Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation

For anyone who has ever wondered why the men who came home from the war refused to talk with their families about their experiences, this book may hold the clue. Read more

“Butch” O’Hare

It was 7:25 am when Flight Captain William Motes brought his plane down for landing. The arrival of the American Airlines Convair on October 30, 1955, marked the beginning of the first day of regularly scheduled passenger service at Chicago’s new O’Hare International Airport. Read more

Katyn Forest Massacre

Dear Editors:

Thank you for your article by Richard Rule concerning the Katyn Forest massacre, its subsequent cover-up by the Soviets, and worse, the lack of further action by the Western Allies. Read more

A conscientious objector, Private Desmond Doss won his nation’s highest award for bravery.

The fighting on Okinawa proved to be some of the most savage of the Pacific War. As American soldiers and Marines blasted the island’s Japanese defenders from reinforced bunkers, caves, and even tombs, incidences of incredible bravery and self sacrifice were commonplace. Read more

Stemming the Undefeated Tide

The third banzai charge that night struck the inexperienced, worn out infantry with the force of a blowtorch. Read more

Supreme Ruler 2010, Rome: Total War, and SOCOM 3

Battlegoat Studio’s Supreme Ruler 2010 for the PC has the look of an old school, tabletop, map-and-counters-wargame, but it has the video game smarts that make it vastly more playable than a board game with this much detail would be. Read more

Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History

The United States has been called a country made by war. Read more

Charlemagne

Dear Editors:

I am writing to point out a small flaw in the June 2005 issue. I was highly impressed by Ludwig Heinrich Dyck’s “Charlemagne: Warlord of the Franks.” Read more

Combat Mission: Afrika Korps, Codename: Panzers–Phase II, and Squad Assault: Second Wave

Combat Mission: Afrika Korps is new game for PCs from Battlefront. As the name implies, the setting is the Mediterranean Theater of World War II including North Africa, Italy, Sicily and Crete. Read more

The Handbook of the Eastern Front

The magnitude and geographical scale of the battles and campaigns on the Eastern Front during World War II and the number of soldiers involved in these operations are almost beyond the understanding of Americans. Read more

Pappy Gunn

Dear Editors,

WAAC, WAC, ANC, ARC, WASP, WAFS, WAVES, WAMS, SPARS—why don’t we ever see any articles about the brave women who served? Read more

The Marshall Plan

It was indeed an unprecedented effort to raise a continent from the devastation of a horrific world war, and ironically, the idea belonged to a career soldier. Read more

Divided Nation, Leyte Gulf, and Age of Empires III

The American Conquest series, from publisher CDV, follows the birth and evolution of the United States. The latest game is American Conquest: Divided Nation, which takes the story into the tumultuous 19th century. Read more

The First Marines

To this day, the U.S. Marine Corps proudly commemorates in its service hymn the Marines’ first overseas operation on “the shores of Tripoli.” Read more

Hedgehog

Dear Editors:

I took the enclosed photo of Hedgehogs in June 1961 on my ship USS Hector AR-7. Picture was taken on a DD alongside. Read more

The submarine U-505 made an epic journey from Germany to Chicago.

The German U-boat U-505 was, according to author James E. Read more

Sniper Elite, Blitzkrieg II, and Lock ‘n Load: Band of Heroes

First off is a very personal, one on one take on the Second World War. Published by Namco and available on the Xbox, PC, and PS2 is Sniper Elite. Read more

The 63rd “Blood and Fire” Division

Dear Editors,

I enclose a copy of pages 60 and 61 of your May 2005 issue, which may contain an error. Read more

Battlefield 2, Pirates of the Revolution, and Real Time Conflict: Shogun Empires

The Battlefield series of games from Electronic Arts brings large- scale, realistic multiplayer combat to the PC. Read more

The Icon of German Militarism

German Army Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg is regarded as a towering hero of World War I, the victor of the Battles of Tannenberg (1914) and the Masurian Lakes (1914 and 1915), as well as army chief of staff and master strategist. Read more