The M79 grenade launcher saw a lot of action in Vietnam, but how useful was it really?
Known by nicknames such as the “Thumper-Gun,” the “Bloop Tube,” and, among Australian troops, the “Wombat Gun,” the M79 grenade launcher became instantly recognizable for…
The tragic story behind the downing of the B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Wee Willie’
As the Second World War neared its end, Allied bombers continued launching intense strikes aimed at crippling what remained of Germany’s military and industrial capacity.…
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor during World War II?
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, became a defining moment in modern history and brought the United States into World War II.…
The American anti-ballistic missile that could hit mach 10 in a matter of seconds
Developed during the height of Cold War tensions, the Sprint missile was designed with a highly specific mission: to intercept and destroy incoming Soviet nuclear…
The effects of the US military’s devastating chemical warfare campaign in Vietnam are still being felt
Between 1962 and 1971, under President John F. Kennedy’s approval, the U.S. military sprayed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides and defoliants over five…
Mary Edwards Walker: The first female surgeon in the U.S. Army and the only woman in history who was awarded the Medal of Honor
In the United States today, women make up roughly a third of all physicians and about 14 percent of active-duty service members—a reality that would…
The hundred-year-old mystery of what sank the USS San Diego (ACR-6) was finally solved
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…
Over 1,015 Americans were killed in the largest loss of American life at sea during the Second World War
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killed 1,177 sailors aboard the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39). Moored near Ford Island and unable to…
The real story behind those shocking rumors of Mister Rogers’ secret military past
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001) became a cultural touchstone for families across North America, praised for its thoughtful handling of complex topics like death, divorce, and…
The pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima refused a funeral and a gravestone
In 2007, Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets—the pilot who led the Enola Gay mission during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima—made a striking decision about how he…
New Jersey Guardsmen engaged Somali militants in the biggest battle since that of ‘Black Hawk Down’
In September 2019, Baledogle Military Airfield was targeted in a coordinated assault by al-Shabaab, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State…
The lowest-ranking US Air Force airman to receive the Medal of Honor almost joined the Navy instead
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…