Valor | War History

Bell X-1: America’s Experimental Rocket-Powered Aircraft That First Broke the Sound Barrier

Bell X-1 in flight

The Bell X-1 was a rocket-powered aircraft designed by Bell for a supersonic joint research project between the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and…

Henschel Hs 129 :The Luftwaffe’s Soaring Tank Buster Armed With a 75 mm Cannon

Sky at sunrise + Drawing of a Henschel Hs 129

As tank warfare evolved and became a key strategy during the interwar period, the German Wehrmacht envisioned a new kind of blitzkrieg – one that…

‘More Than Fitting’ – Mel Gibson Speaks Out About Fort Benning Being Renamed for Hal and Julie Moore

Mel Gibson as Hal Moore in 'We Were Soldiers'

Throughout the last few years, the US government and military have worked together to formulate a plan regarding the renaming of streets, installations and vehicles…

Harry Belafonte Narrowly Missed One of WWII’s Deadliest Disasters On US Soil

Portrait of Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte passed away in April 2023, ending a decades-spanning career that forever changed the faces of music, cinema and activism. Prior to becoming a…

The Red Army Recruited Blind Citizens During the Siege of Leningrad

Silhouette of soldiers manning a sound detector

The Red Army turned to desperate measures following Operation Barbarossa, as they were outnumbered. In one instance, they deployed camels, instead of horses, during the…

National Emergency Command Post Afloat: The ‘Floating White Houses’ for Times of Nuclear War

USS Wright (CC-2) at sea + Mushroom cloud rising into the sky

During the 1960s, America’s Continuity of Operations plans included the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA). It was one of three parts – airborne, ground…

‘The Battle of Algiers’ Is So Realistic That Guerrilla Groups Took Training Notes From It

Samantha Franco
French paratroopers marching along a street + Close-up of a man's face

The Battle of Algiers (1966) is a powerful and provocative film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. It covers the Algerian struggle for independence from French colonial…

‘Last Post’ Memorial In Ypres Undergoing Two-Year Restoration

Exterior of the Menin Gate

After a century of battling the elements, the Menin Gate in Belgium is about to get some well-earned rest and recuperation. The monument dedicated to…

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star: The Only US Jet Fighter to See Action In WWII – During Secret Operations In Italy

Lockheed P-80A-1-LO Shooting Star in flight

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, also known as the F-80, was the first jet fighter used operationally by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). While…

The ‘M*A*S*H’ Death That Stunned America

Cast of 'M*A*S*H'

In an episode titled “Abyssinia, Henry,” the producers of M*A*S*H (1972-83) decided that McLean Stevenson’s character, Henry Blake, was to depart from the show. It…

No. 1426 Flight RAF Flew German Aircraft Decked Out In Royal Air Force Insignia

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 in flight

In September 1942, Rachel and Eddie Jones were enjoying the warm weather at their home near Romsey, England. Rachel had formed a keen interest in…

Yousuf Sediq: The Afghan Interpreter and Special Forces Operator Who Fought Against the Taliban

US Army soldiers shielding their eyes from sand and debris

Over the course of the War in Afghanistan, between 50,000 and 76,000 Afghan interpreters worked alongside the American and coalition forces. They all risked their…