MSN | War History

US Army Garrison Italy Replaces Birthday Cake Stolen from Italian Girl 77 Years Ago

Meri Mion being presented with her birthday cake

Soldiers with US Army Garrison Italy have returned a birthday cake members of the 88th Infantry Division stole from a 13-year-old Italian girl 77 years…

Able Archer 83: The NATO Exercise That Nearly Sparked Nuclear War

Clare Fitzgerald
NATO members standing in front of a missile launcher

NATO has always been a topic of contention between the west and Russia. This was especially true during the Cold War, when there were fears…

The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness

US soldier lying on his stomach with an M16A2 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…

British Tank Crew Survived Being Stuck in No Man’s Land for Three Days

Mark IV tank stuck in the mud

The Third Battle of Ypres – better known as the Battle of Passchendaele – is famous for the difficult conditions the British had to contend…

Why The RAH-66 Comanche Was Doomed From The Start

The RAH-66 mid-flight

The RAH-66 Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat armed reconnaissance helicopter that couldn’t meet its high expectations. With intended missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack, and…

C-4: The Vietnam-Era Explosive Still Used Today

Members of the 82nd Airborne Division watch as a test firing of C4 explosives explodes near the Orgun-e forward base in Afghanistan. The explosion was part of training exercises to teach U.S. troops how to build field explosives out of explosive C4 and detonation cords.

The Second World War was the catalyst for countless new technologies that we still use today. From medicines like penicillin to the atomic bomb and…

The History Behind the USAF’s Top-Secret Fighter Pilot Unit in Vietnam

Members of the US Air Force's Misty unit standing together

A new documentary slated to premiere on PBS stations on May 2, 2022 will introduce audiences to the never-before-told story of 157 US Air Force…

US Army Announces Replacements for M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon

Clare Fitzgerald
US soldier aiming an M4 Carbine

The US Army has officially announced the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) that will replace the M4/M4A1 carbine and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The…

Marie Marvingtf: The WWI and WWII Pilot And Nurse Who Lived An Incredible Life

A drawing of Marie Marvingt's air ambulance

Marie Marvingt was so renowned for her courage that in 1903, she was nicknamed “the fiancee of danger.’ She was many other things as well.…

US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s

US Navy sailor firing an M16 rifle

The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…

Time Capsule at Arlington National Cemetery Reveals Preserved Artifacts

Overhead view of the contents of the Memorial Amphitheater time capsule

In May 2020, archivists and historians at Arlington National Cemetery announced the debut of an online exhibit dedicated to the items found within a 105-year-old…

Frederick Banting: The Co-Discoverer of Insulin Served in Both World Wars

Frederick Banting working at a desk

Shortly before 2:00 AM on October 31, 1920, Frederick Banting woke up from a dream that would change the lives of millions. He quickly scribbled…