My father’s generation accomplished some cool stuff, but were they really the Greatest Generation? – I hope not. I hope that Millennials and each succeeding generation of Americans far exceed the accomplishments of the last but it is hard to argue with the humble patriotism, intestinal fortitude and tenacity of the WW2 generation. On 6…
Tag: Military History
Military History: 5 Soviet “Super Weapons” That Were Disastorous
For nearly seven decades, the defense-industrial complex of the Soviet Union went toe-to-toe with the best firms that the West had to offer. In some cases, it surprised the West with cheap, innovative, effective systems. In others, it could barely manage to put together aircraft that could remain in the air, and ships that could…
Military History: World War I Vintage Photo, “Fix Bayonets!!”
French Poilu attacking in an uphill Bayonet Charge in the Argonne in 1915 Read the Original Article at Forgotten Weapons
Guerilla Warfare History: The Ties That Bind… Chairman Mao, Che Guevera and Al-Qaeda
Mao Tse-tung borrowed the revolutionary vanguard from Vladimir Lenin, Ernesto “Che” Guevara liked Mao’s ideas about sanctuaries, and Al Qaeda valued Guevara’s focoist approach to global insurgency. At first glance, the revolutionary strategies of Mao, Guevara, and the intellectuals who devised Al Qaeda’s doctrine for jihad have much in common. They integrated violence into the…
Obscure Military History: Tank Warfare in the Dominican Republic, 1965
Tanks have rarely been used in battle in the Western Hemisphere — and fights between tanks are even rarer. But the Dominican Republic in 1965 was one of the exceptions, when Constitutionalist rebels fought the armored vehicles of invading U.S. Marines in the streets of the capital city, Santo Domingo. Stranger yet, the Dominicans were using Swedish tanks….
Military History: 10 World Changing Invasions That Never Happened
Strategists say the first casualty of war is the plan. In a few cases, the plan never reached the war stage. And if these 10 invasions had happened, the world would be a dramatically different place. 1. War Plan Red: The U.S. Invasion of Canada In the post-WWI era, fresh from battlefield victory in Europe,…
Ancient Military History: The Romans Secret “Terror Weapon”
Archeologists have unearthed a set of Roman lead sling bullets which were used against the barbarian foes in Scotland. The bullets were found to make a piercing whistle noise when hurled through the air, a sound thought to have been used to strike terror in their enemies 1,800 years ago. According to an article…
Military History: The Incredible Story Of The Marine Who Rode Lightning
Lt. Col. William Rankin ejected from his F-8 Crusader at 40,000 feet, fell through a nightmarish storm, and survived. When Marine Lt. Col. William Henry Rankin ejected at 40,000 feet after his F-8 Crusader malfunctioned, things didn’t seem like they could get much worse. Then he fell through a raging thunderstorm. On July 26, 1959,…
World War Two History: Remembering The Wars of our Fathers
Dennis Anderson reflects on his father’s job during World War II, processing and editing thousands of combat photographs. “What did you do in the war, daddy?” It was a question we Baby Boomers often asked our fathers — all of the millions of us whose fathers served during World War II, history’s greatest conflict, and…
Military News: 10 Wars That Could Break Out In The Next Four Years
The incoming Commander-in-Chief already has a handful of issues waiting for him or her on January 20th and surely doesn’t need any more foreign policy headaches. Unfortunately, the job is “Leader of the Free World” and not “Autopilot of the Worldwide Ramones/P-Funk Block Party.” Inevitably, things go awry. Reactions have unintended consequences. If you don’t…