Fought on a global scale, World War II required the rapid expansion of armies and navies to meet the threat posed by the enemy. While the major combatants all possessed a core of professional officers and soldiers, these were soon supplemented by large numbers of volunteers and conscripts with over 100 million mobilized by war's end. As the fighting raged, less effective leaders were weeded out and replaced with those capable of achieving victory. Many of these successful soldiers and sailors became household names and would later play key roles in the postwar world.

Photograph Courtesy of the US Naval History & Heritage Command

March 19-21, 1865- The Battle of Bentonville begins in North Carolina. Advancing into North Carolina, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman split his army into two wings. The left wing, led by Maj. Gen. Henry Slocum (right) was attacked south of Bentonville, NC on March 19 by Gen. Joseph Johnston. The Confederate commander hoped to destroy Slocum before Sherman could bring his other wing to bear. In the course of the fighting on March 19, Slocum's men repulsed five Confederate attacks and were able to hold their position. Arriving the next day, Sherman sought to force Johnston to retreat without a major engagement. An unplanned Union attack had unexpected success on March 21, but was checked by a combination of Confederate counterattacks and Sherman issuing recall orders. Badly outnumbered and with Sherman threatening his line of retreat, Johnston withdrew that night. Should Sherman have finished off Johnston or was he right to attempt to avoid unnecessary bloodshed in the war's final weeks?

Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress

February 19-March 26, 1945 - American forces fight the Battle of Iwo Jima (right). Landing on February 19, 1945, the Marines of the V Amphibious Corps encountered stiff resistance from the Japanese defenders. This was largely due to the actions of Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi who had honeycombed the island with bunkers and tunnels. Able to shift troops underground, he mounted a tenacious defense. After a few days of heavy combat, American forces famously raised the flag atop Mt. Suribachi at the island's southern end. For the next several weeks, the Marines took severe losses as they attempted to evict Kuribayashi's men from the northern part of the island. Slowly grinding down the Japanese, the Marines defeated the final enemy attack on the night of March 25/26 to secure Iwo Jima. In the fighting nearly 7,000 Americans were killed and over 19,000 wounded. Japanese losses numbered between 17,000 and 21,500 killed. One of the bloodiest battle in the Pacific, the island provided an airfield for Allied bombers and fighters striking the Japanese Home Islands.

Photograph Courtesy of the US Navy History & Heritage Command

March 15, 1916 - Brigadier General John J. Pershing leads American troops across the border during the Punitive Expedition (right). In the wake of Pancho Villa's raids against American citizens and March 9, 1916 attack on Columbus, NM, Pres. Woodrow Wilson ordered the US Army to mount a Punitive Expedition into northern Mexico to capture the revolutionary leader. Led by Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing, the expedition crossed the border on March 15. Numbering around 11,000 men, it made use of early motor cars and aircraft. Though several skirmishes were fought with Villa's men, Pershing failed to catch him. Subsequent negotiations with the government of Venustiano Carranza led to Pershing's withdraw in January 1917. Though it failed in its mission, the expedition provided a valuable training exercise and aided in halting raids along the border. Three months after its end, the United States entered World War I.

Photograph Courtesy of the Department of Defense