TogetherWeServed Blog - The Most Incredible Military Stories

Incredible Military Stories

250th Birthday of the U.S. Army

June 14, 2025, marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the birthday of the United States Army. This day is an opportunity to reflect on the rich history, bravery, and enduring spirit of one of the most storied military forces in the world. The U.S. Army has played a crucial role in shaping the nation's history, defending its freedoms, and promoting peace globally. Historical Beginnings of the U.S. Army The United States Army was officially established on June 14, 1775, by the Continental...

Military News, Useful Military Information

Korean War – Sacrifice And Survival at Chosin Reservoir

For 19-year-old Pat Finn, a Minnesota Marine with Item Co, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, the night seemed colder and darker than any of the others he'd experienced since landing in Korea. His Battalion had just arrived at a desolate, frozen lake he would remember for the rest of his life: the Chosin Reservoir. Chosin Reservoir Hit by a Devastating Surprise Attack As the sun went down on November 27, 1950, and temperatures sank to 20 degrees below zero, Marines at Yudam-ni, a small village on the...

Battlefield Chronicles, Korean War

The Last Airborne Deployment of WWII

In the early morning hours of March 24, 1945, a massive WWII airborne operation known as Operation Varsity launched with an attempt to deploy 17,000 American and British Airborne troops across the Rhine River. It was the largest single-day airborne operation in history. Operation Varsity Launches Bold Airborne Assault C-47 Transport Planes Release Hundreds of Paratroopers during Operation Varsity. In the final months of WWII, Western Allied Forces advanced east into Germany. This meant...

Military Myths and Legends, World War II

LCpl Orville Richard Burrell (aka Shaggy), U.S. Marine Corps (1988-1992)

Orville Richard Burrell, also known as Shaggy, who served on the US Marine Corps between 1988 and 1992, came to live in Brooklyn as a teenager after leaving his home of Jamaica. While he showed early musical promise, he was in need of steady income, and the Marines were happy to take him. Born on October 22 1968 in Kingston, Jamaica, Orville took singing lessons as a teen and discovered a natural talent. He earned the nickname ‘Shaggy’ because of his untamed hair, after the Scooby-Doo...

Celebrities Who Served

Summary of The Vietnam War (1959-1975)

Vietnam was a country torn by war long before Americans became involved in the fighting. French domination was interrupted by the Japanese occupation in World War II, during which Communist leader Ho Chi Minh formed his Viet Minh organization and began guerrilla operations against both occupying powers. The Viet Minh came to power when Japan fell, and the French Indochina War began in 1946 as France attempted to regain control over its colony. The war ended in May 1954 when the Viet Minh...

Battlefield Chronicles, Vietnam War

I Flew With Heroes by Lt Col Thomas R. Waldron

During the war in Southeast Asia, the author flew combat missions in the KC-135 Tanker, H-3, and H-53 Helicopter. This book recounts rescue missions flown by H-3 and H-53 “Jolly Green” crews in 1969 and 1970 in Laos and Vietnam while he assigned to the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery (ARR) Squadron.

Military Book Reviews, Vietnam War

Cpl William Thomas Perkins Jr., U.S.M.C. (1966-1967) – Vietnam War Combat Photographer

The only Medal of Honor to be awarded to a combat photographer is now on display in the Medal of Honor Gallery in the "Price of Freedom" exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. William Perkins Jr’s Medal of Honor at the Smithsonian Marine Cpl. William Thomas Perkins Jr. died at the age of 20 on Oct. 12, 1967, when he flung himself on a grenade to preserve the lives of three other Marines during Operation Medina, a Marine search and destroy operation in Quang Tri...

Profiles in Courage, Vietnam War

Service Reflections of CDR Allen W. Miller, U.S. Navy (1967-2010)

My dad, who had served in the Army’s 100th Infantry as part of a mortar crew, serving in the southwestern region of Germany in 1944-45, suggested that if I had to go (I had received my draft notice in the fall of 1966), then anything would be better than the Army. His reasoning was that it was better to die in a clean bunk than a dirt foxhole. Upon my return from my initial medical screening at Fort Knox, I knocked on the door of the only recruiter in town —the Navy.

Cold War, Navy Reflections

Honoring Sacrifice: Remembering Memorial Day with Together We Served

Memorial Day is a deeply significant and cherished national holiday in the United States, providing an opportunity for Americans to reflect on and pay tribute to the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces. As we observe this solemn occasion, TogetherWeServed, the largest online community of military veterans and their families, is dedicated to sharing the rich history of Memorial Day, highlighting its distinctions from Veterans Day, and...

Other Military Articles, Useful Military Information

JD Vance (Cpl. James D. Hamel), U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007)

JD Vance, the Vice President-elect of the United States in 2024, is widely recognized for his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and his role as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, has a lesser-known but significant chapter in his life: his service in the United States Marine Corps. This period was a pivotal time for Vance, providing him with discipline and a profound sense of purpose that shaped his future endeavors. JD Vance’s Early Life: From Middletown to the Marines James David Vance was born on...

Celebrities Who Served, Global War on Terror

Bizarre Crimes in the US Military

We all know that military personnel are held to a different standard than their non-military peers. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes things that are socially scandalous in civilian life, like adultery, are actually a crime for military members. Other activities, like attending political events, protest rallies, or other events, are protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution for most Americans. The Constitution won't protect military members who attend those events...

Military Myths and Legends

First WW II Aircraft Crew to Reach 25 Missions

1917, and 1918, the United States government issued Liberty Bonds to raise money for our involvement in World War I. By the summer of 1940 when it appeared the United States would be drawn into World War II, bonds again were being sold as a way to remove money from circulation as well as reduce inflation. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the bonds became known at War Bonds.

Military Myths and Legends, World War II

Soldier and Writer

Lt Col Michael Christy (USA) Ret.

Many articles contained in this Blog were written by Together We Served’s former Chief Editor, Lt Col Michael Christy, and published in TWS’s Dispatches Newsletter.

Lt Col Christy’s military career spanned 26 years, beginning in 1956 when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Following two years active duty, he spent another two years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. In 1962, he joined the Army National Guard and in 1966 was called up for active duty with the U.S. Army. After an 18 year distinguished Army career, Lt Col Christy retired from military service in 1984.

Lt Col Christy saw action in Vietnam with Special Forces Units, including the renowned Delta Force, and was awarded two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars (three with Valor), and two Purple Hearts.

As a military consultant and accomplished writer, Lt Col Christy has contributed to several TV military documentaries, including those found on the History Channel, plus significant military history publications, including Vietnam Magazine.

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