This article by Matt Fratus was originally published by Coffee or Die. Col. Ralph Parr retired from the US Air Force in 1976 with 10 Distinguished Flying Cross medals and 41 air medals — each an indication of bravery from flying in 641 combat missions during three wars. The double ace who downed 10 enemy aircraft […]
Five of the most hilarious shootout scenes in movie history
LifestyleThis article by Mac Caltrider was originally published by Coffee or Die. There’s something great about mixing violence and comedy. Stirring gore and laughs into the same pot is why horror and comedy often go hand in hand; think Army of Darkness, What We Do in the Shadows, and Zombieland. In the same way that some of the best zombie […]
‘We’ve been kickin’ ass for 200 years’: Why ‘Stripes’ is a classic
LifestyleThis article by Carl Forsling was originally published by Coffee or Die. As you get older, you find various benchmarks that tell you how old you’re getting. You can run laps and lift weights to fool Father Time for a while. But sooner or later, you’ll tell a young person that “If I catch any of you […]
Nuclear bazookas and mines? Six warheads of the Cold War
HistoryThis article by Carl Forsling was originally published by Coffee or Die. In the United States of the 1950s and 1960s, there were a few things you could count on: poodle skirts, sock hops, rock ’n’ roll … and the ever-present specter of nuclear Armageddon. The technological innovation of the rocket age brought the intercontinental ballistic […]
The fascinating history behind the president’s nuclear football
HistoryThis article by Matt Fratus was originally published by Coffee or Die. The “nuclear football” is guarded by a senior military aide-de-camp and kept in close proximity to the US president whenever he is away from the White House. Following World War II, nuclear weapons were a new reality of the world’s superpowers, and when the […]
Five USMC Scout Snipers and what the job means to them
LifestyleThis article by Ethan E. Rocke was originally published by Coffee or Die. United States Marine Corps Scout Snipers are legendary for their tactical proficiency, physical and mental toughness, and extraordinary abilities as reconnaissance and surveillance professionals and force multipliers on the battlefield. Unlike other military jobs or similar operators in other branches, which isolate particular […]
Update from the war zone in Ukraine as fighting escalates
Military AffairsThis article by Nolan Peterson was originally published by Coffee or Die. Standing in the garden of her home on the outskirts of this front-line Ukrainian town, Nastya Troitskaya points over the wall in the direction of the trenches and says: “When the shelling gets really loud, the children always cry. I try my best to […]
‘These guys are nasty’ — inside the new infantry Marine course
Military AffairsThis article by James R. Webb was originally published by Coffee or Die. As Chief Warrant Officer A.J. Pasciuti led a patrol of instructors hunting his students in a steep Camp Pendleton valley, his objective was clear: They were going to find these kids, and they were going to kill ’em. Well, that wasn’t quite […]
Five great aircraft that never made it into service
HistoryThis article by Carl Forsling was originally published by Coffee or Die. Sometimes aircraft are just a bit too awesome for service in the US military. There are many mundane reasons why some outwardly amazing planes don’t end up in service. Sometimes, the excuses are simple: Budgets got cut. Other times, they’re more complicated. Maintenance […]
New World War I Memorial unveiled in “first colors” ceremony
HistoryThis article by by Mac Caltrider was originally published by Coffee or Die. It’s been more than 100 years since Pvt. Henry Gunther fixed his bayonet and fatefully charged a German machine-gun nest. He was acting alone, trying desperately to salvage a tarnished reputation. As both Americans and Germans cried out for Gunther to stop, he […]
