War Articles | War History

Tom Lehrer Invented Jello Shots to Skirt The Military’s No Alcohol in Bases Policy

Todd Neikirk
Tom Lehrer being interviewed

Tom Lehrer is one of the more interesting people of the last 100 years. He is a man of many gifts, though he has sometimes…

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…

William McRaven: One of the Most Famous Navy SEALs in American History

Todd Neikirk
Admiral McRaven speaking at a podium

William McRaven is one of the most famous Navy SEALs in American history. A four-star admiral, he was in command and helped organize the operation…

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…

John Clem: The Youngest Noncommissioned Officer in US Army History

John Clem as a child + John Clem as an adult

When the American Civil War broke out in April 1861, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation for the Union and Confederate armies. All men of fighting…

Mary Edwards Walker: The Only Woman to Receive the Medal of Honor

Mary Edwards Walker wearing a top hat

Today, about a third of all American doctors are female, and women make up 14 percent of all active-duty US military members. This represents a…

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…