Cpl. Bryan Budd was awarded the Victoria Cross after giving his life to protect wounded soldiers from a Taliban ambush
The Victoria Cross stands as the United Kingdom’s most prestigious military decoration, awarded only to those who demonstrate exceptional valor in combat. Tragically, many recipients…
Nobody knew why the USS San Diego (ACR-6) sank during World War I until researchers made a breakthrough over 100 years later
Shortly before noon on July 19, 1918, tragedy struck the armored cruiser USS San Diego (ACR-6)—originally commissioned as USS California (ACR-6). A sudden, powerful explosion…
Airman First Class John Levitow was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving the crew of an AC-47 despite being struck by more than 40 pieces of shrapnel
John Levitow’s story illustrates that heroism is measured by courage and action rather than position. Raised in humble surroundings, he might never have imagined that…
The sabot round is strong enough to pierce a tank and so deadly that it can liquify its targets
A sabot round destroys armored targets through sheer kinetic force instead of explosive power. The projectile consists of a narrow, extremely dense penetrator surrounded by…
50 years after World War II, a disturbing symbol was discovered in this forest
Hidden within a quiet pine forest near Zernikow in northeastern Germany lies what appears, at ground level, to be an unremarkable stretch of woodland. Surrounded…
Over 60 years after she was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the USS Lexington (CV-2) was discovered nearly 3,000 meters beneath the ocean surface
The USS Lexington (CV-2) was one of the most significant early losses suffered by the U.S. Navy during World War II. As an important part…
What does the “ER” cypher mean, and why was Prince Harry forced to remove it from his uniform?
Following the death of Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, the United Kingdom entered a period of mourning and national reflection, commemorating her unprecedented seven…
This “Spooky” aircraft flew nearly 4,000 missions in South Vietnam and Laos
During the Vietnam War, U.S. service members informally nicknamed the Douglas AC-47 Spooky “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” drawing inspiration from the popular 1960s folk song…
Fidel Castro used the body of an American pilot to prove that the CIA was behind the failed Bay of Pigs invasion
During the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, several pilots from the Alabama Air National Guard were drawn into a covert CIA-backed effort designed to overthrow…
The worst traitors in military history and how they betrayed their countries
Throughout military history, certain acts of betrayal have left lasting marks on both contemporary events and historical memory. The decision to abandon a nation, cause,…
One of the most decorated paratroopers of World War II, Leonard Funk, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of the Bulge
On September 5, 1945, Leonard Funk Jr. received the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest award for combat valor, in recognition of his extraordinary…
Foo fighters, and five other mysteries from the Second World War that have never been solved
Written by Jesse Beckett and Clare Fitzgerald Human curiosity has always been drawn to the unexplained, and World War II left behind an extraordinary number…