The Last Voices of World War II

Introduction

75 years after the Nazis surrendered, all sides agree: War is hell

As veterans and survivors of World World II mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, they speak with one voice about the suffering they experienced—and inflicted.

Read

These women helped win WWII. What's their advice for us today?

Listen

The last voices of World War II

Some were heroes. Some were victims. Others fought for the fascists who sought to dominate the planet. As their generation fades 75 years after the fighting stopped, their remembrances are as poignant as ever.

Magazine

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

History & Culture

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

Magazine

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

Magazine

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

Magazine

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

Magazine

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

Magazine

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

Magazine

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

Magazine

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

Magazine

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Magazine

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

Magazine

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

Magazine

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

Magazine

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

Magazine

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

Magazine

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

Magazine

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

Magazine

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

Magazine

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

History & Culture

America’s oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home

Magazine

‘I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.’

Magazine

‘If you feel nothing, you’re not human. And in the end we’re all human.’

Magazine

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

Magazine

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

Magazine

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

Magazine

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

Magazine

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

Magazine

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

Magazine

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

Magazine

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

Magazine

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Magazine

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

Magazine

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

Magazine

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

Magazine

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

Magazine

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

Magazine

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

Magazine

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

Magazine

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

Magazine

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

History & Culture

America’s oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home

Magazine

‘I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.’

Magazine

‘If you feel nothing, you’re not human. And in the end we’re all human.’

Magazine

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

Magazine

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

Magazine

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

Magazine

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

Magazine

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

Magazine

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

Magazine

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

Magazine

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

Magazine

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Magazine

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

Magazine

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

Magazine

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

Magazine

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

Magazine

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

Magazine

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

Magazine

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

Magazine

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

See maps of nine key moments that defined WWII

From Stalingrad to the dropping of the atomic bomb, see key moments that shaped the outcome of WWII.

Explore

These were history’s deadliest conflicts

In 1945, WWII became the bloodiest war in recorded history. See how other brutal events compare.

Explore

For Hiroshima’s survivors, memories of the bomb are impossible to forget

Why it’s important to hear stories from WWII’s last living survivors

'Too tough to die' shipwreck discovered in Pacific

Caught between Hitler's troops and Stalin's: How one family escaped

WWII’s brutality still haunts the children who survived it

June 2020 Issue

As ice melts, emperor penguins march toward extinction

4 countries where women have gained political power—and the obstacles they still face

How California skateboarding revolutionized global culture

Proof

Lonely residents grapple with life indoors as coronavirus shuts Italy down

A writer and photographer in Milan have been documenting the pandemic's spread. Now one of them may be sick.

Explore

Getting There

Discover the epic path that crosses this Middle Eastern kingdom

On the Jordan Trail, trekkers can roam from the ancient city of Petra to the lush reefs of the Red Sea coast.

Travel

Subscribe to National Geographic

WWII 75 Years Later

75 years after the Nazis surrendered, all sides agree: War is hell

These women helped win WWII. What's their advice for us today?

The last voices of World War II

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

America’s oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home

‘I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.’

‘If you feel nothing, you’re not human. And in the end we’re all human.’

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

America’s oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home

‘I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.’

‘If you feel nothing, you’re not human. And in the end we’re all human.’

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

‘We wandered around a bit, and then we saw the ovens. And we realized where that smell was coming from.’

America’s oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home

‘I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.’

‘If you feel nothing, you’re not human. And in the end we’re all human.’

‘The poor guys who had to be up on the deck in the North Atlantic, they were mighty cold.’

‘We did not bury dead bodies in the winter in Stalingrad. Corpses were piled up. There was no place to bury them.’

‘They transferred us to a prison in Dresden and told us we were to be shot the next morning.’

One of the last Tuskegee airman has died. This was his legacy.

‘You were an old man if you were still there at 23. If we let it bother us, it would destroy us. You just had to go on.’

‘I have had, in my life, whole squadrons of guardian angels looking after me. There’s no other way.’

‘We were in striped pajamas, lice infested. But we were polite, spoke the truth, and discussed what the world should be like.’

‘They discriminated against us, cursed at us, just because we were refugees … I was nine—the war wasn’t my fault.’

‘I am 80 years old, and I still cry.’

Mallie hadn't heard of Rosie the Riveter—the term used to describe women who worked in defense plants—until five years ago.

‘I looked at my mom—it still hurts to this day. She had these big tears running down her face like streams, and I felt in my soul this was the last time I’d see her.’

‘I suppose they figured if I could understand economic theory, I could crack code.’

‘That was the beginning of our missions. We’d go door to door to look for orphaned children.’

‘All those burning cities made me a pacifist. And I’ve only become more of one as the years have gone by.’

‘I felt scared because I lost my emotions for a time.’

‘We were rushing at them screaming; they were laughing and waving their hats. My friends were falling down all around me.’

‘The nets were swaying from side to side. If you missed your jump, you were into the sea and gone.’

See maps of nine key moments that defined WWII

These were history’s deadliest conflicts

Lonely residents grapple with life indoors as coronavirus shuts Italy down

Discover the epic path that crosses this Middle Eastern kingdom