Pilot Ed Freeman: Awarded the MOH for service at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley
Flying his helicopter over 14 times into a hot landing zone, Pilot Ed Freeman earned the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Ia Drang…
SS Battlegroup Commander Otto Weidinger
Background and Training In 1934, the 20-year-old Otto Weidinger joined the Allgemeine branch of the SS. Showing potential as a leader, he was sent for…
Frank Luke, Medal of Honor Recipient – The “Arizona Balloon Buster”
People might not think shooting a balloon out of the sky is a substantial feat for a fighter pilot. But surround that balloon with enemy…
The Youngest (Confirmed) British Soldier of World War One
In 1998 Richard van Emden’s book, Veterans: the Last Survivors of the Great War was published. Later it became the basis of a 2009 television documentary.…
Hans-Ulrich Rudel – The Flying Tank Buster Who Flew More Than 2,000 Missions And Killed Over 500 Tanks
Hans-Ulrich Rudel was shot down 30 times during his 2,530 missions. He destroyed one battleship, one cruiser, one destroyer, 70 landing craft, 800 vehicles, 150…
When 20 Canadian Prisoners Were Murdered By The Waffen SS In Normandy – The Ardenne Abbey Massacre
In the early days of the Normandy campaign 20 Canadian soldiers, members of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and 27th Armoured Regiment (part of the…
Hannibal Barca: Rome’s Most Dangerous Enemy
Hannibal Barca – he crossed the Alps with elephants, supposedly took a sworn oath to forever hate the Romans, and inflicted some of the worst…
From Marcellus to Caesar – The Greatest Generals of Ancient Rome
The Roman Legion was a fearsome military unit. A heavy infantry advance was almost unstoppable, able to take on most enemies. The best aspect of…
In WWII, A Stranded Dutch Warship Disguised Itself As An Island To Evade Japanese Bombers
The Netherlands officially surrendered on May 15th, 1940. However, its Navy continued the fight. Part of the navy was deployed in the Dutch East Indies…
“Across the Pacific” – Robert Mansur, Veteran Describes Service Aboard Destroyer in WWII
Jeremy P. Ämick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America. Shortly after graduating from Jefferson City (Mo.) High School in 1939, Robert…
The Rogue British Officer Who Broke All the Rules, Founded the SAS, and was Nicknamed by the Germans, “The Phantom Major”
If there hadn’t been a global war for survival taking place, Major David Stirling is the type of British Officer who would have been thrown…
The Last Shogun – First Shots of the Boshin War
On the 27th of January, 1868, the army of the Shogunate was marching toward Kyoto. For more than a quarter of a century, the Tokugawa…