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World War II veterans salute as taps is played at a ceremony Friday at the Normandy American Cemetery marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

World War II veterans salute as taps is played at a ceremony Friday at the Normandy American Cemetery marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Two-Way

70 Years After A Crucial Invasion, World Honors D-Day

Some 150,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy and began the liberation of France from Nazi occupation during World War II. World leaders, including President Obama, gathered to mark the anniversary.

Hiroo Onoda, who wouldn't surrender for nearly three decades and continued to battle with villagers in the Philippines, in March 1974 after he was convinced to give up.

Hiroo Onoda, who wouldn't surrender for nearly three decades and continued to battle with villagers in the Philippines, in March 1974 after he was convinced to give up. Kyodo /Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Kyodo /Landov

The Two-Way

Japanese Soldier Who Fought On For 29 Years After WWII Dies

For nearly three decades, until 1974, Lt. Hiroo Onoda lived in a Philippine jungle. During those years he continued to battle with villagers. As many as 30 people were killed. It wasn't until his former commander ordered Onoda to lay down his arms that he surrendered. Onoda died Thursday. He was 91.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, follows a Shinto priest during his visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, follows a Shinto priest during his visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Thursday. Franck Robichon /EPA/LANDOV hide caption

itoggle caption Franck Robichon /EPA/LANDOV

The Two-Way

Japan's Abe May Have Hoped To Anger Others With Shrine Visit

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid his respects Thursday at a Shinto shrine where war criminals are among those honored. China and South Korea protested. The U.S. expressed its disappointment. Analysts say Abe's nationalist agenda may be well served by the diplomatic dust-up.

Detail of a Turing Bombe machine in Bletchley Park Museum in Bletchley, central England. The device, the brainchild of Alan Turning, was instrumental in cracking the German code during World War II.

Detail of a Turing Bombe machine in Bletchley Park Museum in Bletchley, central England. The device, the brainchild of Alan Turning, was instrumental in cracking the German code during World War II. Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters /Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

Alan Turing, Who Cracked Nazi Code, Gets Posthumous Pardon

The British mathematician, also considered the father of modern computing, committed suicide in 1954 after being convicted of "gross indecency" with another man.

The latest film from celebrated Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises, centers on the engineer who designed the plane used in the kamikaze attacks during World War II.

The latest film from celebrated Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises, centers on the engineer who designed the plane used in the kamikaze attacks during World War II. Studio Ghibli/Walt Disney hide caption

itoggle caption Studio Ghibli/Walt Disney

Parallels

Animated Film On The 'Kamikaze Plane' Hits A Nerve In Asia

The latest film from Oscar-winning Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki tells the story the engineer who designed the Mitsubishi Zero, the fighter plane used in attacks on Pearl Harbor. The Wind Rises is drawing sharp criticism from around Asia, where the wounds of World War II have yet to heal.

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The ring that finally found its way home after nearly 70 years. David Cox, an American pilot, traded it for some food while he was a prisoner of war in Germany.

The ring that finally found its way home after nearly 70 years. David Cox, an American pilot, traded it for some food while he was a prisoner of war in Germany. Courtesy of Norwood McDowell hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Norwood McDowell

The Two-Way

Journey Of The Ring: Lost In WWII, Now Back With POW's Son

In 1945, a hungry American prisoner of war in Germany traded a much-loved ring for some food. Nearly 70 years later, it has found its way to the man's family. How it got there is a good story.

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As a prisoner of war, Sub Lieut. John Pryor encrypted information and requests for supplies in letters sent from a German camp to his family in Cornwall.

As a prisoner of war, Sub Lieut. John Pryor encrypted information and requests for supplies in letters sent from a German camp to his family in Cornwall. Plymouth University hide caption

itoggle caption Plymouth University

The Two-Way

World War II Code Is Broken, Decades After POW Used It

It's been 70 years since the letters of John Pryor were understood in their full meaning. That's because as a British prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, Pryor's letters home to his family also included intricate codes that were recently deciphered by codebreakers for the first time since the 1940s.

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The names of Jeffrey Katz's family members are depicted on "stumbling stones" in Lembeck, Germany. His relatives owned a home on the property near the stones, before they were evicted in 1942.

The names of Jeffrey Katz's family members are depicted on "stumbling stones" in Lembeck, Germany. His relatives owned a home on the property near the stones, before they were evicted in 1942. Jeffrey Katz/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Jeffrey Katz/NPR

The Two-Way

A Family's Visit To Holocaust 'Stumbling Stones' Evokes Strong Emotions

When NPR's Jeffrey Katz took his family to see the stones memorializing his relatives who were victims of the Holocaust, he was struck by the "selfless dedication of a new generation of Germans who feel a responsibility to keep their memories alive."

May 7, 1945: In Frankfurt, Germany, Allied commanders including British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Soviet Marshal Gregori Zhukov and others celebrate the German surrender.

May 7, 1945: In Frankfurt, Germany, Allied commanders including British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Soviet Marshal Gregori Zhukov and others celebrate the German surrender. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

AP Apologizes For WWII-Era Firing Of Reporter

In 1945, the wire service's Edward Kennedy reported the news that Germany had surrendered. He defied military censors to do so. German authorities had reported the story and Kennedy saw no reason to wait. At the time, AP condemned his actions.