Valor | War History

Clergyman Prays for Fallen GIs During the Battle of Ie-Shima

Clergyman praying while American servicemen watch from behind

The Battle of Ie-Shima from April 16-21, 1945 was a crucial engagement in the Pacific Theater during the latter stages of World War II. Fought…

The Tragically Short Career of NASA Test Pilot Joe Walker

Joe Walker standing beside the Bell X-1E 'Little Joe'

Joe Walker is a name that resonates with the pioneering spirit of aerospace exploration. He was a celebrated NASA test pilot whose contributions to spaceflight…

Ryan FR-1 Fireball: The US Navy’s First Jet-Engine Fighter Was Also the Worst Aircraft of World War II

Ryan FR-1 Fireball in flight

The Ryan FR-1 Fireball was an American fighter designed by Ryan Aeronautical for the US Navy during the Second World War. It was a mixed-power…

Germany Used Circus Elephants to Clean Up Following the Allied Bombings of Hamburg

Circus elephants Mary and Kieri moving a damaged vehicle from a ruined building in Hamburg

The image above features Mary from Burma and Kieri from Ceylon, elephants who were brought to the Hamburg Zoo to train for the circus. At…

Ray Stevenson, Star of ‘Rome’ and ‘Punisher: War Zone,’ Dead at 58

Clare Fitzgerald
Ray Stevenson posing for a photo

Ray Stevenson has passed away at the age of 58. The Northern Irish actor, known for starring in HBO/BBC’s Rome (2005-07), Punisher: War Zone (2008),…

Sturmpistole: The German Handheld Grenade Launcher That Failed to Match More Powerful Anti-Tank Weaponry

German soldier aiming a Sturmpistole

The Sturmpistole was a multi-purpose weapon developed for the German Army during World War II. A modified flare gun, it was capable of firing a…

Before Becoming Hollywood’s Leading Man, Kirk Douglas was Chasing Japanese Submarines In the Pacific

Kirk Douglas as Col. Dax in 'Paths of Glory'

Kirk Douglas is arguably one of the most famous names to emerge during Hollywood’s heyday in the 1950s and ’60s. Known for taking on particularly…

The M18 Recoilless Rifle Obliterated Enemy Machine Gun Nests In Korea

Group of men standing near an M18 recoilless rifle in the snow

The M18 is a 57 mm shoulder-fired, anti-tank recoilless rifle the US Army equipped troops with during the Second World War and in Korea. The…

USS Recruit (1917): The Wooden Dreadnought In Manhattan’s Union Square

USS Recruit (1917) in Manhattan's Union Square

Amid the bustling streets of Manhattan’s Union Square in World War I, an extraordinary sight met passersby. The USS Recruit (1917), a wooden landship constructed…

Post-War Lithuanian Film ‘In the Dusk’ Making North American Premiere On Streaming Service

Clare Fitzgerald
Marius Povilas Elijas Martynenko as Untė in 'In the Dusk'

Following the Second World War, Partisan movements popped up across Eastern Europe to fight against the Soviet occupation. This included in Lithuania, where an estimated…

Denholm Elliott Scored His First Acting Gigs While a Prisoner of War

Portrait of Denholm Elliott

Denholm Elliott was known for his versatile performances in numerous films and television shows. However, before he became a famous actor, he was a member…

Chuck Yeager: From WWII ‘Ace in a Day’ to Breaking the Sound Barrier

Chuck Yeager standing in front of an aircraft

Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager is widely regarded as one of the greatest aviators of the 20th century. Best known for being the first pilot to…