Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock Took Out An Enemy Marksmen In Epic Fashion
US Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock easily features in the ranks of history’s greatest snipers, alongside such figures as Vasily Zaytsev, Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Simo…
The Stories Behind History’s Most Iconic War Photos
For nearly two centuries, photographers have been using images to document the horrors of war. This has led to some of history’s most famous and…
4,000 Sea Mines Were Set Off By the Sun During the Vietnam War
In August 1972, American magnetic sea mines in the oceans surrounding northern Vietnam began simultaneously exploding. They had been strategically placed to detonate close to…
A ‘Spooky’ Aircraft Known as Puff, the Magic Dragon – The Story of the Douglas AC-47
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” wasn’t just a popular ’60s song by Peter, Paul and Mary, it was also the nickname for the Douglas AC-47 Spooky,…
A Comrade’s Betrayal Led to Richard Fitzgibbon Jr.’s Death In Vietnam
The official start of the Vietnam War varies. Some view 1887 as the start, when France colonized Vietnam and renamed it French Indochina, or 1946,…
Comparing Historic Battlefields, Then and Now
Battles typically have a lasting physical impact on the places where they occur, leaving behind scars that hint at what happened. The following in a…
Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star: The American Aircraft That Flew Over Vietnam’s Treetops Undetected
When discussing American stealth aircraft, designs like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Northrop B-2 Spirit and the Lockheed U-2 “Dragon Lady” are often brought up. However,…
Rick Rescorla: The Vietnam Veteran Who Saved 2,700 Lives on 9/11
The Battle of la Drang Valley was the first major engagement of the Vietnam War. Some 36 years later, the first major battle of the…
John Ripley Faced Enemy Fire for Three Hours to Stop the North Vietnamese Advance
Đông Hà, the northernmost city in South Vietnam, was once bustling with military activity. Home of the 4th Marine Division and a major helicopter base,…
Operation Ranch Hand: The US Military’s Devastating Chemical Warfare Campaign During the Vietnam War
Beginning in 1962 and continuing until ’71, the US military, under the approval of President John F. Kennedy, sprayed well over 19 million gallons of…
Thomas Norris: The Inspiration for ‘Bat*21’ Who Saved Two Downed Pilots in Vietnam
It might come as a surprise, given their reputation as fierce fighters, but only three US Navy SEALs received the Medal of Honor for their…
Callously Stolen, Returned With Respect – The Mystery of the Memorial Flag
Nineteen-year-old Seaman Patrick Corcoran died aboard the USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War. His family’s neighbors flew his memorial flag in front of…