Morning Brief: Trump Names Terry Cole as Interim D.C. Police Commissioner, Japan Marks 80 Years Since World War II Surrender
Start your Friday with SOFREP’s Morning Brief, bringing you the latest in defense and global affairs for August 15, 2025.
World War II
It’s Been 80 Years to the Day Since We Dropped the First Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
The bomb didn’t just flatten a city—it ripped a hole in the world so deep that eight decades later, we’re still peering into the abyss and pretending it’s not staring back.
Why Your Grandparents Once Rendered the Nazi Salute to the American Flag
In a moment that feels ripped from dystopian fiction, American schoolkids in 1940 stood with outstretched arms—Nazi-style—saluting the flag under a Pledge written by a Christian Socialist, in a bizarre collision of patriotism, forgotten history, and unintended symbolism.
How CIA Predecessors Were Assessed and Selected
Back in the early days of the OSS, when the stakes were sky-high and the playbook still being written, candidates faced a gauntlet of tests designed to weed out all but the toughest, sharpest minds—because only a ‘PhD who could win a bar fight’ would survive behind enemy lines.
US Army Special Forces “Green Berets” The Complete Guide
Explore the Green Beret’s history, weapons, and key battles in this definitive guide by former SOCOM members.
Medal of Honor Monday: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. – A General Who Led from the Front
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. didn’t just carry his father’s famous name ashore on D-Day—he carried the fight, a cane, and the kind of guts that turned chaos into victory.
SOFREP Cartoon: From Hitler’s Hubris to Putin’s Predicament
Putin’s war in Ukraine is starting to look less like a display of strength and more like a slow-motion replay of history’s costliest delusions.
SOFREP Pic of the Day: A Tribute to the Men Who Stormed the Beaches on D-Day
They were kids turned killers by circumstance, storming a foreign shore not for glory, but because someone had to break the grip of evil—and they didn’t flinch.
Victory in Europe: The Moment Europe’s Nightmare Ended
May 7, 1945, marked the end of Nazi Germany. Victory in Europe was more than a win—it was the dawn of a new world order.
The Bolduc Brief: The Legacy of Billy Mitchell – Seeking Courageous Voices in Today’s Military
Billy Mitchell saw the future of war—and was punished for it. Who in today’s military has the vision and courage to challenge the status quo?
The Battle That Never Should Have Happened: How Stubborn Commanders Sent Thousands to Die in Hurtgen Forest
The Battle of Hurtgen Forest was a brutal fight against terrain as much as the enemy—bad strategy turned the woods into a death trap.
WWII’s Strangest Disappearance: Did the L-8’s Crew Fall, Flee, or Get Abducted?
A WWII blimp took off with two men—hours later, it drifted back empty. No trace, no answers. What really happened to the L-8 crew?
