MSN | War History

Staff Sergeant Gail Kerns Was Held As a POW By the North Vietnamese for Four Years

Two nurses standing around Gail Kerns as he kisses the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland

As with all conflicts, prisoners of war (POW) were commonplace during the Vietnam War. It’s estimated that around 2,500 Americans were either missing in action…

Soviet Citizens of All Ages Helped the Red Army Defend Against the Siege of Leningrad – Including Children

Two children assembling submachine guns at a table

The Siege of Leningrad, a devastating 872-day blockade of the Soviet city by the Germans during World War II, remains a horrific part of the…

Steve McQueen’s Cancer Likely Resulted from His Service In the US Marine Corps

Clare Fitzgerald
Steve McQueen as Capt. Virgil "The Cooler King" Hilts in 'The Great Escape'

Steve McQueen was one of the most popular actors of the 20th century. Known for portraying the tough guy in such films as The Great…

Michael Conner Humphreys: The Actor Who Played Young Forrest Gump Served In Iraq

Clare Fitzgerald
Sally Field and Michael Conner Humphreys as Mrs. Gump and young Forrest Gump in 'Forrest Gump'

Forrest Gump (1994) was one of the most popular Vietnam-era movies ever released. Featuring an all-star cast that included Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sally Field…

The Mechanized Nature of Warfare In WWI Forced the French Cavalry to Adapt Their Fighting Style

French cavalrymen positioned at the top of a hill

World War I witnessed the advent of mechanized warfare, with tanks, artillery and machine guns redefining the nature of combat. Amid this modernization, the role…

Portable Surgical Hospitals Were Among the Most Important Medical Advancements of World War II

Surgeon and other medical personnel operating in a portable surgical hospital

The Second World War brought about devastation and human suffering on a global scale. As the conflict escalated, the need for rapid and efficient medical…

From Barracks to Ballgowns: Drag Performances Helped Boost Morale in World War II

Polish airman dressed in drag while other aviators stand around him

Ask any commander of the Second World War and they’ll agree it was incredibly important to keep up troop morale. This was accomplished in many…

USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) Recovered the Crew of the Apollo 17 Space Mission

Frogman standing with the Apollo 17 Command Module, with the USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) in the distance

On December 7, 1972, a three-man crew was launched into space on the final mission of NASA‘s Apollo program. For 12 days, they orbited space,…

Majority of Lawsuit Aimed At Stopping the Melting Down of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee Statue Dismissed

Robert E. Lee statue being lifted into the air

A civil lawsuit aimed at stopping a Charlottesville museum from melting down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee has suffered another hit in…

Search for World War I-Era French Minesweepers Leads to Discovery of 1879 Shipwreck

Navarin-class minesweepers at port

A number of ships have fallen victim to the wicked weather of the Great Lakes over the centuries. One, the loss of the SS Edmund…

The Little-Known Grand Stand of the ‘First Soldier of France’

Albert Severin Roche standing with Ferdinand Foch

As the world descended into the chaos of World War I, one man’s bravery and unwavering dedication stood out. Albert Severin Roche, known as the…

The ‘Illegal’ World War II-Era Forest That Went Unnoticed for Over 50 Years

Overhead view of a forest

In northeastern Germany, near Zernikow, Brandenburg, is a lush pine forest that one could easily get lost in if not careful. Almost everything looks the…