for a brief time. Many of these men are smiling, surely happy to be home, yet unaware of what their futures will hold once they eventually leave behind their days as soldiers and acclimate themselves to civilian life. Sgt. John R. Dolin would also have to return to the United States from England, and his uncertainties are made clear in his letter to Ms. Margaret Payne when he mentions not only his doubts about marrying Ms. Payne but also his doubts about returning home.
Citation:
King Rose Archives. "US Army Troops Return Home WWII." YouTube. January 13, 2015, video, 0:00:00 to 0:00:46, https://youtu.be/NOiBDZJTp3s.
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
Knowing that Sgt. John R. Dolin was stationed in England at the time this letter was written, would he have played a role in Operation Overlord, which is also known as D-Day?
What became of Sgt. Dolin after World War II came to a close, and did he retain any ties to the U.S. Military?
Are Sgt. Dolin's concerns about returning home after World War II founded or unfounded? What might his new reality be once the War is over?
In his letter to Ms. Margaret Payne, Sgt. Dolin mentions that he was moved to a "Gunnery School." Which Gunnery School was Dolin referring to?
Sgt. Dolin seemed to be defensive in his letter to Ms. Payne. Dolin further suggests that perhaps he and Ms. Payne should not get married. Does his irritation point to issues within their already strained relationship?
U.K. Prime Minister (seated left) and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (seated right) at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943.
The United States and Great Britain, now commonly referred to as the United Kingdom, have a historical streak of tensions and warfare that made it seem impossible for an alliance of any nature to form. As time passed, the United States and Great Britain developed an unshakeable alliance that withstood two world wars. During World War II, the U.S. never ceased to support its ally, Great Britain, against German aggression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to discuss the war multiple times and developed a formidable partnership. The image above shows one such meeting at the Casablanca Conference. During meetings at Roosevelt's residence in Hyde Park, he and Churchill discussed building the atomic bomb, later known as the Manhattan Project. This link will give you more information on the alliance between the United States and Great Britain during World War II.
Sgt. John R. Dolin was stationed in England when he wrote this letter to Ms. Margaret Payne. Dolin being sent to England was not left to chance: He was an integral member in the collective effort to advance into German-occupied territories in France and uproot Germany's hold on Europe. Aside from being sent to England as a piece of the larger plan of Operation Overlord, Dolin was an asset to the Allied forces: He had mechanical skills and worked on North American B-25 Mitchell bombers during his service in the United States Army.
Citation:
"Roosevelt and Churchill: A Friendship That Saved the World (U.S. National Park Service)." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, November 17, 2015. Accessed March 30, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/articles/fdrww2.htm.
"Order of the Day," written by General Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 6, 1944, before the events of D-Day commenced.
On June 6, 1944, an assault on German-occupied territory in France came to be known as the largest land, air, and sea invasion the world had ever witnessed. Operation Overlord, or D-Day, helped secure an Allied victory in World War II and implemented the will of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union to end the aggressive advancements of Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia. The Allied Powers gained ground on the coast of France in Normandy and could begin their push into other German-occupied territories. General Dwight D. Eisenhower attempted to keep morale high, as seen in his "Order of the Day," in which he urged the Allies to fight the "German war machine" and win the battle. Around 10,000 Allied soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing by the end of June 6. Operation Overlord successfully granted the Allied forces passage into German-occupied Europe and turned the favor of the war against Germany and its allies. This link has more information on D-Day's events and access to images and documents pertaining to the invasion.
With the knowledge of Sgt. John R. Dolin's deployment to England in November of 1943 and the conclusion of the Tehran Conference implementing Operation Overlord to disrupt the brutal encroachment of Germany and Japan, it can be inferred that Dolin's role in the war was especially important due to his skill in working on warplanes, specifically North American B-25 Mitchell bombers.
Citations:
D-Day Statement to Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force; 6/1944; Principal Files, 1916 - 1952; Collection DDE-EPRE: Eisenhower, Dwight D: Papers, Pre-Presidential; Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS, Accessed March 27, 2023, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/dday-statement.
"D-Day." National Archives. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day.
From November 28 to December 1, 1943, a meeting between three world powers at the Tehran Conference in Tehran, Iran, marked a pivotal turning point in World War II. The leaders of the Allied Powers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, and Premier of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, agreed to kickstart an event known as Operation Overlord, which came to be known as D-Day. Together, these leaders developed a plan to shift both the War in Europe and the War in the Pacific in favor of the Allies. On June 6, 1944, a massive-scale assault by land, air, and sea began on the coast of Normandy, a region in France. The Tehran Conference directly led to the events on D-Day. Sgt. John R. Dolin would have played an instrumental role in ensuring that a massive invasion could occur because of his skill in working on North American B-25 Mitchell bombers. This link contains more information on the events of the Tehran Conference.
A scene from the United Nations Charter Conference held in San Francisco, CA, in June of 1945.
A Timeline of the Events Leading Up to the Formation of the United Nations:
June 1941: The Declaration of St. James Palace
August 1941: The Atlantic Charter
January 1, 1942: Declaration of United Nations
October 1943: The Moscow Declaration
November 28 - December 1, 1943: The Tehran Conference
1944 - 1945: Dumbarton Oaks and the Yalta Conference
1945: The San Francisco Conference
October 24, 1945: The Creation of the United Nations
This timeline offers a look into critical moments where the concept of the United Nations had manifested but had not yet been put into fruition. The idea of a unified body of countries that could collectively work together to maintain worldwide peace became a reality in October of 1945, over a month after the end of World War II. The Tehran Conference is listed on the timeline due to the following declaration made by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin:
"We are sure that our concord will win an enduring peace. We recognize fully the supreme responsibility resting upon us and all the United Nations to make a peace which will command the goodwill of the overwhelming mass of the peoples of the world and banish the scourge and terror of war for many generations."
The use of the term "United Nations" by the Allied Powers demonstrated a relentless push to win the War in Europe and the Pacific as an allied band of countries, regardless of political ideology. This link will give you more information on the critical moments in the history of the United Nations leading up to its formation.
Citations:
"The Tehran Conference, 1943." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Accessed February 14, 2023. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/tehran-conf.
"Educator Resources - D-Day." National Archives. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed April 3, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day.
"History of the United Nations." United Nations - Model United Nations. United Nations. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.un.org/en/model-united-nations/history-united-nations.