Updated | War History

‘Band of Brothers’ Actors Who Later Became Big-Time Stars

Still from 'Band of Brothers'

Band of Brothers was a television landmark that featured a star-studded cast of actors. Made in the days before movie quality, writer-led drama really took…

Photos of George Patton You Probably Haven’t Seen Before

George Patton sitting with his four grandchildren

Gen. George Patton went down history as one of America’s most beloved military figures, and his popularity was only exceeded by his accomplishments on the…

Remy Van Lierde: The WWII Air Ace Whose Helicopter Was Attacked By the World’s Largest Snake

Desert landscape + Cobra with its mouth open + Bristol Sycamore Type 171

Col. Remy Van Lierde would be worth studying for his incredible military exploits alone – the fact he claimed later in life to have encountered…

Amazing Innovation or Billion Dollar Blunder? The Norden Bombsight

Thomas Ferebee crouching beside a Norden bombsight outside of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Enola Gay'

The United States went “all in” on the Norden bombsight before the Second World War, subsequently doubling down on it and its variations during the…

Project MKUltra: The CIA’s Unethical Cold War-Era Human Experimentation Program

Aerial view of the original CIA Headquarters + Portrait of Allen Dulles

The CIA has been subject to much scrutiny since its establishment in 1947 and this only increased following the conclusion of the Cold War, when…

John F. Kennedy’s Assassination Secured the Future of Britain’s Special Air Service

John Connally sitting in a convertible with John F. and Jackie Kennedy + Emblem for the Special Air Service (SAS)

Every great event has unexpected side effects. However glorious or terrible, each will trigger other moments – good or bad, small or significant. After the…

Maynard Harrison Smith Was Given Two Options: Go to Jail or Join the Army – He Wound Up Receiving the Medal of Honor

Henry L. Stimson placing the Medal of Honor around Maynard Harrison Smith's neck

Often, war brings out traits in people they never quite knew they possessed. The most outwardly confident and confrontational individuals can turn out to be…

Pearl Harbor: The Worst Military Decision In History?

Aerial view of Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack

The morning of December 7, 1941, is a date remembered across the world, particularly by American citizens. That morning, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) caught…

John Wayne, Draft Dodger? Why the Duke Never Served In World War II

John Wayne as Lt. Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort in 'The Longest Day'

John Wayne is undeniably one of the most popular actors in American history. His vast legacy of films set the standards for years to come…

‘Hold My Beer’ – War Hero Thomas Fitzpatrick Twice Landed His Aircraft in New York City (While Drunk)

AI rendering of an aircraft parked in the middle of a Manhattan street at night

Thomas Fitzpatrick was a World War II and Korean War veteran who stole and landed an aircraft in front of a bar in New York…

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt: The Most Produced American Fighter of World War II

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in flight

The “Juggernaut,” the “Jug” – whatever you want to call it, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an absolute beast in the skies over Europe and…

Dreyse Needle-Gun: The Rifle That Won the Austro-Prussian War and Gave Birth to the German Nation

Painting of the Battle of Königgrätz + Dreyse needle-gun

History runs its course, but, sometimes, there are things that push said course in a specific direction. There are examples from the past of how…