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Military Campaign Stories

Civil War – Sherman’s March to The Sea (1861-1865)

Civil War – Sherman’s March to The Sea (1861-1865)

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The March to the Sea, the most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War (1861-65), began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and ended in Savannah on December 21, 1864. Union General William T. Sherman abandoned his supply line and marched across Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean to prove to the Confederate population that its government could not protect the people from invaders. He practiced psychological warfare; he believed that by marching an Army across the state he would demonstrate to the world that the Union had a power the Confederacy could not resist. "This may not be war," he said, “but rather statesmanship.”  General William T. Sherman Prepares For March to The Sea After Sherman's forces captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864, Sherman spent several weeks concerned with preparations for a change of base to the coast. He rejected the Union plan to move through Alabama to Mobile, pointing out that after Rear Admiral David G. Farragut closed...

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SM1c Douglas Munro, U.S. Coast Guard (1939-1942)

SM1c Douglas Munro, U.S. Coast Guard (1939-1942)

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During the World War II fight for Guadalcanal, three companies of United States Marines were cut off from the main force fighting along the Matanikau River. Surrounded and outnumbered, Marine Corps leadership believed the men would be annihilated - all but one, that is. Lt. Col. Lewis "Chesty" Puller wasn't about to let three whole companies die if he could do anything about it. If anyone could, it was Chesty. He flagged down the destroyer USS Monssen, organized a relief force of Higgins boats to withdraw the men, and directed the Monssen to provide cover fire. The officer in charge of the Higgins boats was Signalman 1st Class, Douglas Munro. Rarely, if ever, has the U.S. military had such a legendary one-two punch of heroism as it did that day at Guadalcanal.  Douglas Munro is Only Coast Guardsman to be Awarded The Medal of Honor Munro was a lifelong patriot who spent time living in Canada with his family. When they returned to the United States in 1922, young Douglas...

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The Loss Of Coast Guard Cutter USS Tampa

The Loss Of Coast Guard Cutter USS Tampa

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USS Tampa's short story began on August 9, 1912, when the U.S. Revenue Service Cutter (UCRC) Miami, built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp, was commissioned at Arundel Cove, MD. The ship was named for the Miami Indian tribe rather than for the then little settlement in South Florida. At the time, several revenue cutters were named after Indian tribes. The Miami was 190 ft long, with a 14.6-ft draft and a displacement of 1,181 tons. Her normal crew complement was 70 Officers and men, she carried three quick-firing six-pounders and various small arms, and she could do 13 knots. The Miami's first duty was with the International Ice Patrol, operating out of Halifax and looking for icebergs. Subsequently, she was based in Tampa, Florida, and developed a relationship with the city. In January 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service and the Lifesaving Service were merged and renamed the U.S. Coast Guard. It was then decided that the Indian tribal names were to be phased out, so in...

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Service Reflections of CPL James Foster, U.S. Marine Corps (1973-1977)

Service Reflections of CPL James Foster, U.S. Marine Corps (1973-1977)

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I guess it started back when I was around 9 or 10. My dad showed me pics of him when he was in the army, stationed in the Azores. He told me about his experiences, and I was like, “Wow!”. I started playing with these little, plastic army men on the front lawn in the grass, acting out battles and everything. I even began drawing pics of bombs exploding and things like that. One time in class, a teacher caught me…but I won’t go into that.

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Operation Utah: The Die is Cast by Hurbert Yoshida

Operation Utah: The Die is Cast by Hurbert Yoshida

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The die is cast - there are no other options. Operation Utah was one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam war and set the tone for many subsequent engagements. Operation Utah was the first battle of the Vietnam war between the U.S. Marine Corps and the regular forces of the North Vietnamese Army. It pitted a generation of tough young men who grew up after World War II against an experienced army who had been fighting unconventional wars for as long as they lived. This book contains the firsthand accounts of the men who participated in Operation Utah and is a tribute to the 99 Marines and Corpsmen who made the ultimate sacrifice. Reviews of Operation Utah It is Dedicated to The Marines and Navy Corpsmen Who Fought in Operation Utah.Hubert Yoshida's book has fulfilled that dedication. The accounts by those still living regarding Operation Utah will live on as more than just the military history of a battle. Historically this operation was the first major battle between the U.S....

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WW2 – Battle of Guadalcanal

WW2 – Battle of Guadalcanal

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Though it probably didn't feel like it at the time, the Allies in the Pacific Theater of World War II were able to respond to the Japanese advances relatively quickly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor wasn't the only surprise target that day. The Imperial Japanese Navy also struck targets held by the Dutch and British and the American-held Philippines.  The Naval Campaign at Guadalcanal By August of 1942, just nine months after its coordinated surprise attacks across the Pacific Ocean, a combined Allied force landed on Guadalcanal in the first land offensive against the Japanese since the start of the Pacific War.  Things looked pretty bleak for the Americans (and the Allies in general) after the Japanese surprise attacks. Soon after, Japan's Axis partner Nazi Germany also declared war on the U.S. With much of the Pacific fleet knocked out; no one would blame the Americans for being a little depressed about their chances. In fact, the Japanese were hoping they...

