Category: Military History

April 17, 1970 — The lunar and service modules had been jettisoned between Fiji and New Zealand; the three crew of Apollo 13 were barreling back to earth in the command module. After a mission rife with uncertainty, malfunction and extreme danger, the extended communications blackout during reentry had many on edge. Still, the three […]

April 14, 1865 — The President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, sat in the Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. “Don’t know the manners of good society, eh? Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal — you sockdologizing old man-trap!” said an actor playing in “Our American Cousin” for […]

Corporal Charles House led his Marine Recon patrol through thick undergrowth under the jungle canopy forty feet above. The country was Vietnam and the year was 1968. Team Dublin City had been inserted three days prior, North of Phu Bai to reconnoiter the area for signs of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troop buildups, […]

The old methods of exploration — seeking out uncharted territories, risking life and limb to brave new terrain, indigenous people and unknown wildlife — have all seemed to fade into the past. Cartographers aren’t hand-drawing maps from memory and cutting through lush jungles with machetes as much anymore. Although, it could be argued that every […]

Music has been a driving, inspirational factor to human beings of all walks of life for longer than anyone can remember. Early military-centric music may go as far back as a drummer boy on a boat, keeping the tempo for everyone as they rowed. Large, organized military bands have unique histories within their respective nations, […]

The picture above was taken on April 5, 1935, exactly 83 years ago today. One look at this picture and one can already surmise the difficulties Germany may have had after the fall of the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler — just because the military and political infrastructure were defeated did not mean that all […]

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has been on the forefront of aerial combat since its inception on April 1, 1918, 100 years ago. Initially, most flight operations were still in their infancies and run out of the British Navy. However, by early 1918, the first World War had been raging for approximately four years, […]

March 30, 1981 — Shots from a .22 Röhm RG-14 revolver ring out just outside the Hilton Hotel in D.C., just as President Ronald Reagan and his entourage are exiting the building. Press Secretary James Brady is struck in the head first, dropping immediately. The second round strikes the neck of Thomas Delahanty, D.C. police officer, […]

The conflict between Pakistan and India is often overlooked — like many conflicts that have been going on for decades, it’s easy to slip out of the limelight when it sounds like the same news is getting reported over and over. However, the Pakistan-India tensions have had some serious fallout: they have had massive tank […]

The evolution of the firearm is an interesting one — from the unknown Chinese origins of gunpowder, to the fire lance, and the slow development of handheld tubes that use gunpowder to force a projectile outward and into an enemy target. By the 1300s, what we consider guns today were well along in development, and […]

The United States Navy has commissioned the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), meaning that it is now fully operational. It’s an Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer, and has been in production since 26 Sept., 2011. This is the 64th of 75 total Arleigh Burke-class ships that have been planned. It has several upgrades from its predecessors, including the […]

March 24, 1958 — Elvis Presley is inducted into the United States Army, fulfilling his obligation to the draft requirements of the U.S. He received a physical, and back in those days soldiers were also given a serial number upon entry to the service; his was 53310761. He would ship off to Fort Chaffee for initial […]