Shahan Russell

Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Shahan Russell:

When Pirates Kidnapped Julius Caesar He Laughed at Their Ransom Demands & Told Them To Ask for More

Long ago a 25-year-old Roman author, poet, priest, and aristocrat was kidnapped by pirates. Rather than plead for his release, however, he ordered them to…

Ira Hayes – Iwo Jima Flag Raiser & Very Reluctant Hero

Ira Hamilton Hayes was one of five men who helped raise the American flag over Mt. Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima on…

Over There: US Army World War One Footage in Color

During the First and Second World Wars, the defining factions in both conflicts were the Allies and their opponents; the Kaiser and his forces in…

The Wacko Story of Jumpin’ Joe Beyrle – The US Paratrooper who Served in a Soviet Tank Battalion a Hero of Two Nations

War sometimes creates strange circumstances. The following story is about a soldier who became a hero of two nations. Joseph Robert Beyrle was born on…

The Commando Raids On The Norwegian Coast That Tied Up 30,000 German Soldiers

In 1941, Britain raided Nazi-occupied Norway, making use of a new and still untested force – British Commandos. The aim was to boost British morale and…

Vietnam Green Beret Had 37 Separate Bullet, Bayonet, & Shrapnel Wounds & Still He Carried On Fighting

Master Sergeant Raul “Roy” Perez Benavidez was shot several times, suffered two grenade blasts, and got bayonetted while saving the lives of eight men. Despite…

Hanns Scharff – Nazi Germany’s POW “Master Interrogator” Who Used Kindness Not Brutality

The Nazis had a “Master Interrogator” who was so good at getting information out of prisoners that he became a legend. His methods were so…

In WW2, This USAAF pilot defected, he flew his P-38 to Milan & joined the SS

During WWII, an American pilot defected to Nazi Germany. Despite this, he was allowed to reenlist in the US military. Martin James Monti was born…

Japanese Schindler Helped 5,580 Jews Escape The Holocaust Ended Up Selling Lightbulbs To Survive

Although Japan was one of the Axis Powers during WWII, one Japanese diplomat did his best to mitigate the horrors of his country’s ally, Nazi…

The US Special Forces Major Who Fought in the SS

Some men choose sides, others choose battles, and others fight regardless of the side or battle. One such man not only fought for three different…

When He Was Awarded the Medal of Honor For Bravery, The US Locked His Japanese Parents Up In An Internment Camp

George “Joe” Taro Sakato is a second-generation-born American of Japanese descent, which was why his family had to relocate during WWII. Despite this, he joined…

The Man who Lead the Last American Bayonet Charge

The grizzled-looking redhead, complete with a handlebar mustache, charged with his men. Their enemy did not stand a chance as they had very sophisticated weapons…