The M50 Ontos, nicknamed the “Thing,” was used by the US Marine Corps in Vietnam, but ultimately failed because its armor was too thin
In the early 1950s, the United States military began exploring the idea of a lightweight tank destroyer that could be delivered by air to the…
Nobody knew that Bea Arthur served with the US Marine Corps during World War II until after her death
Years before establishing herself as a television star, Bea Arthur followed a path far removed from the entertainment industry. One lesser-known chapter of her life…
Even after the Armistice was signed, the soldiers on the front lines of World War I continued to fight
The conclusion of World War I was considerably more complicated than it is often presented in simplified historical accounts. For the Allied powers, victory over…
The Ghost Army of World War II was made up of over 1,000 artists who worked hard to confuse and trick the enemy
Compared with many other Allied units of World War II, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops remains relatively little known despite its important contribution to the…
Dwight D. Eisenhower lost a bet to Bernard Montgomery during World War II and had to hand over a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Wartime leadership is not usually remembered for friendly bets, but one such story reportedly emerged in 1943 involving Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bernard Montgomery. According…
During the Cold War era, these double agents were some of the best and most dangerous
While James Bond exists only in the fictional world created by Ian Fleming, history has produced intelligence operatives whose activities were every bit as complex.…
Elvis Presley helped support fundraising efforts for the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor
During the 1950s, military conscription brought many young Americans into uniform, including a number of prominent athletes and entertainers. Among them was Elvis Presley, who…
Almost 50,000 M4 Sherman tanks were built during World War II, making it one of the most-produced tanks of the war
Many tanks of the Second World War struggled with mechanical reliability, particularly heavy German vehicles such as the Tiger and King Tiger. The M4 Sherman,…
The CIA spent millions of dollars trying to study psychic abilities and ESP during the Cold War
Project Stargate often brings to mind ideas from science fiction, such as space travel or interstellar gateways, but its actual purpose was far more grounded.…
4,000 sea mines detonated at the same time near the coast of North Vietnam because of… the sun?
In August 1972, U.S. magnetic sea mines deployed off the coast of North Vietnam unexpectedly exploded in large numbers despite the absence of any confirmed…
The Girardoni Air Rifle was the first repeating rifle to be used on a large scale by a military
Although guns are commonly linked to the violence of the American West, the Lewis and Clark Expedition carried a more unusual firearm: the Girardoni air…
Richard E. Fleming was the only man awarded the Medal of Honor out of every American who fought in the Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is often considered one of the most consequential naval battles ever fought. In June 1942, three American aircraft carriers confronted a…