Distinguished Service Cross
Valor Friday
When it comes to those fighting in the skies, no warriors are more celebrated than the ace. An ace is a fighter pilot who shoots down five enemy aircraft. Each plane shot down is counted as a “kill”, though actually killing your foe isn’t a requirement. Crossing the line to become an ace makes one […]
Valor Friday
One of the first things I do when looking at an American military award recipient as I consider whether to write about them is to read the actual award citation. Sometimes this is easy to find, and other times it can be a bit tricky. It’s generally easier with the higher awards. For example, all […]
Valor Friday
For fighter pilots, downing five enemy aircraft makes one an “Ace.” During World War II, the tank became a major fixture of land warfare. Though introduced in World War I to power over trenches and through the obstructions erected in No Man’s Land, the tank faced significant growing pains. By the time of the Second […]
Valor Friday
I talked a while back about one of Norway’s greatest heroes, Captain Gunnar Sønsteby. During World War II, as a member of the Norwegian Resistance, he thrice earned that nation’s highest honor of the War Cross with Swords, among many other awards. The War Cross with Swords is analogous to an American Medal of Honor […]
Valor Friday
With the recent passing of the 81st anniversary of the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, word came out about an award upgrade for one of the valiant men who dropped behind enemy lines on that fateful morning. William D Owens, who left the service as a staff sergeant, is seeing a Bronze Star Medal be upgraded […]
Valor Friday
Castle Itter in Austria was the site of what’s been described as the strangest battle in all of World War II. The setting for today’s story is a small castle in Tyrol, Austria. The site dates back to the 13th Century as a fortress of some sort. As castles were, it was the administrative center […]
Valor Friday
As we reported the other day, Fort Benning is once more Fort Benning. The large Army facility is no longer named after Confederate Brigadier General Henry Benning, who was a staunch anti-abolitionist and vocal and active participant in the secession cause. It is now named for Sergeant Fred Benning of Nebraska. Fred Benning was born […]
Valor Friday
This week must be another re-post, but as we are nearing the 106th anniversary of the end of World War I, we’re gonna re-look at the tragic death of Henry Gunther. An American, he was the last official casualty of World War I. He died one minute before the Armistice ended the war 102 years […]
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