John Boitnott got his first taste of war on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Serving as a Marine onboard the Northampton-class cruiser USS Chicago, he was wounded during the Japanese aerial attack.
world war II
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St Nazaire: The Mother of All Commando Raids
BY Will Dabbs Updated: October 5, 2024It was the threat of the battleship and her fearsome guns that kept combat fleets bottled up and gave invasion planners pause.
Mad Jack’s WWII Weapons of Choice -Broadsword & Longbow
BY Will Dabbs Updated: September 14, 2024Jack Churchill opted for an English longbow and a Scottish broadsword. Additionally, where normal people might wield such stuff for show, Jack Churchill did not. He used these antiquated weapons to get medieval on the Germans.
Hannie Schaft: The Assassin with the Fiery Red Hair
BY Will Dabbs Updated: August 30, 2024When she came of age, Jo enrolled in law school intending to become a human rights lawyer. While studying law she developed friendships with several Jewish students. In the late 1930’s with persecution of the Jews on the rise across Europe, Jo felt energized to support them.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
BY Will Dabbs Updated: August 3, 2024It is difficult to appreciate the scope of World War 2. We modern folk simply have no frame of reference. It was death, tragedy, and destruction on a scale beyond our imagining.
Robert Johnson and his Indestructible Thunderbolt
BY Will Dabbs Updated: May 13, 2024American flyers came home after a certain number of missions to either sell war bonds or pass on their hard-earned secrets to the next generation. By contrast, the German experten (fighter pilots) typically flew until they died.
Sterling Hayden: Sailor, Actor, Viking, Spy
BY Will Dabbs Updated: March 15, 2024After the war, like so many millions of American veterans, Sterling Hayden came home. His wartime service overseas left him with a deep love and appreciation for his country. During one press conference, he said, “I feel a real obligation to make this a better country – and I believe the movies are the place to do it.”
Dr Dabbs – When America’s Ace of Aces “Shot Down” a Crocodile
BY Will Dabbs Updated: December 30, 2023Major Richard Bong – fighter pilot, national hero, and crocodile hunter – was indeed a proper legend.
Violette Szabo: The Alpha Spy
BY Will Dabbs Updated: September 28, 2023Violette Szabo was indeed a rare patriot. Her story of selfless sacrifice for the cause of freedom should inspire all of us today.
Major Aleksander Tarnawski: The Unkillable Polish Commando
BY Will Dabbs Updated: February 12, 2023On January 8, 2022, Aleksander Tarnawski turned 101 years old. 101 years prior he had entered the world kicking and screaming in Słocin in the Rzeszów poviat in Poland. Like most of the young males of his generation, Aleksander Tarnawski soon found himself swept up in the war.