Remembering Saipan: The battle that reshaped the Pacific
Nine days after D-Day, on June 15, 1944, the Battle of Saipan erupted on the other side of the world – and it would prove just as pivotal.
Is ‘The Pacific’ better than ‘Band of Brothers’?
Both “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” are masterclass mini-series and represent some of the best TV ever made.
5 last-ditch weapons created by a desperate Nazi Germany
These last-ditch weapons tell a story of fear and desperation, and were a clear sign that the Allies were winning.
Is the ‘Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ worth watching?
Based on real events and heroes, the “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is a great popcorn action flick.
Celebrating the highest military honor in the US
First established in 1862, a year before the Civil War, the Medal of Honor and how it can be earned, has changed over time.
3 myths about Nazi technology the internet won’t let die
Tales of Nazi moon landings and even secret lunar bases resurface every few years. But these stories about Nazi technology don’t hold ground.
Inside the decade-long quest to bring a missing Tuskegee Airman home
This DoD agency brings home dozens of MIA troops every year. Here’s just one story demonstrating the sleuthing required to get this job done.
Ted Williams: Greatness on the baseball diamond and in the cockpit
Today’s sports landscape can make fans pine for a time before free agency, athletes holding out and faking injuries, and contract disputes over deals well north of $300 million. With it being baseball season, let’s take a look back at a player that embodied just about everything great about athletics and service in the “old […]
John Singlaub, American commando and leader, dies at 100
Major General (Retired) John Singlaub, a legendary commando who left his impact on the U.S. special operations community, passed away aged 100.
HOW ONE UNUSUAL VEHICLE HELPED CREATE AMERICA’S SPECIAL FORCES
The First Special Service Force all started because an eccentric British inventor wanted to create a vehicle that could traverse the snow quickly in support of the war effort. The creation of this vehicle was called Project Plough and was thought to be strategically important for attacking targets in snow-covered Norway. It’s a bizarre story […]
CSM KENNETH “ROCK” MERRITT, A LEGENDARY PARATROOPER
If you ever visit Fort Bragg and the headquarters of the 18th Airborne Corps, you’re bound to hear someone talk or see something about Command Sergeant Major Kenneth “Rock” Merritt, a legendary paratrooper who dedicated 35 years of his life to service for America. CSM Merritt fought in World War Two as a paratrooper and saw […]
FLAG DAY AND HISTORY MADE IN IWO JIMA
Flag Day is an annual holiday celebrated on June 14. Established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to celebrate the centenary of the creation of the American flag, Flag Day is usually celebrated with parades and festivities across the country. But for the troops, Flag Day, and particularly the American flag, has a stronger meaning. For […]
HOW HITLER’S SS PULLED OFF HISTORY’S LARGEST BANK ROBBERY
Since the end of World War Two, stories about the hidden treasures of the Nazis have captivated the imagination of ordinary people and treasure hunters the world around. Although stories about mythical treasures have been greatly exaggerated throughout the years, the Nazis had managed to amass large numbers of gold, currency, valuables, and artwork during […]
THE FORGOTTEN CODE BREAKING WOMEN OF WWII
While much of World War II is well known and documented, there are stories and people who have all but slipped through the narrative cracks over the years. Does the name Virginia Aderholt sound familiar? She was actually the first American to learn that the war had come to an end. She received the intercepted […]
‘GREYHOUND’ IS A MASTERFUL TALE OF WAR AT SEA IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OF WWII
I served in the U.S. Navy, but never in the “regular” Navy. I was part of a very small community within the Navy that performed decidedly non-“big Navy” operations. I did do some time on a handful of big Navy ships, but never enough time to become a shellback (one who has crossed the equator, as juxtaposed to a polliwog, […]
LT. THOMAS CONWAY, CHAPLAIN WHO FOUGHT OFF SHARKS, RECEIVES NAVY CROSS
Lieutenant Thomas Conway, a Navy chaplain, was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in the last days of World War 2. On July 30, 1945, Lt. Conway was a Catholic priest assigned to the USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser, that was sailing from Guam to Okinawa in preparation […]
HAPPY VE DAY! HERE’S WHY WE CELEBRATE
On May 8 each year, nations all over the world, especially in the UK and America, celebrate VE Day–but with so many different holidays on the calendar, it can be easy to get why we celebrate each one confused. Here’s a brief primer on what VE Day is, and why it’s worth raising a toast to. […]