Lt. Presley O’Bannon, The Marine Corps Mameluke Sword, And The Shores Of Tripoli Before It Was A Hymn
One can say many things about the United States Marine Corps, but one can’t say that these mighty warriors of the modern era do not…
The History Of Dog Tags – A Feature Of Warfare Since Before WWI
Dog tags have a simple purpose; they exist to identify people. The term “dog tag” is informal, but it is the nickname for those two pieces…
1898: The Beginning Of The Spanish-American War
Manning a remote island fort, seemingly without any imminent danger on the horizon, must have made for a fairly comfortable post. That was the situation on…
When The US Navy Came Of Age, Showing For The First Time What It Could Do
Sweat poured down the brows of eight American sailors, their white-knuckled fists gripping long oars. The bosun bellowed at them to pull for their lives…
Battle of the Crater: Disastrous Battle for the Union in the American Civil War
Colonel Delavan Bates waited 27 years to receive his Medal of Honor. He was awarded the prestigious accolade in 1891 for “gallantry in action where…
How HMS Speedy Captured The El Gamo, Which Was 3 Times Her Size & Had 5 Times Her Crew
On March 28th, 1800, a Scottish aristocrat took command of the small Brig-Sloop HMS Speedy, based at Port Mahon. The Scotsman, Thomas Cochrane, was an…
The Hero of the Battle of Trafalgar: Lord Nelson Was Pickled in Liquor
A long used euphemism in sailing circles, and in some pubs and bars, refers to slurping liquor from a straw directly from the barrel. The…
How the Royal Navy kept order, Through Caning, Flogging, and Hanging
By the end of the 18th century, the wooden walls of England, as her Navy was so often called, was comprised of one of the…
Eight Of The Worst Leaders In Military History
There are few figures more inspiring than a great commander and few disasters worse than putting the wrong man in charge. Publius Quintilius Varus A…
The Plane That Flew Itself – After The Pilot Ejected, This F-106A Flew for Miles Before Landing Gently in a Field
In 1970, a plane got fed up with its pilot so it hatched an audacious plan. First, get rid of the pilot. Second: land. Third:…
MOH: Shot In The Face & Wounded by Grenade, Charged Machine Gun Nest But Can’t Remember Doing It
When there is no personal account of the valor it takes to receive a Medal of Honor it is most often because the gallant have…
Bad Designs: Military Uniforms That Got Soldiers Killed
These days, when we think about dangerous military uniforms we mean shoddily made body armor or badly colored camouflage. But far more disastrous uniforms have…