Homefront Hugs Foundation

06/01/2026

USAAF SGT Charles Markowitz went Missing off of Japan on May 29, 1945, he was 19 years old…

Born on October 4, 1925 in New York City to Philip & Ida Markowitz, Charles Markowitz had a brother & sister. Their father Philip was from Russia, their mother Ida was from Poland, they immigrated separately and met & married in the USA.

Markowitz was enrolled in college when he enlisted in the USAAF in 1944 and was trained as a gunner. Sent to the Pacific, he served with the 62nd Bombardment Squadron, 39th Bombardment Group on Guam.

On May 29, 1945, Markowitz was the tail gunner on B-29 44-69889 "Slic Chic" on a bombing mission to Yokahama Japan with a crew of eleven. Over the target the B-29 was hit by flak, after loosing two engines they decided to ditch around 120 miles offshore.

The crew dumped as many loose items as possible overboard and opened all the escape hatches. According to a crewmember on a fellow B-29, they performed a beautiful open water landing with full flaps, but the B-29 broke into three sections on impact and started to sink.

Of the eleven man crew only seven survived to be rescued by a USN submarine, "Slic Chic" was one of seven B-29’s lost on that mission.

SGT Charles Markowitz was one of the four who didn’t survive, he was later declared Missing and is Memorialized at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.

Thanks Tyler Godfrey for the picture restoration

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

“We are all Jews.”
This is the incredible story of U.S. Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds during WWII. He was captured by the Germans and held at Stalag IXA camp in Germany with other prisoners of war (POWs), including Jewish POWs. Edmonds, who was put in charge of the POWs in the camp and not Jewish himself, refused to comply when the Germans ordered the Jewish prisoners to report in January 1945. He instructed every POW to come together in front of the barracks, not revealing who was Jewish. When the German commander saw all the POWs reporting, he protested, “They cannot all be Jews.” Edmonds replied: “We are all Jews.” Even under threat of death, he refused, and the German commander backed down, saving lives.

Photo from Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center

05/26/2026

Efforts include better assessment of canine traumatic brain injury and even finding common medical treatments for both humans and dogs.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day we remember our chaplains and veterans of all faiths who represent the strength and shared humanity of our nation.

May their memories forever be a blessing.

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

What does living your best life mean to you? Freedom Endures.

05/25/2026

Sacrifices never forgotten

Today, we remember all the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the United States, including countless Latino service members whose courage has shaped American history, since before the Revolutionary War.

This commemorative stamp was issued on October 31, 1984, in Washington, D.C. At the time of the stamp's issuance, 37 Hispanic Americans had received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. government. Today, there are more than 60 Hispanic/Latino Medal of Honor recipients.

Learn more about the Latino Patriots that have served in the armed forces in our Learning Lab: https://s.si.edu/LatinoPatriots.

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Hoy, recordamos a todos los hombres y mujeres que han dado su vida por los Estados Unidos, incluyendo a innumerables militares latinos cuyo valor ha marcado la historia estadounidense desde antes de la Guerra de Independencia.

Este sello postal conmemorativo se emitió el 31 de octubre de 1984 en Washington, D.C. En ese momento, 37 hispano americanos habían recibido la Medalla de Honor, la máxima condecoración militar otorgada por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Hoy, hay más de 60 hispanos/latinos que han recibido la Medalla de Honor.

Conoce más sobre los patriotas latinos que han servido en las fuerzas armadas en nuestro Laboratorio de Aprendizaje: https://s.si.edu/LatinoPatriots.

© United States Postal Service (USPS). All rights reserved.

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to this country.

Originally known as “Decoration Day,” this observance began in the years following the American Civil War, when communities across the nation gathered to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. What started as a local act of remembrance became a national day of reflection — formally recognized as Memorial Day in 1971.

But beyond its history, Memorial Day is a living reminder.

It calls us to remember not only the sacrifice, but the humanity behind it — the lives, the families, the stories, and the futures that were given in the name of freedom.

As Maya Angelou so powerfully reminded us, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes.”

In honoring those who have fallen, we are also called to live with intention — to build a world rooted in dignity, compassion, and unity.

Because remembrance is not passive. It is something we carry forward.

🇺🇸 Today, we remember. Always, we honor.

05/25/2026

Honoring all the members of our armed forces who gave what President Abraham Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion," Memorial Day is one of the most important and solemn days on the National Mall. Across 250 years of American history, starting with those who fell while fighting alongside General George Washington in the Revolutionary War to recent conflicts, we will never forget our heroes. The military memorials on the National Mall are stunning tributes to hundreds of thousands of people who laid down their lives for freedom. Today we lay wreaths at these special places, but every day, walking past stone walls and metal statues, we recognize the loved and lost and offer the thanks of a grateful nation.

Photo by National Park Service.