During the month of February, we pay tribute to historic contributions made by African Americans. Throughout the history of the United States, racism and segregation were motivating factors for not properly recognizing worthy people for the merits ...
4 Lesser-Known Stories From the Battle of Iwo Jima
H-Hour was set for 9AM as U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy corpsman prepared to launch an amphibious landing on the morning of Feb. 19, 1945. At sunrise, before the assault began, more than 450 ships bombarded the island in what became the largest naval ...
How Navy SEALs Are Using Skateboards and Art Therapy to Help Gold Star Families and Their Community
Stereotypes exist for a reason. When special operators leave the military, they often choose new career paths that stem from their service. This usually involves some form of government contracting, shooting or tactical ...
5 Ways the Tet Offensive Influenced Public Perception of the Vietnam War
At 3AM on Jan. 31, 1968, General Vo Nguyen Giap, a notorious North Vietnam general, led over 70,000 North Vietnamese (NVA) and Viet Cong soldiers in a simultaneous attack against more than 100 towns, villages, and cities. His targets were American ...
A Brief History of the Iranian Hostage Crisis
The history and formal relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran spans back to World War II. The Nazi influence swept through Europe and all major regions across the world. In order to counter this, U.S. allies — ...
6 Legendary Prohibition Showdowns Between Gangsters, Lawmen, Rum Runners, & Bootleggers
The Roaring Twenties weren’t as glamorous as they’re often portrayed in movies and on TV. The arrival of the Jazz Age on the social scene, the Harlem Renaissance that embraced artistic expression, and the boom in economic prosperity were some of the ...
A Brief History Of The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Knife
Every badass commando needs their own fighting knife. When the battle gets up-close and personal, all the rules are thrown out and it’s anything goes. When a suitable blade doesn’t exist, you get one made. On Nov. 4, 1940, John “Jack” ...
The Boston Tea Party: How Coffee Became the Official Morning Beverage of America
How does one start a revolution? It begins with a group of like-minded individuals who are bold enough to carry out an action against a superior entity, ultimately to change control of power. In the days of the American Revolution, these individuals ...
Inside the Secret Intelligence War That Led to Pearl Harbor
The morning’s forecast determined by the U.S. weather station in downtown Honolulu was 73 degrees with partly cloudy skies and clear visibility — a typical Sunday on the Hawaiian Islands. The Honolulu Advertiser printed the headline, “F.D.R. Will ...
The Incredible True Story of How the Heir to Walmart Served in MACV-SOG in Vietnam
The next time you are browsing the aisles at Walmart, just think to yourself that the son of Sam Walton, the founder of the retail giant, was involved in special operations during the Vietnam War. Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and ...
The Daring Vietnam War Hostage Rescue Mission That Only MACV-SOG Could Pull Off
Five hours before launch, Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons stood in front of his handpicked assault force of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers and said, “You are to let nothing — nothing — interfere with the operation. Our mission is to rescue ...
19 Badass Americans Who Were Awarded Multiple Medals of Honor
Nineteen servicemen have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice. Fourteen have been awarded the medal for two separate events. The U.S. Navy is the most awarded branch with eight sailors, some receiving the award not for combat heroism but life-saving ...
5 US Marines Who Went Above & Beyond the Call of Duty
The U.S. Marine Corps is rooted in tradition, discipline, and legacy — both on and off the battlefield. For their 244th birthday, we put together a short but noble list of badass Devil Dogs that you may not have heard of before! From Marine ...
Game Review: Does ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ Live Up to the Hype?
Every year, gamers anticipate what “Call of Duty” is going to deliver. The much anticipated reboot of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” certainly has substance behind the hype. Players will experience an engaging campaign — when Captain Price says, ...
The True Story of Mary Edwards Walker, the Only Female Medal of Honor Recipient
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker didn’t have just one title, although her name would suggest otherwise. She was a trailblazer for women’s rights, education equality, fashion, and medicine. She is recognized as the only female Medal of Honor recipient, but ...
7 Badasses in the U.S. Navy — Who Aren’t SEALs!
U.S. Navy SEALs have a long and extraordinary history of valor, heroism, and badassery. Their reputation has enjoyed the limelight on bookshelves and in movie theaters around the world — while other units and legendary exploits are tucked away into ...
