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Fascinating Facts About The Film “Saving Private Ryan”

Fascinating Facts About The Film “Saving Private Ryan”

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One of the most accurate and raw depictions of World War II can be found in the film Saving Private Ryan. This film portrayed the terror and chaos that typifies war, rather than the sanitized and unrealistic images that Hollywood tended to put out in past films. Saving Private Ryan Redefined War Films With the realism portrayed in the film, there were many behind-the-scenes tricks that director Steven Spielberg employed to ensure that the ageless footage and intense combat scenes made it from the film set to the cinema screen. Here are a few of the little-known facts that make this film so unforgettable. Saving Private Ryan Recreated D-Day With Realism One iconic part of the film is the D-Day Landings. The realistic portrayal of the terror of the men landing on the beach, along with the inevitable chaos of efficiently getting so many men into such a small area, is realistically shown, but this came at an enormous cost. The D-Day shoot cost $12 million, almost twenty percent of...

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My Golden Valentine By Joann Hellmann

My Golden Valentine By Joann Hellmann

In early 1973, I felt like a real Nowhere Woman: a young twenty-something with a going-nowhere job, a not-ready-for-marriage mindset, and a hankering to go anywhere well west of my little Jersey Shore town. So I decided to boldly go where few women were going then and joined the Navy. Little did I know the Navy would bring me not only a career but the man with whom I'm about to celebrate a 50-year marriage.Our journey began by fluke … or was it fate? Navy Service Romance Began With Letters For starters, my future husband, John, born and bred in Kentucky, wasn't sent to nearby Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill., but to Orlando, Fla., the only Navy boot camp for women then.  Next, we arrived at boot camp on the same day: May 25, 1973. However, the day before, John met a girl on his plane who later joined my company. She told me all about this big, blond guy she hoped to see again, but only knew his first name and had no idea what company he was in. Ah, boot camp romances....

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Absolute Resolve and the EA-18G Growler

Absolute Resolve and the EA-18G Growler

Neutralizing an integrated air defense system starts with knowing where it is. Once found, that's where the fun begins. Enemy radar screens quickly become useless or start filling up with ghost targets. All that happens right before they become smoking holes in the ground at the invisible hands of the EA-18G Growler. The EA-18G Growler Ghosts Enemy Radars The Growler is the U.S. Navy's dedicated airborne electronic attack jet, built on the F/A-18F Super Hornet airframe and wired from nose to tail for electronic warfare. It primarily carries racks of receivers, processors, and transmitters. A two-person crew made up of a pilot up front and an electronic warfare officer backseater uses that hardware to find, blind, and (if necessary) kill enemy radar and communications nodes so other aircraft can survive. Operation Absolute Resolve gave the Growler its most high-profile real-world test in years. On Jan. 3, 2026, EA-18Gs were an integral part of a 150-plus aircraft strike package that...

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United States Marines in the Civil War

United States Marines in the Civil War

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Although it was absolutely critical to the Union's grand, overarching plan to defeat the Confederate States, we don't hear much about the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, save for a few critical battles. We tend to hear or see even less about the Marine Corps' role in preserving the Union. The simple truth is the Marine Corps was just so small (around 3,000 Marines) compared to the Union Army, and as a result, didn't fight large-formation battles.  U.S. Marines Showed Value In Union Strategy Most importantly, the Corps was struggling to define its role in the U.S. military, but that doesn't mean Marines did nothing of significance during the war. The Anaconda Plan, the Union strategy that would split the Confederacy in two and control the Mississippi River while strangling its ability to trade, get supplies, and sell valuable cotton in foreign markets, required a considerable naval force. It also needed men with the unique skill set of both a land and sea force. That's where the...

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New Veteran Buddy Link Feature – Connect With Veterans in Your Neighborhood for Friendship and Support

New Veteran Buddy Link Feature – Connect With Veterans in Your Neighborhood for Friendship and Support

Those who have served share a unique bond that remains with them throughout their lives. Veterans thrive in the company of other Veterans, simply because the unique culture of military service is common to all. To provide an easy way for TWS Members to connect with other Veterans in their neighborhood, Together We Served has launched its new, free easy-to-use service called 'Veteran Buddy Link', a free, easy-to-use service specially designed to enable Veterans to seek the camaraderie of other Veterans in or around their Zip Code. Click the button below to find a Veteran Buddy Connection near you! Read About Other Military Stories If you enjoyed learning about the journey of the New Veteran Buddy Link Feature, we invite you to read the stories of other remarkable soldiers and their heroic deeds on our blog. In addition to our profiles of celebrities who served, we share military book reviews, veterans’ service reflections, famous military units and more on the TogetherWeServed.com...

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The Christmas Truce of 1914

The Christmas Truce of 1914

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War makes great fertilizer for legends. The worse the fighting gets, the more people cling to stories that prove human beings haven't completely forgotten how to act like human beings. The Christmas Truce of 1914 is one of those stories: a rare moment of peace in one of the ugliest wars in history. But over the last century, the truce has picked up a lot of baggage. Along the way, there was one big soccer match, everyone along the Western Front joined in, and it became a magical day when World War I "stopped." The real story is a lot more complicated, and in a way, more impressive. Christmas Truce Begins Without Orders The Truth By December 1914, World War I was only a few months old and already a nightmare. What was supposed to be a quick war had bogged down into trenches stretching from the North Sea to Switzerland. Men lived knee-deep in mud, under constant artillery barrages, staring at the same enemy sandbags day after day. Nobody in charge planned a Christmas break....

