Long Binh Jail, or “LBJ,” was the U.S. Army’s primary detention facility in Vietnam. It held military prisoners on a short-term basis, as punishment for crimes such as going AWOL, theft, drug offenses, etc. But there were also a substantial number of murderers, rapists and violent offenders. Conditions were brutal. It was hot; overcrowded to about twice its intended capacity; […]
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Paratroopers and Airborne operations came of age during WWII and are considered elite soldiers. The Germans were the first to use them in large numbers in a combat operation. Quickly adopted by the American and British, the first U.S. combat jump took place in late 1942. While the most famous Airborne Operation of all time was the combined drop of […]
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For those living in the Chicago area, within our midst is one of the most unique exhibits in the world. On display at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is the WWll German submarine U-505, which was captured on the high seas on June 04, 1944, by U.S. Naval forces. Amazingly, the capture was caught on film and is available […]
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Put out by the U.S. War Department in 1945, “Diary of a Sergeant” was directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Joseph M. Newman while serving as a Major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. It tells the story of Harold Russell, a soldier who lost both hands in a training accident when an explosive device detonated prematurely. It follows him […]
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According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam from 1964 to1973. Of that number, some 10,000 were women, with approximately 90 percent of them serving as nurses. Louise “Lou” Eisenbrandt talks about her military experiences during the war in this fascinating interview. She served one year in Vietnam, from October 1969 to October […]
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The most decorated U.S. soldier in WWII was a 20-year-old kid from Northeast Texas named Audie Murphy. This unpretentious warrior stood 5 feet, 4-1/2 inches tall, weighed 112 pounds and was the recipient of every combat award for heroism the Army had to offer! Assigned to an infantry unit destined for combat in North Africa and Europe, he excelled on […]
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“Tokyo Rose” was a name given by the GIs to women who made propaganda broadcasts aimed at them by the Japanese. One of these women had a radio program called “The Zero Hour,” that became immensely popular with the American Troops. Although she called herself “Orphan Ann,” she was dubbed “Tokyo Rose” by her fans. She played popular American music […]
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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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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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About six miles from Maastricht, Netherlands, 8,301 American soldiers lie buried. They died in Operation Market Garden during the battles to liberate Holland in the fall/winter of 1944. All men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, have been adopted by Dutch families who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive […]
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