This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 12 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Aug 13, 1944
Page
1
Weather outlook reports partly cloudy skies with scattered afternoon thundershowers across the state and a high near 90, low around 73. Various community updates include military notices, hospital reports, club meetings, church speakers, and business openings in Decatur and surrounding areas.
President Roosevelt praised the national press for maintaining secrecy about his travel since leaving Washington. He called it a modern miracle while addressing preparedness against Nippon and stressing the world’s distrust of Japan as unworthy.
President Roosevelt arrived in Bremerton after a 30 day Pacific war tour to urge permanent readiness against future Japanese aggression and to support joint security with United Nations. He praised Pearl Harbor and Alaska operations, spoke of ongoing dialogue with Washington, and noted close ally cooperation. He joked with his daughter Anna Boettiger aboard the destroyer as sailors waved.
Allied air power hit the Southern coast of France with 750 U S heavy bombers in a second strike within 24 hours as Allied leaders including Churchill arrived in Rome. Patterson and Somerville boarded to inspect Mediterranean defenses while raids targeted pill boxes and radio stations along the coast and Toulouse.
First Lt. Leroy McEntire arrives home from 22 months active duty with the Army anti aircraft corps. He recounts welcome in England Scotland and Oran and notes campaigns in Africa and Italy while praising British hospitality and sharing limited noncombat impressions.
Soviet forces breach German fortifications northeast of Warsaw and reach the Biebrza marshes as three Soviet armies tighten grip on German troops near the Baltic. Moscow reports 610 towns fallen. Rokossovsky and Zakharov advance toward East Prussia while others sweep Latvia and Lithuania. No. decisive clashes foretell further eastward pushes toward Germany.
President Roosevelt after touring Pacific war zones spoke of an excellent outlook for a permanent peace in the Pacific. MacArthur and Nimitz discussed strategy in Hawaii while Allied forces bomb Halmahera and Mindanao, sinking ships and destroying planes as Japanese raids intensify. The American air offensive widened to the Volcano Islands and Formosa, with heavy raids on targets in China and India operations continuing.
A war correspondent describes two months of hedgerow combat in Northwestern France. He outlines small unit actions along lanes, casualties, and dense earth banks with snipers, hidden machine guns, trenches, and hidden tanks in hedgerows, noting the Germans’ built defenses and tunneling tactics.
Allied air forces attacked targets across France and German-occupied territory with hundreds of bombers and ground-attack aircraft. British Lancasters and Halifaxes hit U-boat pens, fuel dumps, and shipping near Bordeaux and Le Mans while Italian and Normandy operations struck airfields and communications centers. Two aircraft were lost as raids extended into the night, with continued enemy air activity reported over Germany.
Allied forces entered Florence north of the Arno after German withdrawal under cover of darkness. No crossing by the Eighth Army confirmed yet. Sniper fire and machine gun duels occurred near the Mugnone canal and in Eastern suburbs. Food and water were scarce. art treasures appeared intact aside from Ponte Vecchio remaining heavily blocked by wreckage.
The article highlights 242 Army air forces graduates from Southern Airways, led by Captain Herman G. Tillman Jr., who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart. It describes training at Decatur Alabama Blytheville Arkansas and Hendrick Field Florida, plus combat service across Sicily Italy France Bulgaria Yugoslavia Greece Australia Germany. Other notable names include Lt. Richard M. Sigler and Captain Richard Marion Wright with multiple Air Medals and Oak Leaf Clusters. New York and Morgan Field figures are mentioned with similar honors and campaigns in Africa and Europe.
Allied forces press the Normandy bulge from Mortain to Caen as German defenses tighten. British Canadian and American troops advance on multiple axes while censorship guards progress and Paris aims loom. Local fronts see St Pierre La Vieille and Conde Sur Noireau clashes with SS troops and paratroopers amid heavy minefields.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.