Once a respected marine who founded SEAL Team Six and Red Cell, the rest of Richard Marcinko’s life was surrounded by controversy
Richard Marcinko was raised in Lansford, Pennsylvania, the child of Croatian and Slovak immigrants. His upbringing was largely typical until, at 17, he left high…
Richard Fitzgibbon Jr. was killed by a fellow comrade, but his death wasn’t recognized as an official Vietnam War casualty for decades
Historians continue to disagree on when the Vietnam War truly began. Some trace its roots back to 1887, when Vietnam was incorporated into French Indochina,…
The “Coo” de Grâce: Why the US Navy’s First Smart Bomb Was Powered by Pigeons
Long before the silicon chip or the GPS satellite, the United States military looked into the eyes of a common street bird and saw the…
Returning to base after a successful mission, the USS Grayback was hit by a Japanese torpedo bomber and wasn’t found for 75 years
The USS Grayback (SS-208), a U.S. Navy submarine lost during World War II, lay undiscovered on the Pacific seabed for nearly 75 years. For decades,…
After World War I, a German U-boat became an American tourist attraction before sinking to the bottom of Lake Michigan
Resting on the floor of Lake Michigan is a 185-foot German U-boat—an unlikely sight, given that enemy submarines never patrolled the Great Lakes during wartime.…
The “White War” Peaks: WWI Tunnel Fortresses Still Standing Above the 2026 Olympic Slopes
While the 2026 Winter Olympics turn Cortina d’Ampezzo into a global postcard, the mountains around the finish area are holding a second story—one carved into…
The USS West Virginia was raised and repaired after Pearl Harbor, then fought at Iwo Jima and Okinawa
The USS West Virginia (BB-48) was a formidable battleship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II. Devastated and sunk during the Japanese attack…
Besides being a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, James Risner survived seven years as a POW during his military career
James Robinson Risner, known as “Robbie,” forged a remarkable legacy as a U.S. Air Force aviator. He was a double recipient of the Air Force…
The Tank That Flew (Once): The Audacious Failure of the Soviet Antonov A-40
Modern military logistics rely on massive cargo planes like the C-17 to transport armor, but in 1942, the Soviet Union attempted something far more daring.…
The situation seemed grim when 830 Marines were up against 2,500 Japanese soldiers, but Colonel Merritt Edson was able to inspire his men to hold their ground
After more than a full day of continuous fighting, the 1st Marine Raider Battalion faced yet another harrowing night of combat. Outnumbered nearly three to…
You’ve probably used these words and phrases in your everyday life without realizing they came from the Navy
For generations, life at sea shaped a unique vocabulary among sailors—words and expressions forged through navigating storms, performing shipboard tasks, exploring distant ports, and living…
The Great Emu War: Australia’s 1932 Lesson for Drone-Swarm Warfare
In 1932, Australia aimed machine guns at “swarms” of emus—and learned a truth that modern drone warfare keeps repeating: cheap, fast, scattered targets can make…