There are “birds of war” that aren’t the metal flying machines equipped with abilities to release weapons on targets, but the flesh and blood feathered kind – pigeons, equipped with another type of targeting ability. Pigeons have been used as message carriers for over 5,000 years. Their service of delivering vital messages to the right […]
The Korean War took place between 1950 and 1953. But it may surprise you to know almost 80 years before that American Sailors and Marines fought in Korea. It has been virtually forgotten, but it was the very first U.S. military action within the country. But no history should be forgotten. The ruling Joseon dynasty, not fond […]
“Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler has the distinction of serving as both a Confederate General in the Civil War, and later as a U.S. Army General. That’s him in the photo, in front of the others. Joseph Wheeler graduated from West Point in 1859. After completing Cavalry School, he was posted to Fort Craig in New Mexico Territory. […]
Sergeant Major Edward Baker was born in a frontier wagon in 1865, while his parents were on the Oregon Trail. At age 17, he joined one of the toughest, battle-hardened units in the U.S. Army: the 10th Cavalry.The men of the 10th were known as Buffalo Soldiers, African-Americans up through the NCO ranks. Baker was […]
The battle for the island of Saipan in 1944 was brutal, but the ingenuity and courage of one Marine saved a lot of lives on both sides. Guy Gabaldon grew up in poverty on the streets of East Los Angeles. Knowing how to live by his wits, he shined shoes at age 10 to help […]
World War II: The 83rd “Thunderbolt” Division of the U. S. Army Infantry crossed the English Channel to Normandy in June 1944. It fought through the Hedgerows, across France and into Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. In March 1945, the 83rd received orders to turn east and race toward Berlin. The 83rd had […]
Doris Miller, known as “Dorie” to shipmates and friends, was born in Waco, Texas in October 1919. He helped his parents and three brothers around the house by cooking meals and doing laundry, as well as working on the family farm. Miller was a good student and a fullback on the football team at Waco’s […]
In his thirty-seven years of service to the United States Marine Corps, Lewis Puller, nicknamed “Chesty,” would rise through the ranks from Private to General, and become the most decorated Marine in American history. How does a guy get a nickname like “Chesty”? It is said that he had perfect posture and his torso resembled […]
The World War II Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific. Japanese troops were stationed in this section of the Solomon Islands, when U.S. Marines launched a surprise attack in August 1942 and took control of an air base under construction. Reinforcements came in, […]
War sometimes creates weird and wacky circumstances. The following account is about a soldier who became a hero of two nations. It’s the kind of stuff that should be made into a blockbuster movie hit. The photo above is a mugshot of paratrooper Sergeant “Jumpin’ Joe” Beryle, but it’s not what you think. It was […]
The Most Decorated American in WWII was a tough little baby-faced Texan soldier named Audie Murphy.Audie Murphy was five feet five inches, 110 pounds when he volunteered to join the US Army during World War II. He saw plenty of action in Italy, but let’s go over two stories from Europe. During the invasion of […]
“As soon as the sun came up, all hell broke loose…. it seemed impossible for anyone to survive.” This is how Specialist LaTeague described the beginning of the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, where American soldiers of the the 1st Cavalry found themselves outnumbered five to one.Sergeant Major Plumley calmly said, “Gentlemen, […]