The Story of Francis Currey: World War II Medal of Honor Recipient, One-Man Army, G.I. Joe
Francis Currey, one of the last three living World War II Medal of Honor recipients, died Tuesday, Oct. 8 at his home in upstate New York. Currey was responsible for rescuing a pinned-down platoon of anti-tank soldiers, the elimination of an enemy ...
The Definitive List of Every Hispanic American Medal of Honor Recipient…Ever
National Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15 and lasts until October 15. Throughout history, Hispanic servicemen have faced discrimination in the form of racism, segregation, and language barriers. It was sometimes difficult for them to ...
8 US Air Force Badasses You Should Know About
Today is the anniversary of when the U.S. Army Air Corps transitioned into the U.S. Air Force 72 years ago on Sept. 18, 1947. The recent video of Medal of Honor recipient John Chapman, a combat controller who risked his life to save his teammates on ...
The Shetland Bus: Norway’s Only Hope During World War II
In the early weeks of April 1940, the first combat air assault in history saw German paratroopers, or Fallschirmjägers, leap from Junkers Ju-52s onto Aalborg Airport in Denmark and the Sola Air Station in Norway. Nazi Germany launched Operation ...
Volunteering to Die: Witold Pilecki’s Firsthand Account From Inside Auschwitz
Have you ever had to make a decision that puts your life in danger? For 39-year-old Polish Home Army Captain Witold Pilecki (pronounced Vee-told Pee-lets-kee), a choice made at dawn on Sept. 19, 1940, put his fate directly in the hands of Nazis. ...
A Brief — But Impressive — History of the US Coast Guard
Before the U.S. Coast Guard was hunting down narco-drug traffickers in submersible submarines and using advanced Search And Rescue (SAR) technology like high-frequency coastal radar and Sikorsky helicopters, the early heroes of the U.S. Life-Saving ...
The Forgotten Ones: 5 Fascinating Stories from the Korean War
Time Magazine reported on the Korean War Armistice agreement in August 1953, a week after its signing on July 27. “A correspondent asked a British officer whether the Commonwealth Division would celebrate with the traditional fireworks,” the author ...
The Courier From Warsaw: Jan Jeziorański-Nowak’s Fight For Polish Independence
Zdzisław Jeziorański, Jan Kwiatkowski, codename “Janek,” codename “Zych,” Jan Nowak — these were a handful of noms de guerre used by the famed Courier of Warsaw while working for the Polish Underground during World War II. His journeys took him ...
The Daring Exploits of Virginia Hall, World War II’s Most Notorious Spy
Operating undercover as an Allied spy was stressful work. They disguised themselves as ordinary citizens, developing false identities, documents, and cover stories while building trust amongst networks forged in secrecy through ...
The Japanese-American Who Was Merrill’s Marauders Eyes and Ears on the Battlefield
Survival was a long shot for the 600 remaining soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). Codename Galahad, the famed Merrill's Marauders were the first American troops to fight the Japanese in Asia, and are the predecessors of ...
The Donut Dollies Brought Coffee & Donuts to the Front Lines from World War II to Vietnam
Inspired by the Salvation Army's Donut Lassies who contributed morale services during World War I, National Donut Day was established in 1938. The American Red Cross (ARC) has kept the tradition alive by bringing delicious donuts to American troops ...
8 Fascinating Stories Surrounding D-Day You Probably Didn’t Know About
On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we remember the stories of those who contributed to the largest seaborne invasion in history on June 6, 1944. Most people are familiar with the story — movies have been made about the epic invasion since a few years ...
The Real Story Behind ‘The Bridge On The River Kwai’
“The Bridge on the River Kwai” won Best Picture and six other Oscar nods from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences at the 1958 Academy Awards. What the film did not win was the respect and admiration from members of the Far East Prisoners ...
To Hell and Back Again: The Epic Adventures of British Commando Freddy Spencer Chapman
Three years and five months spent in the Malayan jungle battling typhus, pneumonia, blackwater fever, cerebral malaria — two weeks of which was spent in a coma — represent half of the battles British commando Freddy Spencer Chapman faced during his ...