On this day in history, March 7, 1945, General Courtney Hodges’s First Army seized the opportunity to capture the last intact bridge across the Rhine River. Lt. Carl Timmerman, at the risk of having the bridge explode with them on it, led his men across under a barrage of heavy machine-gun fire. Though Army Engineers desperately removed explosives and repaired damage, the Ludendorff Bridge endured relentless assault. For 10 days, the First Army defended it against swimming saboteurs and 367 host

On this day in 1945, as Amsterdam celecrated its liberation, German sailors of the Kriegsmarine opened fire on a crowd. A German officer and Dutch Resistance commander managed to convince the sailors to lay down their arms. Tragically, this intervention came too late for some. On the brink of peace, 120 people were injured and 22 perished. | AFN Wiesbaden

43K views · 1.6K reactions | On this day in 1945, Victory in Europe was achieved when the official ceasefire took effect one minute past midnight. President Harry Truman dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor but described it as a victory only half won. Victory Day is a recognized holiday in 30 countries around the world. | AFN Wiesbaden | Facebook