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Military Campaign Stories

MSgt Elliott Wayne Carmack, U.S. Air Force (1961-2003)

MSgt Elliott Wayne Carmack, U.S. Air Force (1961-2003)

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My decision to join the Air Force was influenced by the following:

FAMILY: My maternal uncle enlisted in the Army at Camp Blanding, Florida, in 1942, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps. He was stationed at Keesler Army Airfield (Keesler Field), Mississippi, until his honorable discharge as a Sergeant the following year due to a service-connected injury sustained while working on military aircraft. My father was too old for military service, but worked in federal civil service at military bases during and following World War II, initially at Drew Field in Tampa, Florida during the war, and at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia after the war, a base I visited as a child.

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The Spanish–American War – The Battle of San Juan Hill

The Spanish–American War – The Battle of San Juan Hill

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When we think of the Spanish-American War's Battle of San Juan Hill, most of us likely think of future president Theodore Roosevelt and his band of Rough Riders gallantly charging a well-defended Spanish fortification. While that memory of the battle is certainly true, it doesn't give Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, or the other 8,000 U.S. troops there – including Black troops – the credit they so richly deserve.  San Juan Hill: Where Courage and Unity Led to Victory The Spanish-American War was declared in April 1898, sparked by the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor due to an explosion that was, at the time, believed to be caused by a Spanish mine (it was later ruled an accident). Spurred on by the sensational American press, the United States blockaded Cuba in retaliation, and Spain declared war in return. Guam had already fallen to U.S. forces, and Americans had already landed in the Philippines by the time U.S. Marines landed at Guantánamo Bay on June 10, 1898.  On...

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Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson

Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson

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Brian Dickinson is a former U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer who specialized in combat search and rescue. His military experience is not the most difficult situation he's ever faced. For six years, he served as a rescue swimmer, but in his post-military career, he has climbed some of the most challenging mountains in the world, including Denali, Kilimanjaro, and even the Sentinel Range in Antarctica. In 2011, Dickinson climbed Mount Everest by himself, which was a difficult challenge in itself, but on his way down, he became snowblind and had to make his way down the world's highest and most dangerous peak solo and without eyesight. In a sojourn that should have taken three hours, he climbed hand-over-hand for seven hours. In that time he fell and lost his oxygen too. With what he calls a "determined faith and focus," he arrived safely back to the campsite and survived.  "Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest" is the story of his powerful and bold decision...

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CPL Patrick Daniel Tillman, U.S. Army (2002-2004)

CPL Patrick Daniel Tillman, U.S. Army (2002-2004)

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Patrick Daniel Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in California. The oldest of three sons, with Kevin and Richard as the other two, Tillman played competitive football. In high school he was a star who led his high school team to a Central Coast Division I Football Championship – after he was told he was too small to ever play football. He earned a scholarship to Arizona State University, where he became a standout linebacker. As a college junior, Tillman started every game as ASU went unbeaten through the regular season, won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and made its second appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1996. The following year, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second-Team All-American while also receiving numerous academic honors as he helped lead the Sun Devils to a 9-3 season and a Sun Bowl victory over Iowa.  He was named Sun Bowl MVP in his senior season and has since been inducted into...

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The Sand Creek Massacre: Silas Soule and Joseph Cramer

The Sand Creek Massacre: Silas Soule and Joseph Cramer

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The Sand Creek Massacre, occurring on November 29, 1864, was one of the most infamous incidents of the Indian Wars. Initially reported in the press as a victory against a bravely fought defense by the Cheyenne, later eyewitness testimony conflicted with these reports, resulting in a military and two Congressional investigations into the event. Two of those eyewitnesses were cavalry officers Capt. Silas Soule and Lt. Joseph Cramer who had the courage to order their men not to take part in the slaughter. It was these two that were also the driving force in getting the government to conduct more in-depth investigations on what really happened at Sand Creek.  Conflicts and Tensions Before the Sand Creek Massacre The causes of the Sand Creek massacre and other atrocities inflicted on the Indians were rooted in the long conflict for control of the Great Plains of eastern Colorado and to the river to the Nebraska border to the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Around the same time, gold and silver...

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Service Reflections of RM3 Sidney Weinstein, U.S. Coast Guard (1942-1946)

Service Reflections of RM3 Sidney Weinstein, U.S. Coast Guard (1942-1946)

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I was in high school at the time of Pearl Harbor. I had never heard of Pearl Harbor and didn’t know where it was. That was true for many of my friends, but we sure found out quickly. We all became Gung Ho and were ready to enlist; however, we had a couple of months left before graduation, so I opted to finish school. Many of my friends did enlist, going into the US Army Air Corps to become pilots. That was my desire also, but my father said “NO.” He was in the First World War, captured by the Germans, and gassed. He was shot, and he lost three fingers on his left hand.

