The First Sky Soldiers – Meet History’s Earliest Airborne Units
“During the years between the World Wars, armies around the world began organizing their own specially designated paratroop units.” FEW HAVE PROBABLY heard of Gleb Kotelnikov — the genius behind the first modern backpack parachute. In 1911,…
Ironclad Sailors to be Laid to Rest Friday
For the officers and crew of the U.S. Navy’s first iron warship, USS Monitor, tragedy struck on the last day of 1862. While being towed through stormy seas less than 20 miles off the coast…
Peaceable Kingdoms – Countries Without Armies
ON MAY 23, 2003, the civilian head of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq issued Coalition Provisional Authority Order No. 2. The directive called for the immediate dissolution of the 450,000-man Iraqi military. With the stroke…
Travel Article Explores Okinawa’s Fascinating And Terrible Past
When American forces landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, it wasn’t just Japanese soldiers who opposed the invaders. According to an intriguing article that appeared yesterday on CNN International’s website, 240 teenagers from two…
The Business Plot — Did American Billionaires Really Plan a Fascist Coup?
“A coalition of America’s wealthiest industrial magnates allegedly hatched a scheme to topple the Roosevelt Administration.” DONALD TRUMP ADDED a touch of levity to the U.S. Presidential election last November, albeit unintentionally. As the major news…
Bloody First Contact – When Vikings Clashed with Native North Americans
“Almost as soon as the Norsemen hauled their long boats onto the beaches, fighting broke out with the local inhabitants.” MANY POINT TO the Jamestown Massacre of 1622 as the first clash between European settlers and…
