History | War History

Milton L. Olive III: The First Black Soldier to Receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War

Milton L Olive - War Hero

Milton L. Olive III came from humble beginnings, bouncing between Chicago and his grandparents’ farm in Mississippi. Despite his ordinary upbringing, Olive would prove to…

In The Angolan Civil War, Angola Had An Unlikely Ally In Cuba

Mural of Castro and Angola's Agostinho Neto in Angola, 1987.

When Angola was plunged into a set of civil wars that lasted decades, the last country one might expect to join in might be Cuba.…

How The Bandung Conference Of 1955 Was The Beginning Of The End For Indonesia’s President

Asian–African Conference at Bandung April 1955

The Bandung Conference of 1955 was a meeting of Asian and African nations, many of which were newly emerging from colonial rule. It was an…

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…

‘Sexy Sally’ And The History Of Female Voices Used In The Military’s Aircraft Warning Systems

Sexy Sally and Bitching Betty voice warning systems

When the Convair B-58 Hustler debuted on November 11, 1956, it was the first bomber to achieve Mach II flight. The bomber went operational on…

Bruno Mussolini: How His Early Death Impacted His Father

Bruno Mussolini was the second acknowledged son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his wife, Rachele. He was a decorated and experienced pilot, but his…

Cold War Fun: A 1950s Science Kit That Contained Real Uranium

Gilbert u-238 atomic energy lab

When the U.S. successfully harnessed the virtually limitless power of the atom with the Trinity atomic bomb test in 1945, it seemed that there wasn’t…

Prisoners of War Who Bravely Defied Their Captors

Clare Fitzgerald
Exterior of Colditz Castle + Military portrait of Charles Upham

An unfortunate consequence of war is that those involved in the fighting will sometimes get captured by enemy forces. Known as prisoners of war (POWs),…

SAS Hero Remembers The Regiment’s Darkest Day

Official handover of Falklands duties from HMS Hermes (looking very rusty after months on active duty in the South Atlantic).

The worst day in the SAS’s history was May 19, 1982, when a helicopter crash killed 20 of its elite members during the Falklands War.…

US Army Facts That’ll Impress Even the Most Knowledgable Veteran

Soldiers conducting a surfboard competition

The US Army has a long and decorated history. Dating back to the American Revolution, it’s since gone on to become the most powerful military…

Everyday Slang We Didn’t Know Originated In the Navy

Close-up of a ship's wheel

Over the centuries, sailors have created a language all their own to describe objects, people, actions and places. Much of this slang has found itself…