Most People Have Never Seen These 18 Photos Taken During WWII In Kentucky

World War II was a hard time in Kentucky and the rest of the U.S. The young men were signing up and shipping out, while the women worked and raised the children. The Great Depression has left many a scar on our beautiful land, and healing came slow. Despite the strain on our nation,  the military camps continued to take care of the soldiers and POWs. Thankfully, physical war didn’t come to Kentucky during WWII, but hundreds of trainees, wounded and POWs did.

Here are 18 military images taken during WWII in Kentucky:

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This soldier cleans the air filter on one of the vehicles, helping to ensure it continues running smoothly.

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Some soldiers got to use bigger guns then the Garand, and a lot more bullets, like this young gunner.

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This was a POW camp chow hall during lunch for the German detainees. Nobody went hungry.

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With so many new recruits coming in for training, more power was needed on the grounds. This man was part of a crew making connections for military personnel.

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The flag waved high in the air during 1942, when the country was war torn and still struggling from the Depression.

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The young soldier carefully takes aim with his Army issued rifle.

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This young infantryman also uses a Garand rifle as he works on training exercises as if in action.

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All tanks weren’t heavy, as seen when this lighter model goes through water obstacle training.

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This is how the tank driver sees to drive in a M3. A small armored window the size of a shoebox.

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These heavy tanks can really move when the soldiers need them to.

Army arch

An LST building replicated the deck of a ship to help prepare soldiers for water warfare. Army

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The tank is moving through Fort Knox on a sunny afternoon.

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This proud commander was stationed at Fort Knox.

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These soldiers are taking a break and posing but the dirt/grease on their face shows they’ve been hard at work.

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This shows the tank crew working on small weapons maneuvers in case the tank ever becomes disabled.

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The line of tanks was impressive in its day. The ground shook as they rumbled past according to veterans.

47th Armored Medical Battalion

This was a military ambulance of sorts during 1942. The simplicity of the design is quite appealing.

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This tank seems to be stuck teetering on the edge of an overhang.

Almost every one of these Kentucky photographs has the face of a war hero in it. Many of these soldiers were in training or healing during their stay at our military camps. We should remember them all with honor, for their generation is almost lost to us. These images remind us of a time when life was very different, as was war. If you have any pictures from WWII, please share in comments.