This is an article about the right to bear arms. No, that’s too corny. What if we say that it’s about the bear necessities of military morale? Nope. Scratch that. OK, how […]
Wojtek the Soldier Bear of WWII
The Incredible Story of the Deserter Who Became the Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient
When she enters the fleet sometime this year, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) will be the first of the Flight III variants Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Among the crew of this state-of-the-art ship […]
How a Traumatized Combat Vet Gave Us All a Glimpse Into the Surreal
Nothing in Rodman’s young life had prepared him for the hell in which he found himself. He grew up as the son of a grocer in a middle-class community. It was a […]
The Secret Disaster That Saved D-Day
Everyone knew the outcome of the war would be settled in Europe. For that to happen, it would require an invasion of unprecedented force. Over 7,000 ships and landing craft would have […]
The Adversary Who Made MacArthur Vomit
No one would associate General Douglas MacArthur with cowardice. One of the few men to rise to the rank of 5-star general, MacArthur was known for bravery, daring, and determination in the […]
The Failed Soviet Plan to Build a Flying Tank
Imagine that you are a soldier in World War II. In the heat of battle, your attention is focused on the advancing enemy. With no sounds to suggest any hostile aircraft are […]
The Sweet Story of Candy Instead of Bullets
The War to End All Wars was over. So was the one that came after it. It was 1949, and Edward Dee was trying to find a peacetime use for machinery that […]
America’s Lost War Against a Highly-Addictive Substance
Who could have anticipated the dire consequences of the pharmacist’s experiments? It started so innocently. Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès was participating in a challenge that was sanctioned by none other than Emperor Napoleon III. […]
Why Did Europe Get Bombed With Severed Chicken Heads?
The countries of Europe had been invaded. The attack had come swiftly, and the invaders were winning. These desperate times called for extreme measures if there was going to be any hope […]
Which War Killed One-Sixth of the World’s Population?
If you had to list the deadliest military conflicts in human history, which would take the #1 spot? The easy answer is World War II. With some estimates placing the death toll […]
A Sailor, A Prayer, and a Purposeful Life
Lieutenant King heard the alarm and rushed to duty. It was December 1944. His ship was facing its biggest battle of World War II. The mighty USS Monterey had been in service […]
The Unkillable General Adrian Carton de Wiart
In the realm of science fiction, one of the most formidable fighters of all time is a Terminator. These robotic soldiers from the future are the ultimate killing machine because they are […]
The Great Panjamdrum — the Hilarious and Horrible Failed Weapon of WWII
Necessity is the mother of invention. Few things create greater necessity than war. Consequently, some of the greatest innovations in technology have arisen out of military conflict. World War II generated great […]
How the Wizard of Oz Destroyed the Musical Career of a Famous Actor
It seemed that Christian Ludolf was destined for musical greatness. His father was a choreographer, and Christian was dancing as soon as he was able to walk. When he was ten years […]
Patton’s Pugnacious Party Pummeling
The greatest battlefield commander of the modern age was, by most accounts, General George S. Patton. His understanding of military history, instinctive grasp of technological innovation, and dogged determination rightly cemented his […]
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