Vietnam war | War History

A-12 Spy Plane: Why Lockheed’s CIA Spy Plane Only Flew 29 Missions

Lockheed A-12 in flight

The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…

Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare

Navy SEALS training + Portrait of Phil Bucklew

Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, individuals from all kinds of professions enlisted in the US military, including musicians, movie stars and athletes. Phil…

Grumman F-14 Tomcat: The Versatile Fighter Made For Top Gun Pilots

Grumman F-14 Tomcat taking off

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is one of the most iconic aircraft to ever be operated by the US Navy, with it serving as the primary…

The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness

US soldier lying on his stomach with an M16A2 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…

C-4: The Vietnam-Era Explosive Still Used Today

The Second World War was the catalyst for countless new technologies that we still use today. From medicines like penicillin to the atomic bomb and…

The History Behind the USAF’s Top-Secret Fighter Pilot Unit in Vietnam

Members of the US Air Force's Misty unit standing together

A new documentary slated to premiere on PBS stations on May 2, 2022 will introduce audiences to the never-before-told story of 157 US Air Force…

US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s

US Navy sailor firing an M16 rifle

The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…

From the Scythians to Russia: The Use of Scorched Earth Tactics in War

US Air Force helicopter spraying Agent Orange over the jungle

Scorched earth tactics have been used nearly as long as armies have conducted military campaigns. While the practice is less common in modern times, it…

10 Photos of US Troops Displaying Enemy Flags Like Trophies

US soldiers walking in a line through tall grass + US Coast Guardsmen posing with a captured Japanese flag

The “loss” of a unit or army’s colors refers to the capture of a flag in battle or it being taken away as a form…

Daughter Surprises Vietnam War Veteran – He Never Knew She Existed!

Gary Barnes hugging Olivia Robles

When Vietnam War veteran Gary Barnes received a call one day in 2017, he couldn’t have anticipated who was on the other end of the…

Operation Lam Son 719 Obliterated America’s Helicopter Force in Vietnam

Soldiers jumping off a helicopter

American warfare in the 20th century featured big technological advances during each respective conflict. The Vietnam War, for example, featured thousands of helicopters, which were…

The Controversial History of Napalm and Its Use in War

Napalm bomb explosion

The use of fire in warfare is horrific and terrifying. It’s also nothing new. The ancient Greeks used petroleum-based fire weapons, referred to as “sticky…