Here are some fascinating lesser-known facts and people from World War II:

Sergeant Irving Becker - An Austrian-born Jewish soldier who served in the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint US-Canadian commando unit. While he fought for the Allies, his parents tragically died in Auschwitz in 1944. Becker and his fellow "Forcemen" were remarkably effective, being responsible for capturing or killing nearly 20,000 German soldiers.

Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) - Over 1,000 women pilots served in this program, ferrying military aircraft across the United States. Despite the inherent dangers of their work, which claimed 38 lives, these women were denied military benefits. One notable WASP was Hazel Ying Lee, one of the first Chinese American women pilots, who tragically died in an air crash in 1944.

Navy Flight Nurse Jane Kendeigh - Made history as one of the first flight nurses to land on Iwo Jima during active combat. She and her fellow nurses evacuated 2,393 men from the battlefield.

Lawton Shank - A civilian doctor on Wake Island who, after Japanese forces captured the island, voluntarily stayed behind to care for American prisoners of war. He paid the ultimate price for his dedication when the Japanese executed him along with 97 others in 1943.

Captain Henry T. Elrod - A Marine aviator who single-handedly defended Wake Island for two weeks after Pearl Harbor. Flying alone, he attacked 22 enemy bombers, shot down two, and even managed to sink a Japanese destroyer. After all American aircraft were destroyed, he organized beach defenses until he was killed on December 23, 1941. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Industrial Casualties - While much attention is given to military casualties, the war effort claimed many lives on the home front too. About 8.9 million labor accidents occurred during the war in American factories, resulting in over 75,000 deaths.