Valor | War History

TRIGON: The CIA Spy Who Funneled Soviet Secrets to the United States

Rosemary Giles
Portrait of Aleksandr Ogorodnik, better known by the spy name "TRIGON" + Krasnoluzhsky Bridge running over the Moskva River

Aleksandr Ogorodnik’s death was like something out of a spy film – that is, of course, because he was a secret agent. Operating under the…

From Wartime Necessity to Chocoholic Revolution: Hershey’s World War II-Era Tropical Bar

June Steele
US Marines coming ashore from landing craft + Hershey's Tropical Bar

As the Second World War raged on, the United States faced a myriad of challenges, one of which was ensuring troops remained well-fed and supplied…

HMS Medusa (A353): The Ship That Marked the Way to Omaha Beach in June 1944

HMS Medusa (A353) anchored at a dock

The HMS Medusa (A353) – formerly known as the Harbour Motor Defence Launch (HMDL) 1387 – was near Omaha Beach on June 5, 1944, the…

USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78): The World’s Largest and Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier

USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) at sea

The largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in existence, the USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) is what the newest generation of warships looks like. With…

The Magic Engineering Behind Why Early Fighters Didn’t Shoot Their Own Propellers

Close-up of the front of an aircraft equipped with an interrupter gear

Let’s dive into something that’s been bugging many for decades: how did old fighter aircraft shoot at the enemy without blasting their own propellers into…

The Evolution of Guédelon Castle – A 13th-Century Castle In the Modern Era

Clare Fitzgerald
Exterior of Guédelon Castle

In east-central France, just a two-hour drive south of Paris, a structure is being built that’s unlike any other. Guédelon Castle is, as its name…

A24 Releases Trailer for Award-Winning Holocaust Film, ‘The Zone of Interest’

Sandra Hüller as Hedwig Höss in 'The Zone of Interest'

The official trailer for the World War II-era movie The Zone of Interest has been released by A24. The feature, which premiered at the Cannes…

One of the Principal Designers for the B-2 Spirit Got Himself Incarcerated At a Supermax Prison

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit in flight

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy strategic bomber featuring low-observable stealth technology, allowing it to penetrate and attack undetected deep within enemy…

The Tank Museum Releases Christmas Knit Collection

Clare Fitzgerald
Six staff members with The Tank Museum wearing Christmas jumpers + Two staff members with The Tank Museum wearing Christmas vests

The Tank Museum in Bovington, United Kingdom has launched a brand new Christmas collection just in time for the 2023 festive season. The new products,…

Lee Marvin: The Hollywood ‘Tough Guy’ Who Earned His Stripes In the Pacific Theater

Lee Marvin as the Sergeant in 'The Big Red One'

Lee Marvin was a mainstay of cinema and television throughout the 1950s and ’60s. Known for his portrayal of villains and tough guys, he was…

Seven American Soldiers Have Defected to North Korea Since the Korean War

Rosemary Giles
North Korean soldiers standing in front of the Military Demarcation Line between North and South Korea

Since the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, seven Americans have made the unprecedented decision to defect to North Korea. These men weren’t any ordinary…

The Soviets Tried to Starve Berlin Into Submission, But Were Humiliated By the Unprecedented Airlift

Damian Lucjan
Crowd watching an aircraft fly over West Berlin

Berlin, 1948; a city torn in two – and the Soviet Union wanted it all. The plan? Choke West Berlin by blocking all supply routes,…