Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned the attack on Pearl Harbor to give Japan a slight advantage over America’s massive military capabilities
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, widely regarded as Japan’s foremost naval strategist, held a perspective that differed sharply from much of the Imperial leadership. Years spent in…
Tom Hanks fired an up-and-coming actor from ‘Band of Brothers’ for having ‘dead eyes’ in his audition
The 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers received widespread praise for its authentic portrayal of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.…
Stolen Valor: Late actor Brian Dennehy was accused of fabricating his service experience during the Vietnam War
Brian Dennehy became known for his commanding screen presence, delivering memorable performances in First Blood (1982), F/X (1986), and Romeo + Juliet (1996). Long before…
Two American fighter pilots had no choice but to take on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor – hungover
As years pass, the sharp edges of wartime memory often fade, making the firsthand accounts that survive all the more precious. Stories of brutal combat…
Given the option to join the army or go to jail, Maynard Harrison Smith chose to enlist and wound up winning the Medal of Honor
Maynard Harrison Smith’s story shows a familiar truth about war: acts of great courage often come from people no one expects. Those who seem ordinary—or…
Approximately 500,000 Purple Hearts were made in advance of a proposed American invasion in Japan, but the plan never came to fruition
As World War II drew to a close, U.S. military leaders developed an ambitious plan called Operation Downfall—a two-stage invasion intended to force Japan to…
The only German U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during WWII remained undiscovered for years, and it was later designated a protected war grave
During World War II, German U-boats ranged deep into the Gulf of Mexico, sinking a number of Allied vessels in a short but highly destructive…
The USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) made history as an aircraft carrier by serving in multiple wars and aiding in the Apollo space missions
Commissioned near the height of World War II, the USS Ticonderoga (CV/CVA/CVS-14) carried a historic name honoring the American Revolutionary victory at Fort Ticonderoga. As…
Project Iceworm: The secret Cold War-era plan to build nuclear missile sites under Greenland’s ice
At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Army launched Project Iceworm, a secret plan to build a network of nuclear missile sites beneath…
Decades after it was abandoned in a lake, a captured Soviet T-34 tank was in remarkably good condition when it was recovered
Since World War II, pieces of the past have slowly come to light, discovered by historians, collectors, and battlefield explorers. Across Europe and the Pacific,…
Horizontal Collaboration: It’s estimated that 200,000 children were born as the result of relationships between French women and German soldiers during WWII
After France was liberated from German occupation in 1944, photographers and journalists rushed in to record the country’s turbulent recovery. Some of the most powerful—and…
John Wayne didn’t serve during WWII and was criticized by the public and close friends like director John Ford who considered him a draft dodger
John Wayne remains one of the most famous figures in American film history. During his long career, he appeared in many influential movies that helped…