Modern | War History

Kurt Vonnegut’s Time as a Soldier During WWII Inspired His Popular Anti-War Novel, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’

Kurt Vonnegut portrait.

Written by Todd Neikirk and Clare Fitzgerald Kurt Vonnegut is one of the most beloved and influential authors of the 20th century. While he was…

Why Was Jimi Hendrix Discharged from the US Army?

Todd Neikirk
Jimi Hendrix performing on stage

Jimi Hendrix died in September 1970, at the young age of 27. He packed quite a legacy into those 27 years, becoming perhaps the greatest…

Wild Weasels Undertake the US Air Force’s Most Dangerous Missions

General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon in flight + Wild Weasel patch

There is nothing we love more than a good motto! The unofficial slogan for the US Air Force’s Wild Weasel crew is “YGBSM” – an…

Vasily Zaytsev: Successful Red Army Sniper During World War II

Vasily Zaitsev with two other Red Army soldiers

The Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, during Operation Barbarossa. The action inspired young men and women across Russia to take up arms. One…

F-104 Starfighter: The Lightweight Fighter-Bomber Nicknamed ‘The Widow Maker’

F-104 Starfighter in flight

Throughout the 20th century, aviation missions grew much safer. That didn’t mean, however, that some aircraft were more safe than others. Following the Korean War,…

Legendary Battles That Would Make Outstanding Films

Artist's depiction of the Battle of Belleau Wood + Swedish machine gunner aiming a machine gun in the snow

War movies have been popular for as long as films have existed. As a result, some of the more popular subjects have been completely exhausted.…

Gabby Gabreski: Flying Ace of World War II and the Korean War

Military portrait of Gabby Gabreski

The first air battles in American war history occurred during World War I, of which the top US pilot was Eddie Rickenbacker. They became more…

War Dog That Served in the Pacific Theater Awarded Distinguished Service Medal

Monument dedicated to Smoky and "Dogs of All Wars" + Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medals displayed on a table

Dogs are a semi-common sight on the battlefield, but one you wouldn’t expect to see is a Yorkshire Terrier. Despite the breed’s small size, one…

R. Lee Ermey: US Marine Corps Sergeant and Respected Hollywood Actor

R. Lee Ermey speaking into a handheld microphone

R. Lee Ermey may best be known for playing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, but he was also a real-life Marine…

Dan Daly: The Legendary Marine of Big Words and Bigger Deeds

Todd Neikirk
Military portrait of Dan Daly + Dan Daly being presented with the Médaille militaire

“My God! Do you mean he’s real? I thought he was somebody the Marines made up, like Paul Bunyan!” These words were said by a…

The Most Important Battleships in American History

USS Missouri firing during an operation

In order to remain a prominent world power in the late 1800s, the US had to keep up with the latest military technology. When South…

P-80 Shooting Star: The Fighter Jet that Took Out America’s Top Flying Ace of WWII

Richard Bong in the cockpit of his airplane

During World War I, Eddie Rickenbacker became America’s top flying ace. By the time World War II came around, airplane technology had improved significantly. As…