Marine Raiders and Gear of WWII

The only things those people have that you don’t is guts. Do you wanna live forever? — Col Merritt A. “Red Mike” Edson The Marine Raiders were established to operate behind enemy lines during World War II. They specialized in amphibious warfare in the cover of darkness. The Raider concept was born in the early days of […]

USS Independence completes its last voyage – Towed to Brownsville Texas

The USS Independence was towed last Thursday into the Port of Brownsville where it will be dismantled for scrap. CV-62 was launched in 1958 and served almost 40 years in the Fleet before it was decommissioned in 1998. Watch the Independence Being Towed on its Final Voyage International Shipbreaking Ltd. President Chris Green credited the Port of […]

Rangers Storm the Cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D-Day 73 Years Ago

On this day during World War II in June 1944, Army Rangers would complete a mission, scaling the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D-Day that would immediately become the stuff of legend. Later, the survivors would comment that they couldn’t believe that they survived. The Commander of the Rangers, LTC James Rudder would comment, […]

Nuristan: Kipling and American Valor

It took him half an hour to fall. -Peachy Carnehan, “The Man Who Would Be King” On June 24, I published Nuristan Province: Conflict, Reconciliation, and Development at Foreign Intrigue that examined the consequences for diminished application of  aid and development resources in the eastern Afghanistan province of Nuristan. This article is a companion piece to “Nuristan […]

Watch: Last remaining Sea Vixen aircraft makes gear up landing

The last remaining Sea Vixen aircraft, Foxy Lady landed gear up at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset, in South West England. The Sea Vixen aircraft first flew in 1951 and was the first British two-seat aircraft to break the sound barrier. Foxy Lady XP924 first flew on September 23, 1963. Scott Dabinett, 32, captured amazing photos of […]

Studies and Observations Group’s ‘Q’ named honorary member of Special Forces Regiment

James Bond had “Q.” SOG had Baker. Ben Baker. During the Vietnam War’s eight-year secret war conducted in Laos, Cambodia and N. Vietnam under the aegis of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (SOG), the Green Berets turned to Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO) Deputy Commander Conrad (“Ben”) B. Baker for everything […]

65 years later ‘The Originals’ return to 10th Special Forces Group

 The Originals Sixty-four years ago PFC Richard Simonian and SFC Clyde J. Sincere Jr., were among the original 600 Special Forces from the newly formed 10th Special Forces Group that boarded the USNS General A.W. Greely in Wilmington, N.C., for a transatlantic voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany – the first Special Forces unit to deploy to […]

Movie Review: ‘Megan Leavey’ is a solid love story about a Marine and her dog

When I was contacted about watching and reviewing an early screening of “Megan Leavey,” the upcoming dramatic biopic starring Kate Mara that tells the story of a Marine K9 handler and her experiences with a German Shepard named “Rex,” I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.  There hasn’t been a particular shortage of contemporary war […]

The history and function of one of world’s greatest pistols: the 1911

Over a span of more than a hundred years, the 1911 pistol platform has earned a reputation as an accurate and reliable shooter.  Designed specifically to comply with the requirements of the U.S. Army after a campaign in the Philippines saw the current service pistol, a double action revolver chambered in .38, fail to provide […]