Topic

Wars, Conflict & Heroes

A collection of 84 issues

From Green Acres to Bloody Tarawa: The Secret Heroism of Eddie Albert

Many know Eddie Albert as the star of Green Acres, but few know he was a WWII hero. At the Battle of Tarawa, he piloted a landing craft under fire to rescue 47 stranded Marines, earning a Bronze Star. This heroic act later shielded him from the career-ending Hollywood Blacklist.

The Baroness Who Battled Fascism: Meet Helena Bonham Carter's Incredible Grandmother

TIL about Violet Bonham Carter, a formidable British politician, orator, and friend to Churchill. The grandmother of actress Helena Bonham Carter, she was a powerful early voice against Nazism and the policy of appeasement, leaving a legacy of courage and political conviction.

Our Italians: How a Disastrous WWII Defeat Forged the US Army

The Battle of Kasserine Pass in 1943 was a disastrous first clash for US forces against the Germans. The defeat was so severe that the British mockingly called US troops "our Italians." The failure led to the replacement of the US commander with the legendary General George S. Patton.

A Twist of Fate: The Surprising Reason India Celebrates Independence on August 15th

India's Independence Day, August 15th, wasn't chosen for its significance to India but to its last Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten. He personally selected the date because it marked the second anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender, a moment he oversaw as Supreme Allied Commander.

Worse Than the Titanic: The Forgotten Story of the SS Sultana, America's Deadliest Maritime Disaster

The SS Sultana disaster of 1865 remains the deadliest maritime tragedy in U.S. history. Over 1,100 people, mostly Union POWs returning home, died when the overcrowded steamboat's boilers exploded on the Mississippi River due to greed and a faulty repair. It was a tragedy lost in history.

Not Just Random Debris: The Surprising True Story of the Man Named Shrapnel

Did you know 'shrapnel' isn't just any piece of metal from an explosion? The term comes from its inventor, Henry Shrapnel, a British officer who created a revolutionary exploding cannonball filled with musket balls, forever changing the face of warfare and etching his name into history.

The Phantom of the Parliament: How a Notorious War Criminal Held His Seat After Vanishing in a War Zone

Infamous WWII war criminal Masanobu Tsuji evaded justice to become a Japanese politician. He vanished in the Laotian jungle in 1961 but, because he was legally just "missing," he astonishingly kept his parliamentary seat until 1965, creating one of history's oddest political ghosts.

Hitler's Golden Handcuffs: The Secret Slush Fund That Bought the Wehrmacht's Loyalty

During WWII, Hitler operated "Konto 5," a secret slush fund dispensing 40 million tax-free Reichsmarks annually to senior generals. This official bribery scheme ensured personal loyalty by intertwining their financial fortunes with the survival of the Nazi regime.

The Disobedient Saviors: How a 'Trigger-Happy' UN Unit Broke Every Rule to Keep the Peace in Bosnia

In 1993 Bosnia, the UN's Nordic Battalion (NORDBAT 2) defied orders and restrictive rules of engagement. By faking radio silence and using aggressive force, they successfully protected civilians in the Tuzla safe area without suffering a single combat death, earning the nickname 'trigger-happy.'