History

Watch: Experience a 360 degree tour of a World War II shipwreck

Although the United States has remained embroiled in war of one sort or another fairly consistently since the final days of World War II, something about that war prevents it from waning out of our cultural lexicon.  War stories about later conflicts, like Vietnam and Korea, have been transposed to film and television, of course, […]

October 16, 1859, John Brown Raided the Arsenal at Harpers Ferry

On this day in 1859, the abolitionist John Brown and a group of over 20 men, raided the US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia)  in an attempt to start a slave uprising and destroy slavery in the United States. His plan would fail and Brown would ultimately be hanged his actions, even […]

Friday the 13th, 1307, the Knights Templar Are Arrested And Executed

The Order of the Knights Templar traced their lineage back to the First Crusade. The history and fascination about who they were and their military prowess, wealth and ultimate demise has been a never-ending source legend in both books and film. After the initial Crusade to take the city of Jerusalem back from the Muslims […]

On this day in SOF history—October 6th: First MARSOC individual training course begins

On this day: October 6th First MARSOC Individual Training Course Begins — 2008 After standing up the Marine Corps’ first special operations unit in 2006, the USMC’s Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) was mired in controversy after an incident in Afghanistan where the unit was accused of killing civilians in a firefight. The […]

Op-Ed: Culture wars and the turning of American cities into Palmyra

Many people don’t understand why universities include a core curriculum of mandatory study, one that usually includes study of classic western art and literature.  This came about in the aftermath of World War I and was reinforced by the horrors of World War Two.  The western world had come perilously close to destroying ourselves, our […]

Op-Ed: Taking back the swastika – for peace or profit?

Recently the swastika has gotten some fans outside of the neo-Nazi genre, more specifically a company in the US named KA Designs decided to superimpose it onto Gilbert Baker’s rainbow design as a symbol of the LGBTQ community. According to an article by Dazed and Confused Magazine, their aim was to “share the beauty of […]

See newly declassified photos of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima

As World War II wore on, America was faced with a terrible decision: should they use the latest in military technology against the Japanese, a bomb capable of killing more people than any other weapon ever devised… or should they rely on traditional methods to advance the fight in the Pacific, regardless of the cost […]

Operation Musketoon part of the British SOF counterattack after Dunkirk

In 1940, the situation was looking dim for the British. After the successful evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk they were left alone to defend their island against the Nazi onslaught. Winston Churchill knew he needed to strike back, but large military operations were out of the question at the time so he […]

Soldiers of God: Catholicism’s Special Operations Force

This article was co-authored by Deacon David P., Society of Jesus, who will be ordained as a Jesuit priest in the summer of 2018.  Deacon David attended Fordham and Santa Clara University, where he received degrees in psychology, philosophy, and theology.  David also happens to be the first cousin of Frumentarius, which, per Catholic doctrine, secures Fru’s […]