Jesse Beckett

Jesse is a U.K.-based writer for Tank Roar, passionate about military history and storytelling through digital content. With a special focus on tanks and ships, Jesse brings a deep enthusiasm for historical narratives to every piece.

Articles by Jesse Beckett:

A Submarine Made it Home with a Sail Made of Blankets

By today’s standards, a submarine from 1918 is rather basic, but even for a submarine of the time, using sails as a means of propulsion…

WWI’s Harlem Hellfighters To Receive Congressional Gold Medal

In this National Guard historic painting by H. Charles McBarron, Soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters, go into action near Sechault, France, on September 29, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

On Monday, Congress signed the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act, which will see the WWI infantry unit awarded with the nation’s highest civilian honor.…

M50 Ontos – The “Thing” that was Hated by the Army and Loved by the Marines

The M50 Ontos Thing - Popular in Vietnam

In the early 1950s, the US was on the hunt for a lightweight air-transportable tank destroyer. Similar attempts were made during WWII, but limitations in…

99-Year-Old Pearl Harbor Survivor Passes Away From COVID-19

One of Pearl Harbor’s most dedicated veterans has passed away at the age of 99 after a battle with the COVID-19 virus. Stu Hedley dedicated…

Thief Steals Dead Veteran’s Purple Heart and Trades it for a Mountain Dew

A dead veteran’s Purple Heart medal was stolen from a family’s home in North Carolina, only to be traded for a bottle of Mountain Dew.…

Kildin Island Incident: When a Russian Submarine Surfaced Right Under an American Spy Sub

Although the Cold War ‘ended’ with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the tensions built up over the previous 45 years did not…

Taking K-129: Howard Hughes, the CIA, and the Most Expensive Secret Plot of the Cold War

K-129

The Cold War was infamous as a time of bizarre weapons, vehicles, and projects. Because the US and the Soviet Union were not fighting a…

The “Great Impostor” — Fred Demara Pretended To Be A Ship’s Surgeon And Didn’t Lose A Soul

Ferdinand Waldo Demara (left) referred to in the past as the "Great Imposter" is shown with Deputy D.A. Manley Bowler May 8 after he surrendered himself upon learning he had been charged with grand theft auto.

Ferdinand “Fred” Waldo Demara Jr. was a monk, a surgeon, and a lawyer. Well, kind of. He was a very skilled American impostor who was…

Why Did Harry Truman Block An Attempt to Award Him the Medal of Honor?

Harry Truman standing with John McKinney, Daniel Lee, Donald Gary and Joseph O'Callahan

The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest and most prestigious military honor, and it’s typically awarded to recipients by the sitting president. When…

US Navy And Marines Are Conducting The Largest Military Exercise Since The Cold War

Large Scale Navy and Marines Military Exercise - 2021

The US Navy this week has kicked off the largest military exercise since the Cold War. The exercise spans different time zones and involves a…

Michelin Reinvented The Wheel, And The Army Is Testing The Results

airless tire tested by Army at Yuma Proving Ground

When new equipment needs testing to see if it is fit for use with the U.S. Army, it is sent to the U.S. Army Yuma…

The Final Countdown Failed To Find Its Plot But Helped The US Navy Recruit

The Final Countdown Still

The 1980 naval action flick The Final Countdown received only average reviews at best upon its release. On the surface, it looks like a standard…