The Battle of Camarón: Heroism Against All Odds
Camarón Battle (Mexico), 30 April 1863 – La Bataille de Camerone (Mexique). Oil on canvas. J. A. Beaucé / Mexico, 1865. The French Foreign Legion, or Légion étrangère, was established…
War, Trade, and Intelligence: The Aztecs’ Use of Spies and Informants
Aztec warriors. Six differing levels of military achievement are depicted in Codex Mendoza, Unknown author c 1542– Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies.,. The Aztec Empire, one of the…
Ian Fleming’s Commandos: The 30 Assault Unit
British sailors and British and American Army soldiers on the beach near Algiers in Operation Torch, November 1942. Operation Torch marked the 30AU’s first major success and demonstrated its potential…
The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots: Aviation Trailblazers
WASP members Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, Ann Waldner and Blanche Osborn leaving their plane, “Pistol Packin’ Mama”. The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were a trailblazing group of women…
Wandering Warriors: The Legacy of Knight-Errants
Gawain unwittingly fights Yvain in the Garrett MS. No. 125 manuscript of Chrétien’s “Knight of the Lion” (c. 1295). The concept of the knight-errant is one of the most romanticized…
The Tuskegee Airmen: Pioneers of the Sky
Tuskegee Airmen – Circa May 1942 to Aug 1943 Location unknown, likely Southern Italy or North Africa. The Tuskegee Airmen were a pioneering group of African American military pilots who…
The Maquis: French Resistance in World War II
Members of the Maquis in La Trésorerie (a hamlet part of Wimille, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, France). 14 September 1944. Donald I. Grant, Department of National Defence. Library and Archives of Canada.…
Bushido: The Way of the Samurai
Samurai in Armour, hand-colored albumen silver print by Kusakabe Kimbei. 1860s. J. Paul Getty Museum (object no. 84.XA.700.4.58), digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program. Bushido, the code…
The Blackfoot Warriors: A Legacy of Bravery and Tradition
A painting from life by Karl Bodmer of a Blackfoot warrior ca. 1840-1843. The Blackfoot Confederacy, also known as the Niitsitapi or Siksikaitsitapi, is a historic collective name for the…
The 369th Infantry Regiment: The Harlem Hellfighters
Some of the Soldiers of the 369th (15th N.Y.) who won the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action. Left to right. Front row: Pvt. Ed Williams, Herbert Taylor, Pvt.…