KNIVES OF ULTIMATE VICTORY
It was 1944, the decisive year in the Allied march to victory against global tyranny. World War II was in its fifth year and, through setbacks, demoralizing defeat and tremendous loss, the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union had persevered against long odds to turn the tide of war. Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and imperialist Japan were decidedly on the defensive.
During the bold Allied offensive operations of 1944, American soldiers carried standard-issue knives, blades they brought from home and edged tools they acquired during their service. These knives etched their own stories in use around the world. Now, 75 years later, the precious few remaining veterans treasure their memories of a trusted weapon of war, while collectors clamor for the real thing: the knives that contributed to ultimate victory.
In 1944, Allied troops splashed onto the embattled beaches of Normandy on D-Day and fought their way across France. Operation Shingle and the landings at Anzio punctuated the campaign up the Italian boot, while bloody fighting at Monte Cassino was indicative of the Airborne Division and elements of the 10 Armored Division at Bastogne will forever be remembered as a heroic chapter in American military history.
