History of the United States Army that captured North Africa and Sicily and later fought in Italy. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, and in the subsequent liberation of Europe and defeat of Nazi Germany, millions of U.S. Army troops played a central role. In the Pacific, Army soldiers participated alongside the U.S. Marine Corps in the "island hopping" campaign that wrested the Pacific Islands from Japanese control. Following the Axis surrenders in May (Germany) and August (Japan) of 1945, Army troops were deployed to Japan and Germany to occupy the two defeated nations. The U.S. Army Air Force, which was an outgrowth of the earlier Army
Lāčplēsis Day national epic, Lāčplēsis. Lāčplēsis Day Lāčplēsis Day () is a memorial day for soldiers who fought for the independence of Latvia. It is celebrated on November 11 marking the victory over the West Russian Volunteer Army – a joint Russian-German volunteer force led by the warlord Pavel Bermondt-Avalov – at the Battle of Riga in 1919 during the Latvian War of Independence. A popular Lāčplēsis Day tradition since 1988 is placing candles on and by the wall of Riga Castle. The name of the memorial day is related to Order of Lāčplēsis, which in turn is named for the protagonist