In March 1970, CBS Correspondent Richard Threlkeld and his camera crew accompanied a 21-man patrol from the U.S. Army’s Alpha Troop of the 1st Squadron/9th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division into the jungle of South Vietnam, one mile from the Cambodian border. The point man for the patrol inadvertently came into contact with his North Vietnamese counterpart and with the […]
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Reviewed by Steve Corbo This 1966 action/drama stars an award-winning Italian cast of Frank Sinatra as Mark Brittain, Verna Lisi as Rosa Lucchesi, Tony Franciosa as Vic Rossiter and Richard Conte as Tony Moreno. Directed by Jack Donohue with a screenplay by Rod Serling, the film features music by Duke Ellington. Set in the Caribbean, the film follows Rossiter as […]
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Anybody who served in the U.S. military between 1942 and 1980, especially in the Army or Marine Corps, will have “fond” memories of the “Ration, Combat, Individual,” or the “new and improved” “Meal, Combat, Individual,” as they were dubbed from 1958 onward. To the troops, they were simply known as C-Rations or by their more commonly used term of endearment, […]
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David Yuzuk shared a remarkable story on Tik Tok about James Flaherty, a homeless man he befriended while serving as a police officer in Aventura, Florida. Over time, Flaherty opened up to Yuzuk, sharing his military history over a sandwich at a Subway. At just 4-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing under 100 pounds, Flaherty was the smallest person to ever […]
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One consequence of today’s technology is the disappearance of traditional print photographs and photo albums. This is especially true when it comes to commemorating one’s military service. From the dawn of photography, cameras have accompanied soldiers wherever their paths led, whether they’re palling around during boot camp or grappling with the horrors of the battlefield. Dating back to Mathew Brady […]
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World War II ended almost 80 years ago, and to this day one of the most enduring documentaries about it remains the TV series “Victory at Sea.” Released only eight years after the war ended, and while the Korean War still raged, it originally aired on NBC, premiering October 26, 1952. Produced by Henry Salomon, a former U.S. Navy Lt. […]
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In June of 1941 some 3 million German troops crossed the border to invade the Soviet Union. Success was immediate and stunning. They advanced to the outskirts of Moscow and captured millions of Soviet prisoners. By 1944 the tide had turned to the point that orders for a German soldier to go to the Eastern Front were paramount to a […]
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Did you ever wonder what happened to all those Nazi helmets? After WWII, the German military, which numbered close to 20 million men, was roundly defeated and disbanded. A principal concern became what to do with the millions of tons of military equipment that was no longer needed or wanted. Much of it was simply destroyed, and tons of weapons […]
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Every year, local papers carry sad post-Fourth of July stories about folks injuring themselves with fireworks, despite the pervasive warnings and instructions that circulate in the days and weeks before. Far less common but far more devastating are the occasional tragedies that occur when vintage explosive ordnance is mishandled. A few years ago, a California school teacher found a 40MM […]
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Directed by Bryan Singer, this 2008 extravaganza is based on actual events that took place in Germany during the Second World War. It pays tribute to Lt. Col. Claus von Stauffenberg and his involvement in the July 20, 1944, attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Portraying Stauffenberg is Tom Cruise, a Golden Globe winner, four-time Academy Award nominee and one of […]
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