Jesse Beckett

Jesse Beckett is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Jesse Beckett:

5 ‘Old Hollywood’ Celebrities Who Worked With The OSS To Fight Our Enemies

Julia Child

The Office of Strategic Services, better known as the OSS, was the United States intelligence agency during WWII. It was shut down promptly after the…

Did You Know the US Marine Corps Owns Part of Route 66?

Barstow US 66

The 2,500 miles long Route 66 is one of the most famous stretches of road in the world and has become a symbol of American…

Adolf’s Nephew Moved to America, Joined the Navy, and Fought Against Him

US Naval Institute and William Hitler

Adolf Hitler may have been able to convince millions of his twisted ideologies, but he was unable to get members of his own family on…

Aloysius Schmitt: The US Navy Chaplain Awarded the Silver Star for Saving 12 Sailors at Pearl Harbor

Rescue crews standing atop the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) + Military portrait of Aloysius Schmitt

Regardless of religious practices, chaplains are critical to military operations. They support troops, ensure religious needs are met and negotiate peace with local religious leaders.…

The Most Unforgiving Battlefield Conditions in Military History

Passchendaele Photo

When discussing battles throughout the history of warfare, the participants and the equipment and tactics they used are usually the focus. However, the actual physical…

How Three Canadian Soldiers Saved an Abandoned Baby During WWII

Mary Crabb adopted

Even during a war, special things can happen. For 80-year-old Mary Crabb, she was once part of a WWII miracle, thanks to three Canadian soldiers.…

David McCampbell: The Legendary Flying Ace Who Took Out 600+ Enemy Aircraft With His CAG-15

David Campbell Flying Ace

David McCampbell was an American WWII flying ace who holds a number of impressive achievements. Not only is he the top F6F Hellcat ace, but…

During the Vietnam War, the CIA Paid Spies with Products from the Sears Catalog

Sometimes the most interesting aspects of military operations are the small logistical matters that are often overlooked. An example of this is how the CIA…

The Polish And Germans Fought On Horseback In WWII In One Of The Last Calvary Battles

Polish Cavalry 1930s

Despite the lessons learned in WWI and the decades of military modernization since then, sword-wielding Polish and German cavalrymen clashed on horseback in a fierce…

Charlie Beckwith: How The Father Of Delta Force Formed The Elite Fighting Group

Delta Force in Iraq in 1991

In the 1960s, Charlie Beckwith from the US military helped set up and lead an elite force of troops akin to the British SAS. Code-named…

The Soviet-Era Mutiny That Inspired ‘The Hunt For Red October’

Image of a ship similar to Storozhevoy, with inset of Sean Connery

Small-scale rebellions against governments rarely work out well for the revolutionaries, and this is exactly the case for Valery Sablin, an officer in the Soviet…

The Importance of Army ‘Camp Followers’ Before Modern Day Military Logistics

Camp Followers

Before modern military logistics, armies often relied on camp followers. Camp followers were unenlisted people, usually soldiers’ families or relatives, who willingly traveled with an…