Samantha Franco

Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder!

linkedin.com/in/samantha-v-franco

Articles by Samantha Franco:

USS Barb (SS-220): The Gato-Class Submarine That ‘Sunk’ a Train In Japan

USS Barb (SS-220) at sea

The USS Barb (SS-220) was a US Navy submarine that became highly decorated after successfully sinking 96,628 tons of enemy shipping during her service in World…

Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam

Lockheed AC-130 in flight

The Lockheed AC-130 is a special operations gunship that can trace its history back to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Over its nearly 60 years of…

The Short-Lived Service Career of the Lockheed A-12

Lockheed A-12 in flight

The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…

The F-14 Tomcat: A Fighter Made For Top Gun Pilots

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was an American carrier-capable supersonic two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. It served more than 34 years of fleet service and…

Tomahawk Missiles: A Modular, Incredibly Accurate And Brutally Lethal Weapon

Tomahawk Missile image

The Tomahawk missile first joined the US Navy fleet in 1983 and following multiple recertifications, has continued to be an integral weapon for ship and…

Why The RAH-66 Comanche Was Doomed From The Start

The RAH-66 mid-flight

The RAH-66 Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat armed reconnaissance helicopter that couldn’t meet its high expectations. With intended missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack, and…

US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s

US Navy sailor firing an M16 rifle

The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…

The Spencer Repeating Rifle Saved ‘A Thousand Lives’ During the Battle of Hoover’s Gap

Spencer Repeating Rifle + John T. Wilder

When the Spencer Repeating Rifle was first recommended to the US Department of War, it was turned away due to the notion it would be…

USS New York (BB-34): The Only US Ship to Sink a German U-boat In WWI

Naval guns firing on the deck of the USS New York (BB-34)

The USS New York (BB-34) was a US Navy battleship and the lead vessel of her class. Named after the state of New York, she was…

George Preddy Jr: The American Ace Shot Down By Friendly Fire During the Battle of the Bulge

George Preddy Jr. holding up his hands

George “Ratsy” Preddy Jr. was a US Army Air Forces officer and Air Ace credited with downing 32 1/2 enemy aircraft. This made him not…