World War II was the most destructive conflict in history. It cost more money, damaged more property, killed more people, and caused more far-reaching changes than any other war in history. Check out these 10 interesting facts about World War II that you might not know...
1. President Roosevelt used Al Capone’s Limousine
On the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Secret Service realized they did not have a have a bulletproof car to transport President Roosevelt safely to Congress to deliver his Infamy Speech. A quick thinking Secret Service agent realized that the U.S. Treasury had seized the bulletproof limo of Al Capone in 1931.
The car was still in working condition and safely transported the president to Congress. President Roosevelt reportedly quipped, “I hope Mr. Capone won’t mind.”
2. Youngest serviceman in World War II
Calvin Graham was the youngest U.S. serviceman, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Navy at age 12 in 1942, it wasn’t until after he was wounded that his real age was discovered.
3. American radio DJs were prohibited during World War II
In 1942, American radio DJs were prohibited from taking listener requests. The government feared that enemy spies would embed secret messages.
4. The term Third Reich was first used by German author Arthur Moeller van den Bruck in 1923
The term Third Reich was first used by German author Arthur Moeller van den Bruck in his 1923 book
Das Dritte Reich (“The Third Reich”). His book heavily influenced the Nazi party.
Moeller van den Bruck wrote that there were two previous Reichs:
- The First Reich was the Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)
- The Second Reich was the German Empire of 1871-1918
5. The SS ran a brothel named “The Kitty Salon”
The SS ran a brothel named “The Kitty Salon,” that was frequented by foreign diplomats. They gathered intelligence by wiretapping it and training the prostitutes on how to get information from clients.
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