US Marine Corps Aviator William Rankin Survived a Fall from a Thunder Cloud
In times of crisis, pilots may have to parachute out of their aircraft due to damage or mechanical failure. For the most part, these descents…
The Truth Behind Royce Williams’ Legendary Dogfight was Hidden for 50 Years
The years following the Second World War were tricky. While Russia had been an ally to the United States during the conflict, the two frequently…
Red Army Cook Ivan Pavlovich Sereda Took Out a German Tank With Just an Axe
Over the course of human history, unlikely heroes have emerged from surprising places, and the battlefields of World War II were no exception. Ivan Pavlovich…
FICON Project: When the US Air Force Practiced Hooking Smaller Aircraft Under Large Bombers
As a result of the majority of the world’s powers participating in the Second World War, there were near-constant advancements in weapons technology. When the…
The Japanese Battleship Kongō was Among the Most Heavily Armed When It was First Built
The Japanese battleship Kongō had some of the greatest nicknames in history; the Japanese translations for the vessel’s many names are “Indestructible Diamond,” “Indra’s Spear” and…
Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry Faced Death Twice While In the US Army Air Forces
Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-69) remains enormously popular and influential; critics still point to the creator’s forward-thinking views on race and human…
CIM-10 Bomarc: The First Operational Long-Range SAM Ever Developed
The United States was in a strange position following the end of the Second World War. Not only was this an era that saw rapid…
Lauri Törni: The Only SS Member to Be Buried At Arlington National Cemetery
Finland was in a strange place during the Second World War. At first, the nation hoped to stay out of the conflict. That became impossible…
The MP 40 Was Widely Used By German Soldiers During World War II
The early 20th century saw two major wars fought within only a few decades, and since most of the world’s powers were taking part, the…
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer Was the Luftwaffe’s Best Night Fighter Pilot
Between World War I and II, a number of advancements were made in aviation. Despite this, there were still some conditions that made flying difficult,…
Five Bloodless Wars That Have Been Fought Throughout History
Written by Todd Neikirk and Clare Fitzgerald. Wars have been fought pretty much since the beginning of time, and they have a brutal effect on…
The Incredible Military Career of Graves Erskine, the US Marine Who Escorted the Unknown Soldier
When John Wayne and Republic Pictures needed a technical adviser for the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima, they reached out to Graves Erskine. It…