Samantha Franco

Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder!

linkedin.com/in/samantha-v-franco

Articles by Samantha Franco:

MoH Recipient Richard O’Kane Was the US Navy’s Most Successful Submarine Commander

USS Tang (SS-306) leaving port + Military portrait of Richard O'Kane

Richard O’Kane is the most successful submarine commander in the history of the US Navy. He served during the Second World War, and sank a…

Battlefield Cross: A Powerful Symbol to Memorialize the Sacrifices of Fallen Soldiers

Battlefield Cross in a room + Battlefield Cross in the middle of a debris-strewn field

The Battlefield Cross has gone from having a functional purpose to providing symbolic meaning for those mourning the loss of their comrades. Its imagery is…

The Devastating Fire That Caused $700 Million In Damages to the USS Miami (SSN-755) and Forced Her Decommissioning

Sailors standing atop the USS Miami (SSN-755) while at port + Flames

The submarine USS Miami (SSN-755) was decommissioned as a result of a planned fire that caused significant damage. Although there appeared to be no malicious…

Charles Brown Never Received His MoH Because He Deserted Before It Was Presented

Charles Brown, Hugh Purvis and McLane Tilton standing in front of a captured Korean flag

During the 19th century, Korea was extremely isolationist. Before agreeing to the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876, it didn’t have an interest in developing trade agreements…

Meuse-Argonne Offensive: The Deadliest American-Involved Campaign of World War I

US Marines running through a combat-wrecked forest

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive toward the end of World War I is widely considered to be the campaign that truly stopped any and all fighting along…

Sprint Missile: The ABM That Traveled So Fast a Plasma Ring Formed Around It

Sprint missile being launched + Sprint missile preparing to be launched

After years of speculation and planning, the US military began developing an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) that could intercept Soviet re-entry vehicles (RVs). Called the Sprint…

Folding Gun Models That Allow Operators to Hide Their Weapons In Public

PP-90 on display

A folding gun is a unique weapon that offers concealment, while also ensuring the operator is ready for action. Unfortunately, the designs are typically expensive,…

Matthew Modine Turned Down ‘Top Gun’ for ‘Full Metal Jacket’

Matthew Modine's head superimposed on the body of Tom Cruise

Top Gun (1986) was among the most popular films of the 1980s, and it’s just one of the few box office hits Matthew Modine didn’t…

The Polish 1st Armoured Division Served As the ‘Cork’ of the Falaise Pocket

Tanks driving across a field + Polish 1st Armoured Division insignia

Nicknamed the “Black Devils” by the German military, the Polish 1st Armoured Division was created in the middle of the Second World War. Working with…

Frank Fiegel: The Real-Life Popeye Wasn’t a Sailor Man (or in the Military)

Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall as Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oyl in 'Popeye'

When E.C. Segar began his career as a cartoonist, he took inspiration from those around him. His most popular character, Popeye the Sailor Man, was…

The German Flammenwerfer Forever Changed Warfare – And Not for the Better

Australian soldier kneeling with a captured Wechselapparat

For centuries, militaries tried to harness the ability to command fire. There were various methods used, but the flammenwerfer models developed by the German Army…

Val Kilmer Accidentally Landed Matthew Modine the Starring Role in ‘Full Metal Jacket’

Matthew Modine as Pvt. J.T. "Joker" Davis in 'Full Metal Jacket' + Val Kilmer posing on a red carpet

Full Metal Jacket (1987) was one of director Stanley Kubrick’s masterpieces. It follows a young Marine during the Vietnam War who experiences the struggles of…