The USS Oriskany Was Purposefully Sunk In the Gulf of Mexico to Form An Artificial Reef
Laid down in the middle of World War II, the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) didn’t see action until after the conflict. She was…
Robert Downey Jr. Tackles Several Roles In Trailer for HBO’s ‘The Sympathizer’
The trailer for HBO’s upcoming Vietnam-era miniseries The Sympathizer has been released. Based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen,…
PBRs: The US Navy’s Small and Nimble Watercraft In Vietnam
The Patrol Boat, River – commonly known as PBR – was a nimble, speedy riverboat commissioned by the US Navy, for use during the Vietnam…
Pardo’s Push Saved the Lives of Two Men, But Wasn’t Recognized for Decades
Capt. John R. “Bob” Pardo was assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, which attacked an integral North Vietnamese steel mill.…
Gary Wetzel: The MoH Recipient Who Rescued His Commander, Despite Losing His Arm to Enemy Action
Medal of Honor recipients are built differently than your average soldier, and there’s no one who proves this more than Sp4c. Gary Wetzel. The Vietnam…
Held Captive: Airman Richard Keirn Survived Being a Prisoner of War In Both WWII and Vietnam
Many servicemen found themselves fighting in not just the Second World War, but also in Vietnam. However, very few were held captive as prisoners of…
David Larsen Took On 50 Enemy Troops With Just An M60 Machine Gun
When an ambush turned sour, Petty Officer David Larsen took up arms to provide support for his fellow servicemen. Taking on an enemy force of…
Hugh Thompson Jr. Saved Innocent Civilians During the Mỹ Lai Massacre – He Was Deemed a Traitor
The Vietnam War saw the US military employ a number of controversial tactics in the name of protecting the American public. One of the worst…
Despite Being Up Against 2,000 Enemy Troops, Bernard Fisher Risked His Life to Save a Fellow Airman
During the Vietnam War, a number of US military service members distinguished themselves. Among them was US Air Force pilot Bernard Fisher, who risked his…
Theodore Roosevelt IV: Vietnam War Veteran, Activist and Environmentalist
Theodore Roosevelt IV is one of many in a long line of namesakes. His most well-known relative is his great-grandfather, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, who served…
Mike Vining: The Incredible Career of the Delta Force Operator Behind the Famed Military Meme
Circulating around the internet is a meme featuring a soldier wearing glasses and his military uniform. He’s adorned with a number of different ribbons and…
Snipers: The Four Greatest Marksmen In Military History
Becoming one of the greatest snipers in history isn’t an easy feat to accomplish. The following four snipers, however, proved themselves worthy of the title…
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider: The Best Attack Plane Ever Made
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was not only an integral aircraft used following WWII, but it was also a deadly weapon capable of eviscerating the enemy…
Operation Wandering Soul: The US Military’s Use of Psychological Warfare in Vietnam
The US military is no stranger to the use of propaganda and psychological tricks when it comes to conducting war. During World War II, the…
Did the US Try to Give France Nuclear Weapons to Use in Vietnam?
Vietnam has been a desirable target for many of the world’s most powerful countries since the French conquest in 1858. China, Japan and the United…
The Ace of Spades Was Used By the 101st Airborne Before It Became the ‘Death Card’
Symbols during wartime are important and, more than that, they are powerful. Winston Churchill famously used the “V for Victory” symbol during World War II,…
Nine of the Most Infamous Booby Traps Used By the Viet Cong
The Vietnam War was infamous for the guerrilla warfare the American forces were largely unprepared for. The Viet Cong were on home turf and used…
The History of Fragging in the US Military
Leading a group of soldiers during wartime is a massive responsibility, and the decisions made can often mean the difference between life and death for…
Seven Little-Known Facts Fans Need to Know About ‘Apocalypse Now’
When it was released in 1979, Apocalypse Now was unlike any war movie the public had ever seen, forever changing the genre. The film, written by…
Lt. Gen. Larry Jordan on His Military Career and the Service of African-Americans in WWI
The US military has a long and complicated history when it comes to the treatment of minorities within its ranks. While things have certainly improved,…
The History of the US Navy’s TOPGUN School
The popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun debuted in theaters in 1986, and features Cruise and his co-stars attending the US Navy’s TOPGUN school –…
Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam
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…
David Hackworth: The Highly Decorated 101st Veteran Who Led Tiger Force In Vietnam
When he was still a teenager, David Hackworth decided that he wanted a life of adventure. And he certainly succeeded in accomplishing that feat. The…
The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness
Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…
C-4: The Vietnam-Era Explosive Still Used Today
The Second World War was the catalyst for countless new technologies that we still use today. From medicines like penicillin to the atomic bomb and…
The History Behind the USAF’s Top-Secret Fighter Pilot Unit in Vietnam
A new documentary slated to premiere on PBS stations on May 2, 2022 will introduce audiences to the never-before-told story of 157 US Air Force…
US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s
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…
From the Scythians to Russia: The Use of Scorched Earth Tactics in War
Scorched earth tactics have been used nearly as long as armies have conducted military campaigns. While the practice is less common in modern times, it…
10 Photos of US Troops Displaying Enemy Flags Like Trophies
The “loss” of a unit or army’s colors refers to the capture of a flag in battle or it being taken away as a form…
Daughter Surprises Vietnam War Veteran – He Never Knew She Existed!