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Doorsteps of Hell by Tom Williams

Doorsteps of Hell by Tom Williams

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As the son of a military officer who grew up in an always-moving military household, it makes total sense that Tom Williams would also grow up to be a military officer. His adoptive father was U.S. Air Force Maj. Carl Williams, but young Tom was destined for the Marine Corps and for the Vietnam War. "Doorsteps of Hell": Insight into Tom Williams' Vietnam Tour "Doorsteps of Hell" is the first book in Tom Williams' autobiographical "Heart of a Marine" series and covers his early years and his first tour in Vietnam. He pulls no punches in his thoughts or descriptions of events. The result is an honest narrative that covers not just Vietnam War combat but the trials and struggles of being an infantry Marine out in the jungle. It also details the camaraderie and leadership so central to being a Marine.  Growing up as a military child, Tom traveled the world, picking up a propensity for languages and a love for military life. When Carl retired, and the family settled down in Georgia, Tom...

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Cpl Daniel Dwain Schoonover, U.S. Army (1952-1953)

Cpl Daniel Dwain Schoonover, U.S. Army (1952-1953)

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Pork Chop Hill is one of the most infamous battle sites of the Korean War. A communist force met an equal number of United Nations troops twice in the spring and summer of 1953. They fought over a North Korean hill that, in retrospect, had little strategic value. The Importance of Pork Chop Hill Whether the hill was essential to the overall war effort or not, the American and United Nations troops who fought for the position did so with courage and valor, the way they would attack any objective. One of those soldiers, a corporal from Hawaii, was a one-man anti-communist wrecking crew. The truth about Pork Chop Hill is that the two sides had been fighting over the North Korean hill for almost the entirety of the Korean War. After the front stabilized in the aftermath of China's intervention in the war, UN forces took the initiative during the "stalemate" period in 1951. After the U.S. 8th Cavalry Regiment captured the hill in October 1951, it was recaptured by the communists, only to...

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Service Reflections of CAPT Dennis Wright, U.S. Navy (1965-1998)

Service Reflections of CAPT Dennis Wright, U.S. Navy (1965-1998)

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I joined the Navy after high school in late December 1965, just as the draft was ramping up for the big Vietnam buildup. I stopped by the Air Force recruiters, but they did not have any slots until the springtime in 1966, which would be well after my draft number was called. I then visited the Navy recruiter, who told me the same thing – – with one big caveat. He had a few slots open for immediate entry. Like now! But I would have to make an immediate commitment. That afternoon, I met with one of my best friends, Bob Orta, who was in the same predicament. Because we were both apprehensive about joining the Navy and what it might entail, we thought if we joined together under the Navy’s “Buddy Program,” it would be less stressful. So Bob and I returned to the Navy recruiter and signed up with an entry date of December 30, 1965. So, on early Thursday morning, December 30, the day before New Year’s Eve, we boarded a train in Aurora, Illinois, for the short one-hour ride to the downtown Chicago Navy Induction Center. We spent the rest of the day being poked and prodded and then boarded a bus in the early evening for Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. Smack dab in the middle of winter. Incidentally, so much for the Buddy Program, Bob and I were separated in our second week. Bob had trouble passing the survival swim testing and was held back for weeks. We will never serve together again.

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SM2 Humphrey Bogart, U.S. Navy (1918-1919)

SM2 Humphrey Bogart, U.S. Navy (1918-1919)

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While Humphrey Bogart is primarily celebrated for his legendary performances on the silver screen, his contributions off-camera during World War I remain a lesser-known yet significant aspect of his life. Beyond the glitz of Hollywood, Bogart served his country with honor and distinction, embodying courage and resilience. From Privilege to the Stage: The Early Dramas of Humphrey Bogart Humphrey Bogart, born on December 25, 1899, in New York City, had a childhood marked by privilege. His father, Belmont DeForest Bogart, was a prominent cardiopulmonary surgeon, and his mother, Maud Humphrey, was a successful commercial illustrator. However, his parents' marriage was troubled, and they divorced when Bogart was young. Bogart had been poised to enroll at Yale, but his plans were abruptly derailed when he was expelled from Phillips Academy before completing his transfer. Though the specifics surrounding his departure remain ambiguous, Bogart was left with an education cut short and limited...

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WW2 – The Battle of the Bismarck Sea

WW2 – The Battle of the Bismarck Sea

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As 1942 turned to 1943, a victorious end to World War II in the Pacific Theater was still far from assured for either side of the conflict. The Allies were celebrating a string of strategic victories over the course of the previous year. After the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the Americans scored a major victory against the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. A few months later, U.S. forces launched the Solomon Islands campaign, invading Guadalcanal and its strategic airfield.  The Crucial Moments of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea The Japanese, of course, suffered a string of setbacks. A joint Australian and American force pushed back Japan’s offensive on the Kokoda Trail on New Guinea, the losses it suffered at Midway were not replaceable and by February 1943, the Japanese Army would be forced to abandon Guadalcanal. The Japanese Imperial Staff knew it needed to reinforce its positions in New Guinea, which was fighting in some of the most grueling swamp,...

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Cold War Double Agents Within the CIA

Cold War Double Agents Within the CIA

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How much do you know about Cold War double agents within the CIA? Just recently, news has been released by a CIA analyst that, during the Cold War, there were double agents who worked for the CIA while remaining secretly loyal to communist spy agencies. There were nearly 100 fake CIA “agents” in East Germany, Cuba, and the Soviet Union. These “agents” made up false intelligence that was then passed on to the U.S. policymakers for years.

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