From May 26 to Jun. 4, 1940, one of the largest evacuations in human history saved approximately 338,000 Allied troops and gave the Allies the strength to continue resisting Adolph Hitler’s Third Reich. The operation was more successful than the planners’ wildest dreams, partially because of the skill and bravery of boat crews and troops…
Tag: Military History
World War Two History: The Secret War Before Pearl Harbor
FDR ordered American military forces to ‘shoot on sight’ months before Pearl Harbor, just as Charles Lindbergh, the original America Firster, was about to address an anti-war rally. In 1941: Fighting the Shadow War: A Divided America in a World at War, historian Marc Wortman depicts how President Franklin Roosevelt led America into war long…
Vietnam War History: Trying to Find Viet-Cong Tunnels with Witching Rods?
The Military Has Been Known to Try Almost Anything Once, Regardless of it’s Effectiveness For more than five centuries, farmers, treasure hunters and others have applied a pseudoscientific practice known as “dowsing” to find water, caves, graves and more. During the Vietnam War, American troops tried using the method to divine the location of…
Military Aviation History: 11 of the Worst Soviet Aircraft
The Soviet Union lasted a mere sixty-nine years (the Spitfire has been flying longer), but in that time produced some of the largest, fastest, toughest and most agile aircraft. Even now, 25 years after its collapse, almost all Russian and Ukrainian aircraft have their roots in the communist super state. Favoring clever robust design over…
Military History: 10 of the Most Insane Military Disguises That Worked
Modern militaries use relatively standard camouflage patterns and netting to try to hide themselves from prying forces, but not all camouflage and disguise is so boring. Some military disguises that actually worked were outlandish and ridiculous. 10. Israeli Commandos Fooled Sentries By Cross-Dressing In 1973, Israel launched Operation Spring of Youth as part of a…
Profiles in Courage: “He Was One Of Us”
Not sure if any of you caught this story last night on ABC News, but it was a good’un. It is stories like this that as a historian and veteran, I absolutely love to learn about, mostly because you won’t find it in any official history books. I did some digging and found this amazing…
World War I History: You Can Thank World War I Veterans For Making the Wristwatch Popular
After World War I, an entire generation of battle-hardened veterans came home sporting military-issued ‘trench watches,’ or wristwatches as we know them today. Essential for keeping track of time and much more practical than pocket watches for troops in the trenches or flying aircraft, ‘trench watches’ became a “newly endowed emblem of masculinity, modernity, and First…
Cold War Files: America’s “Secret War” and The Most Bombed Country in History
Christine Boyle’s store, Queen Design Lao, offers rings, necklaces and pendants to shoppers along Luang Prabang’s quaint peninsula. Most of the trinkets resemble normal jewelry, but the miniature cluster bombs on some chains in the friendly Aussie’s shop are less subtle. Known as “peace jewelry,” the necklaces sport metal harvested from unexploded bombs, a reminder…
Cold War Files: The Confusing Times of the Six Day War
During the Six Day War pitting Israel against its Arab neighbors in 1967, Americans were thrust into the crisis — even though they weren’t directly involved in the fighting. After Israel pre-emptively attacked Egyptian forces on June 5, 1967, much of the Arab world came to Cairo’s aid. Recently-declassified messages describe American fliers handling their own chaotic…
Military History: 10 Misconceptions About Famous Historical Wars and Armies
Wars and the armies that fight them are one of the most fascinating subjects to the human race. Conquest has shaped and reshaped the globe many times, and great wars will continue to alter the future course of humanity. However, while humanity loves to study and learn about wars, many of the most accepted facts…