Is ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ Really the Greatest War Film Ever Made?
The 1957 historical epic The Bridge on the River Kwai has long been regarded as one of the greatest war films ever made. Based on…
Rheinwiesenlager: The Notorious American Prison Camps That Held German POWs Following WWII
There were hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) taken during World War II. Under the Geneva Convention, it was required they receive certain…
Matthew Modine Turned Down ‘Top Gun’ for ‘Full Metal Jacket’
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…
Jason Everman: The Nirvana and Soundgarden Member Who Became a US Army Ranger and Green Beret
Jason Everman, with his long curly hair and piercings, looked the epitome of a rockstar – because he was. As a young man, he played…
The Polish 1st Armoured Division Served As the ‘Cork’ of the Falaise Pocket
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)
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…
Where Is Hacksaw Ridge, the Location Where Desmond Doss Rescued 75 US Soldiers?
Conscientious objector Desmond Doss staged one of the most daring rescues of the Second World War, risking life and limb to get 75 of his…
Russia Loses 130 Armored Vehicles In Biggest Tank Battle of Russo-Ukrainian War
For three weeks, Russian and Ukrainian ground forces have been embroiled in a costly tank battle on the outskirts of Vuhledar, in southern Ukraine. The…
‘Full Metal Jacket’ Facts Every Movie Fan Should Know
A number of Vietnam-era films were released in the decade or so after the conflict’s conclusion, and among the most popular was Full Metal Jacket…
Mayaguez Incident: The Post-Vietnam Rescue Operation That Left Over 40 Americans Dead
Just weeks after the Vietnam War was declared to be over, a new conflict erupted, threatening the peace many US and South Vietnamese soldiers had…
Eddie Slovik: The Only US Soldier to Be Executed for Desertion Since the Civil War
Throughout the Second World War, Allied and Axis militaries struggled with desertion. Among the American forces alone, most occurred in the European Theater – an…
The German Flammenwerfer Forever Changed Warfare – And Not for the Better
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…