When Vietnam War veteran Gary Barnes received a call one day in 2017, he couldn’t have anticipated who was on the other end of the…
The Controversial History of Napalm and Its Use in War
The use of fire in warfare is horrific and terrifying. It’s also nothing new. The ancient Greeks used petroleum-based fire weapons, referred to as “sticky…
Dale Dye Has Dedicated His Life to the Authenticity of Combat in Hollywood
Dale Dye is a career military man. Enlisting in the US Marine Corps just two years into adulthood, he served three tours in South Vietnam…
John Levitow: The Lowest-Ranking US Air Force Airman to Receive the Medal of Honor
John Levitow came from humble beginnings, but achieved great things. By the time he retired from his career with the US Air Force, he was…
NFL Players Who Lost Their Lives Serving in the US Military
When it first began, it was common for National Football League (NFL) players to serve in the US military. While it has since become much…
Why Was Jimi Hendrix Discharged from the US Army?
Jimi Hendrix died in September 1970, at the young age of 27. He packed quite a legacy into those 27 years, becoming perhaps the greatest…
Wild Weasels Undertake the US Air Force’s Most Dangerous Missions
There is nothing we love more than a good motto! The unofficial slogan for the US Air Force’s Wild Weasel crew is “YGBSM” – an…
Jim Morrison’s Father Played a Role In the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
For hardcore fans of The Doors, it’s relatively well-known that lead singer Jim Morrison‘s father was a flag officer in the US Navy. A lesser-known…
Sidney Shachnow: The Holocaust Survivor Who Became a Green Beret
Sidney Shachnow was a Lithuanian Jew who experienced – and survived – the Holocaust. Imprisoned in the Kovno Ghetto during World War II, he suffered…
Why the Viet Cong’s Tunnels Were So Deadly And Highly Effective
Of all of the nasty, uncomfortable, deadly, and outright terrifying jobs carried about by those who served in the Vietnam War, clearing Viet Cong tunnels…
The M60 Machine Gun Has Withstood the Test of Time, Here’s Why
The M60 machine gun is as much a symbol of the Vietnam War as the peace sign. This weapon was loved and loathed – it…
The Shotguns of WWII: Model 1897 and Model 1912
Aside from a flame thrower, there are few close-range weapons as deadly as a shotgun. Shotguns are terrifyingly effective at short ranges, as their shot…
US Marine Corps Deactivating Island Warriors Battalion
The US Marine Corps has announced it will be deactivating its famed 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment – better known as the Island Warriors battalion…
Charles McGee, One of the Last Surviving Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, Dead At 102
Brigadier General Charles McGee, one of the last surviving members of the groundbreaking Tuskegee Airmen, has passed away, according to a statement released by his…
Project 100,000: The Controversial Recruiting Program of the Vietnam War
As the war in Vietnam raged on, the United States military began to run low on men willing to enlist and serve abroad. To increase…
President Biden Approves Honors for Battle of Mogadishu, MoH for Korean and Vietnam War Veterans
US President Joe Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act, a $768 billion defense policy bill aimed at allocating military spending and procuring reforms…
5 Things We Didn’t Know About Lt. Dan from ‘Forrest Gump’
The 1994 movie Forest Gump often ends up on lists of the greatest films ever made, thanks to its excellent story, great soundtrack, and brilliant…
Dwight Johnson: Medal of Honor Recipient and Vietnam War Hero
On January 15, 1968, Dwight Johnson transformed into a one-man army after the tank he was driving became immobilized while under intense enemy fire. He…
Drew Dix: The First Special Forces Member to Receive the Medal of Honor
Drew Dix was an American Special Forces member who famously fought in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. Dix successfully fought his way through a city…
William T. Perkins Jr: The Only Photographer to Receive the Medal of Honor
There are few service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, and even fewer who have done so as a photographer. In fact,…
The Most Unforgiving Battlefield Conditions in Military History
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…
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…
Charlie Beckwith: How The Father Of Delta Force Formed The Elite Fighting Group
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…
This Art Installation Pays Tribute to the Soldiers Who Lost Their Lives in Vietnam
At the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago, Illinois is one of the most powerful pieces of military art ever constructed. Titled Above and Beyond,…
Remember When Mickey Mouse Fought In the Vietnam War?
There was a lot of protest surrounding the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. Many felt the government was unjust in its decision to conscript men…