1. Dwight Eisenhower
   George Marshall
2. Douglas MacArthur

He was a five-star general with a reputation for discipline and ferocity. He was Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander for the D-Day invasion.

1. Theodore Roosevelt
   Lyndon Johnson
2. Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt is probably the most iconic American president of the 20th century. Elected three times, he somehow led the U.S. through most of the Great Depression and WWII.

1. politician
   journalist
2. bomber pilot

Ernie Pyle was a famous journalist who wrote from the front lines of the war. He documented people and experiences in a distinctive style that made him a favorite of readers all over the country.

1. He funded a major bombing campaign.
   He bought off German spies.
2. He built troop landing craft.

His Higgins boats were his claim to fame. The Higgins boats were used in large numbers during D-Day, depositing tens of thousands of troops on the beaches of Normandy, as the Allies attempted to take control back from Germany.

1. aircraft carrier
   F-16 fighters
2. nuclear submarines

James Forrestal was a huge proponent of aircraft carriers. He pushed the U.S. to build these massive floating fortresses as centerpieces of war strategy. And his hunches about carriers turned out to be correct.

1. He single-handedly strangled Hitler.
   He planned the first atomic bomb.
2. He started out as a private.

Hodges was no silver spoon general. He started out as a private and worked his way up through the ranks, and then became a truly famous WWII general.

1. roadway and bridge construction
   atomic bomb development
2. B-29 bomber design

Robert Oppenheimer was the leader of the Manhattan Project. The project designed, built and tested the world's first nuclear weapons.

1. He enlisted in the Army.
   He created fighting songs for the Marines.
2. He avoided serving in any capacity.

Gene Autry was a bona fide celebrity when he enlisted in 1942. He actually served, becoming a flight officer who flew hazardous cargo missions in Asia.

1. He taunted small children in public.
   He lost most of his battles.
2. He slapped two soldiers.

Patton was a loose cannon. He slapped two shell-shocked soldiers in full view of other men … and wound up temporarily losing his command. Later, he returned and won vital victories for the Allies.

1. political maneuvering
   American bombing strategies
2. submarine tactics

LeMay altered bombing tactics to suit the unique characteristics of the Pacific Theater. Noting that Japanese cities used flammable material (like bamboo) for many structures, he switched to incendiary bombs that set entire blocks on fire.

1. Army organization
   bomb design
2. troop entertainment

Marshall was called the "organizer of victory" for his efforts in reorganizing and ramping up the U.S. military during the war. Thanks largely to his efforts, the American Army went from mediocre to powerhouse in the span of a few years.

1. She told women to stay out of any war talk.
   She told women to have as many babies as possible to serve in future wars.
2. She advocated for women to join the workforce.

Roosevelt was a major proponent of women becoming active during the war. She encouraged them to get jobs traditionally reserved for men. And she advocated for desegregation of workplaces, too.

1. "Big Dog"
   "Brad"
2. "Boop"

Omar Bradley was an Army bigwig during WWII, a general who amassed major victories starting in North Africa. "Brad" took over some duties from the disgraced George Patton and continued his run of success in Europe.

1. He was needed on the home front.
   He was too famous for combat.
2. He was a terrible soldier.

King did his part by enlisting in the Army. But officials sent him home because he was a capable tractor operator … and those skills were more necessary in America than on the Western Front.

1. He dodged the draft and went to Canada.
   He became a weapons designer.
2. He was drafted into the Army.

Salinger, famous for writing "The Catcher in the Rye," was drafted and served as a soldier in battle. He later used his linguistic skills to interrogate enemy soldiers.

1. He personally brought Japan to its knees.
   He resigned in shame.
2. He was killed in battle.

After surviving numerous firefights, Pyle was killed by a sniper on the island of Iejima, during the battle of Okinawa, which occurred near the war's end. Readers everywhere mourned the loss of such a talented storyteller.

1. Army
   Air Force
2. Coast Guard

Murphy falsified his age so that he could join the Army underage. Later, at just 19 years old, he fought off a whole company of Germany troops by himself … and won the Medal of Honor.

1. Battle of Leyte Gulf
   D-Day
2. Battle of Okinawa

Berra was part of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy. From a Navy ship, he fired weapons toward Omaha Beach in hopes of helping troops gain a foothold on Europe.

1. He founded Greenpeace.
   He was elected president.
2. He became a movie star.

Murphy was a war hero turned movie star, one who starred in many westerns. He died in a 1971 plane crash when he was just 46 years old.

1. Harry Truman
   Gerald Ford
2. Jimmy Carter

When President Roosevelt died, Vice President Truman stepped into office. He was far from a footnote -- he made decisions that changed the course of humanity.

1. Happy Bears
   Flying Tigers
2. Squawking Swans

During the war, Claire Lee Chennault was in charge of leading the Flying Tigers. They were a group of top pilots who volunteered to fight for China's benefit against Japan.

1. that he wanted to fight them
   that he loved them
2. that he was penpals with Stalin

It created odd tensions in the U.S. political arena. As America worked with the Soviets to defeat Hitler, Patton openly condemned the communists and said that he would love to fight them in combat.

1. He died in a car crash.
   He was elected to Congress.
2. He became a priest.

In a strange twist of fate, Patton guided the Allies to some world-changing battlefield victories. Then he was injured in a 1945 car crash … and died.

1. Battle of the Atlantic
   Battle of the Bulge
2. Battle of Okinawa

In December 1944, German troops launched their last major Western Front offensive. Bradley's men bore the weight of the attack and slowed it, making time for reinforcements to arrive and push back the German assault.

1. assassination of Hitler
   retreat from Europe
2. atomic bombing of Japan

With Japanese soldiers fighting to the death and the possibility of a bloody ground invasion of Japan on the horizon, Truman opted to drop two atomic bombs. Some historians say those attacks may have pushed Japan to finally surrender.

1. Woodrow Wilson
   Douglas MacArthur
2. Andrew Higgins

Eisenhower said that boat maker Andrew Higgins helped the Allies win the the war. It was the Higgins boat that allowed the Allies to launch the biggest amphibious assault in human history.

1. the Battle of Midway and D-Day
   the surrenders of both Germany and Japan
2. the atomic bombing of Japan and the flag raising at Iwo Jima

Only a small handful of human beings witnessed the surrenders of both Germany and Japan during WWII. Courtney Hodges was one of them.

1. Their pay was increased.
   They got better food.
2. They received nicer uniforms.

Pyle's depictions of the horrors of combat made an impact back home. Officials passed legislation that increased combat soldiers' pay by $10 per month.

1. Whigs
   Republican Party
2. Democratic Party

Near the end of his war, Patton said that the Nazis were basically just like any other political partly, namely the Democrats in the U.S. His disparaging remarks resulted in the end of his command.

1. Claire Chennault
   Theodore Roosevelt
2. Dwight Eisenhower

During the war, General Eisenhower became an icon, winning respect from peers and peoples around the world. He easily won the presidency after the conflict ended.