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…
During a 1942 mission over the Pacific, a B-17E Flying Fortress crashed in the jungle and became a local legend known as the ‘Swamp Ghost’
The “Swamp Ghost” became much more than a recovered aircraft—it turned into a powerful reminder of World War II’s lasting impact. Studies of the B-17E…
Inspired by their father’s deep patriotism, all four of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons enlisted in WWI, but one tragically did not make it home
Military service has long been part of America’s presidential legacy, with 31 presidents serving in the armed forces before taking office. That sense of obligation…
A Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit was once caught mid-flight on Google Maps
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is renowned for its cutting-edge stealth design, featuring a distinctive flying-wing shape and radar-absorbing surfaces that make it extremely hard…
Legendary sniper Simo Häyhä was shot in the jaw and read about his own ‘death’ in the newspaper while recovering at the hospital
The Winter War of 1939–1940 saw Finland’s relatively tiny military take on the massive Soviet Red Army. Although Finland ultimately had to cede some land,…