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Everything You Never Knew About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Everything You Never Knew About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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On Oct. 3, 1921, the protected cruiser USS Olympia put to sea for a final assignment. She left with a reputation already carved into naval history and with orders that carried more weight than any broadside. Her destination was Le Havre, France. Her charge was a single coffin bearing the United States' Unknown Soldier of World War I.  USS Olympia Prepares for a Historic Voyage Olympia had been a headline from the day she touched water. Launched in 1895, she was the largest ship yet built on the West Coast. Designers gave her speed, armor, and heavy guns that invited comparison with the ships of Britain's Royal Navy, the obvious yardstick of the era. It was fitting that such a storied vessel should carry this precious cargo. In January 1898, Commodore George Dewey stepped aboard and hoisted his flag. Four months later, the United States was at war with Spain, and Dewey led the Asiatic Fleet toward the Philippines with Olympia in the lead. At Manila Bay, from her bridge, he gave...

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Veterans Day: Honor a Veteran on TogetherWeServed

Veterans Day: Honor a Veteran on TogetherWeServed

In United States, Veterans Day is observed on November 11 of every year as a federal holiday. On the eleventh hour of November 11, 1918, fighting ceased during World War I. This was seven months before the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, which marked the official end to the conflict. Because of these origins, the nation celebrates Veterans Day as we recognize it today and takes time to honor America’s veterans “for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.” The U.S. holiday began as a celebration of the end of WWI. But in the wake of even deadlier conflicts, November 11 became a day to honor all military veterans. Besides just thanking veterans for their service (which you should absolutely do!), why not use the holiday as an opportunity to learn more about its history and about our veterans themselves? Origin of Holiday It occurs on November 11 every year in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the...

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The Taliban Prison Revolt of Qala-i-Jangi

The Taliban Prison Revolt of Qala-i-Jangi

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In the first chaotic weeks after 9/11, two Americans walked into a 19th-century Afghan fortress with nothing but a translator, a notebook, and the kind of quiet confidence you get from hard jobs and worse timing.  Qala-i-Jangi Becomes the Center of a Deadly Encounter The place was Qala-i-Jangi, a sprawling mud-brick stronghold outside Mazar-i-Sharif where hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters had just "surrendered" to the Northern Alliance. And those Americans were CIA officers Johnny "Mike" Spann and David Tyson.  What started as a routine sort-and-question session turned into a six-day brawl that set the tone for the next 20 years of war to come. The plan on November 25, 2001, was simple on paper: figure out who mattered among the newly captured fighters. Spann—a former Marine turned CIA paramilitary—worked the courtyard, asking the right questions in the wrong neighborhood. Tyson, a case officer with a linguist's ear and an Uzbek Rolodex, moved through the mass of...

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The 250th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

The 250th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

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On October 13, 2025, we commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States Navy. Since its establishment on October 13, 1775, the Navy has played a critical role in safeguarding the United States. For nearly two and a half centuries, the Navy has stood ready to defend our interests and uphold international maritime freedom. The History of the U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy was established on October 13, 1775, during the American Revolution, when the Continental Congress authorized a small naval force to disrupt British supply lines and challenge their sea power. Comprised of a modest fleet of ships working alongside privateers, the early Navy engaged in tactical raids using converted frigates and schooners. These operations played a vital role in weakening British forces and protecting American interests at sea, proving the strategic value of naval warfare. After the Revolution, the Navy was disbanded due to financial constraints, but the rise of global trade and foreign threats led...

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10 Wild Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

10 Wild Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

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The SR-71 Blackbird is probably the most recognizable American aircraft ever built, even to this day, and despite being retired for more than 30 years. It’s easy to understand, just by looking at one. Nicknamed “Habu” by the locals of Okinawa for the venomous snake it resembles, the Blackbird is one of the coolest-looking aircraft. Even SR-71 aircrews in their pressure suits have an iconic look.

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The Tragic Defeat of the Bonus Army

The Tragic Defeat of the Bonus Army

Desperate times call for desperate measures. In 1932, the Great Depression was in full swing, and American citizens were increasingly homeless and hungry. Among those destitute masses were tens of thousands of veterans of the trenches of World War I. Their only hope came in the form of a promised "adjusted compensation certificate," a cash bonus for their dedicated service worth the certificate's face value with compound interest.  The only problem was that the payment wasn't supposed to come until 1945. Men with families to feed couldn't wait. So they gathered together in what the American press called the "Bonus Army" and marched on Washington to demand their payments. Washington responded by clearing the homeless veterans with drawn guns and fixed bayonets.  Life After the Great War The years following the end of World War I were marked by an economic boom in the United States. It was a period of conspicuous indulgence and consumption we remember today as "the Roaring...

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