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A1C Bob Baxter, U.S. Air Force (1962-1966)

A1C Bob Baxter, U.S. Air Force (1962-1966)

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My South East Asia Experience: Working on the Canberra B-57, November 10, 1963, to May 9, 1965: I joined the Air Force at the age of 19 in 1962 for no reason other than that I was unemployed, immature, and had no goals or direction for my future. My recruiter told me that aircraft mechanics were needed, and I fit their profile. So, off I went to Basic Training, followed by Technical Training at Amarillo AFB. I graduated as an aircraft mechanic helper. My OJT continued at Scott AFB, Illinois, until November 1963. This was the start of the aviation career that I have pursued for over 50 years. As I reflect on those years from 1962 to 1966, I can see why so many of us young men grew up quickly. We had some good times and some exceptionally bad times, but we bonded together. Many of us were lucky and came home. I was able to take full advantage of the extensive training and experience provided to me during my four years in the Air Force. I was convinced early that I would stay in the Air Force for thirty years. On November 1, 1964, the reality of war hit home.

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‘Only Son’ Law and the Draft

‘Only Son’ Law and the Draft

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This military urban legend is only as old as World War II, and probably because out of so many Americans registered for the war, a relatively small number were actually drafted for the war. It makes sense that more than a handful might not understand why they weren't called up to serve or what the rules for being called up or passed over might be.  Only Son Being Exempt from the Draft When the war ended, a number of myths and legends began to circulate. Stories about things that happened during the war were repeated time and again, spreading far and wide. Most of them were true - or started out as true. Like a large game of veteran telephone, some stories got a little distorted. The legend of only children being exempt from the draft is one of those stories that began with a true story but morphed into something else entirely.  Over the course of World War II, 49 million men registered for the draft in the United States. More than 407,000 service members were killed, and more...

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The Legendary Audie Murphy

The Legendary Audie Murphy

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The U.S. Army's history is filled with heroes, battlefield legends, and stories that seem like they could only come from the minds of Hollywood screenwriters. There are few larger-than-life tales of greatness bigger than that of World War II legend Audie Murphy, whose battlefield daring became an instant silver-screen classic – starring Audie Murphy himself.  Audie Murphy: Medal of Honor, Movies and Advocacy Murphy's early life did not suggest a life destined for greatness. He was the son of a Texas sharecropper who abandoned his family and a mother who died when he was a teen. Young Audie left school in the fifth grade to work in cotton fields and hunt game to help support his family. He joined the military in 1941, just days after the United States entered World War II. At the age of 16, he was technically too young to serve but forged papers allowed him to make it past the recruiter's office. Even so, he was turned down by every branch for being too small.  Luckily for...

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Colder Than Hell by Joseph Owen

Colder Than Hell by Joseph Owen

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Joe Owen enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943. He deployed shortly afterward with a forward observer squad during World War II. If you talked to the man, however, you would quickly learn it was the Korean War that defined his service to the country. In 1997, he would literally write a book about his experiences in Korea, an experience that culminated with the infamous Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. By the time North Korean tanks rolled into South Korea in June 1950, Owen was a Lieutenant, and he would be leading a company of hastily assembled reservists into a trial by fire. Joe Owen and His Harrowing Experience in "Colder Than Hell" "Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir" is the story of Owen and his fellow Marines in Korea. To write the book, he painstakingly gathered all the historical information he could and spoke at length with his fellow veterans about their own experiences. The result is an exhaustive first-person narrative that is both engrossing...

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Korean War – The Chosin Reservoir

Korean War – The Chosin Reservoir

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Few battles loom as large in modern Marine Corps history, like the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. A massive, combined force of U.S. Marines and U.S. Army soldiers, along with troops from Britain and South Korea, suddenly found themselves surrounded, outnumbered by around four-to-one and forced to fight their way out while enduring subzero temperatures and often knee-deep in snow.  The "Frozen Chosin" and Strategic Consequences The "Frozen Chosin" may not get a specific mention in the Marines' Hymn, but it was a defining moment for the Corps. For any other fighting force, being surrounded and outnumbered might have been a disaster. For the men of the 1st Marine Division, it simply meant they would be attacking in a different direction. Either side could technically claim victory; the Chinese People's Volunteer Army did manage to retake the battlefield, but not before suffering unbelievable losses in what devolved into a brutally cold slugfest at the hands of United States Marines....

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Adm. David G. Farragut, U.S. Navy (1810-1870)

Adm. David G. Farragut, U.S. Navy (1810-1870)

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We've all heard the phrase, "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" at some point in our lives. We may have even used it ourselves. But do we know what it actually means, aside from being a really cool thing to say right before you do something insane, irrational, or both? If you're a fan of U.S. Navy history, you might know it was the command barked by David Farragut during the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. The Legacy of Adm. David G. Farragut Badass orders weren't the only legacy Farragut left behind. He served some 60 years in the U.S. Navy. Farragut was also the reason Congress created new flag officer ranks for the Navy and is also probably the only naval officer that had to be tied down by his crew for his own safety. The life of Admiral David Farragut is a case study in favor of the old axiom "Fortune favors the bold."  Farragut joined the U.S. Navy at age nine, becoming a midshipman in 1810. During the War of 1812, he was aboard the frigate USS Essex, wreaking havoc...

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