The Reluctant Hero Who was awarded a Victoria Cross… Twice
The Victoria Cross is Britain’s highest award for military valor, and only three people have received it twice. One was so incredible, in fact, he…
The One Man Demolition Squad Who Destroyed Six Enemy Positions Single-Handedly
Thomas Currie “Diver” Derrick wasn’t among the first to join the Australian military when WWII broke out in 1939. When he finally did join the…
The Slave Who Stole A Confederate Ship, Met President Lincoln And Bought His Former Master’s House
In 1862, Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship, gave it to the Union Army, freed slaves, and met President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he…
The German Officer Who Sacrificed His Life In A Minefield To Save An American Soldier
October 7, 1994, saw a strange sight over the Hürtgen War Cemetery in Hürtgen, Germany. The cemetery is the final home of 3001 bodies –…
The Curious Tale of an Extremely Jinxed Ship – The USS William D. Porter (DD-579)
During WWII, the Allies had a ship so jinxed, it destroyed itself by nearly destroying something else. And yes, you read that correctly. The USS William…
Things Nearly Went Nuclear When the Chinese Stole a Soviet Tank
In 1900, Russia signed the Treaty of Beijing which gave them Outer Manchuria and other Chinese lands. When both countries became communist, their nagging border…
Edward A. Carter, Jr. received the Medal of Honor for killing six soldiers and using the surviving two as a bodyshield
Edward Allen Carter Junior was born on May 26th, 1916 in Los Angeles, California. Carter had a unique upbringing. His father was an African-American missionary,…
When The USA And The UK Nearly Went To War Over An Island With A Pig
Though America became independent of the British Empire in 1776, the British didn’t actually leave. Where the United States of America ended and where British-America…
When The British Sank The French Fleet At Mers-el-Kebir To Stop It Falling Into German Hands
Unable to stop the German advance in Europe, British soldiers fled through the Port of Dunkirk with French help. Weeks later, the British thanked their…
When The US Dumped Over $10 Million Worth Of Choppers Into The Sea
One of the most iconic images from the fall of Saigon did not happen in Saigon. It happened at sea where sailors pushed helicopters off their ships.…
This Fighter Pilot Saved a Bomber Squadron From German Fighter Attacks For over Half an Hour – Alone
During WWII, he single-handedly protected a bomber squadron against German planes… even when he ran out of ammo. They called him the “One Man Airforce”…
Hanns Scharff – Nazi Germany’s POW “Master Interrogator” Who Used Kindness Not Brutality
The Nazis had a “Master Interrogator” who was so good at getting information out of prisoners that he became a legend. His methods were so…