This Civil War soldier survived the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history
John Harrison Simpson was just 16 when he enlisted in the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry (Federal), Company I in 1863. Lying about his age to enlist, Simpson was joined by his…
A fighter pilot shot his own fuel tanks mid-flight over Korea
In 1952, Lt. Col. A.J. D’Amario took off from an airstrip at Suwon, Korea in a F-80 Shooting Star jet fighter. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. He…
The 4 deadliest submarine accidents in history
It takes a special kind of sailor to work aboard a submarine, especially the modern, nuclear-powered submarines that can spend months hidden below the ocean’s surface. Close quarters, limited access…
Today in military history: German airship Hindenburg crashes
On May 6, 1937, the German airship Hindenburg burst into flames while attempting to moor after a trans-Atlantic flight. Billed as the largest airship ever built — nearly the size…
4,000 volts, a dying man and the kiss of life
Every April, many Americans join energy cooperatives and utilities across the US in celebrating National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Roughly 114,930 lineworkers work around the clock to keep 328 million Americans connected to…
The mysterious disappearance of an EC-47 crew during the Vietnam War
In the early morning of Feb. 5, 1973, a USAF EC-47 was shot down over Laos. The plane, callsign Baron 52, had a crew of eight airmen aboard. Only four…
What happens when door breaching goes explosively wrong
Master Sergeant George Hand US Army (ret) was a member of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, The Delta Force. He is a now a master photographer, cartoonist and storyteller.
Five… four… three… two… one —
How the Navy tried to prevent accidents 60 years ago
For a long time, the Navy has been trying to reduce the frequency of accidents — and it’s easy to see why. The recent collisions involving the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and USS Fitzgera…
An F-22 pilot makes a gear-up belly landing after losing power
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor from the 3rd Air Force Wing at Elmendorf Air Force has been involved in an incident at NAS Fallon in western Nevada. The aircraft has been shown in photos posted to social media laying on the runway with the landing gear…
The possible connection between defense cuts and deadly accidents
A staggering report from the Military Times concludes that accidents involving all aircraft of the US military rose 40% between the 2013 and 2017 fiscal years, and that those accidents resulted in the deaths of at least 133 service members.
Th…