TogetherWeServed Blog - The Most Incredible Military Stories

Famous Navy Unit: USS Constitution: Old Ironsides

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!Long has it waved on high,And many an eye has danced to seeThat banner in the sky;Beneath it rung the battle shout,And burst the cannon's roar;The meteor of ocean airShall sweep the clouds no more! "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr (1809-94) The Birth of USS Constitution: Old Ironsides As it turned out, that 1830 poem sparked public concern, and the ship's ensign was not torn down at all then or since. The USS Constitution was designed by Joshua...

WW1 – The Angels of Mons

Military Myths and Legends, World War I

The World War I Battle of Mons was famous for a number of notable firsts. It was the first test of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), the first time Mons switched hands during the war, and probably the first time ghosts reinforced a living army to cover their retreat; ghosts who absolutely slaughtered the enemy – or so the legend goes. The First Battle of Mons took place on August 23, 1914, one of the earliest battles on the Western Front of World War I and the first time the British...

Undaunted Valor by Matt Jackson

Military Book Reviews, Vietnam War

Author Matt Jackson grew up in a U.S. Navy family, spending his formative years at every naval submarine base on the American East Coast. Considering his family's proud Navy tradition, it might seem odd that Jackson would grow up and not only join the Army but stay for 25 years, serving in Vietnam and retiring as a commissioned officer. Today, Col. (ret.) Matt Jackson is a prolific author and creator of the "Undaunted Valor" series, one of the highest-rated book series set amid the Vietnam...

Service Reflections of Sgt Paul Cavnar, U.S. Marine Corps (1968-1974)

Marine Reflections, Vietnam War

There were a few things that I recall. First, I was always impressed with how sharp the Marines at the recruiters’ office looked and I liked the way they presented strength and confidence.

Col Merryl Tengesdal, U.S. Air Force (1994-2017)

Global War on Terror, Profiles in Courage

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Merryl Tengesdal is the first African American female U-2 pilot in history and is the first African American woman to fly the Air Force's U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane. She is the only black woman alongside five white women and two black men to fly spy planes. Merryl Tengesdal was born Merryl David in 1971 in the Bronx, New York. She excelled in math and science classes in grade school and high school and graduated from the University of New Haven in Connecticut in...

WW2 – The Battle of Monte Cassino

Battlefield Chronicles, World War II

Allied forces landed in the Italian peninsula in September 1943. The Apennine Mountains divided the peninsula, and Allied troops split and advanced on both sides. They took control of Naples and continued the push towards Rome. Monte Cassino was the gateway to Rome. It towered above the city and provided unobstructed views. German troops occupied lookouts on the hillside but agreed to stay out of the abbey because of its historical importance. The precious manuscripts and antiquities housed in...

Our Vietnam Wars by William F. Brown

Military Book Reviews, Vietnam War

Real stories told by real people, in their own words, 100 veterans, men, and women caught up in an all too real war. From the Delta to the DMZ, come walk in their boots. If you were there, you understand. If you weren't, grab a copy. The Vietnam War dominated my generation and affected so many lives in so many different ways. Some of us were drafted. Some enlisted. Some became war heroes, intentional or not, but most of us were just trying to survive. As we all knew, Vietnam was all...

The 249th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

Other Military Articles, Uncategorized, Useful Military Information

On October 13, 2024, we commemorate the 249th 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...

WWI Military Technologies Still in Use Today

Service Reflections of SK1 David Pitts, U.S. Navy (1972-2000)

Navy Reflections, Vietnam War

Both my father & my brother served in the Army. They certainly influenced my decision to join the military. Also, my best friend in high school, Vince Chostner, convinced me to join the Navy together under the “Buddy” Program. This program guaranteed that we would attend Boot Camp, Storekeeper ‘A’ School, and our first duty station together. But after only 3 weeks in a 9-week boot camp together, I came down with double pneumonia, sinusitis, with a side of hemorrhoids. I ended up at Balboa Naval Hospital for six weeks. Needless to say, he went on and graduated without me. Once I got out of the hospital, I had to start all over in another company that was reduced to 7 weeks.

Capt. Larry L. Taylor, U.S. Army (1966–1971)

Profiles in Courage, Vietnam War

Larry Taylor's family had a long history of military service. His great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War, his great-uncle fought in World War I, and his father and uncles served during World War II. When Larry attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, he joined the school's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and carried on his family's longstanding military tradition. Larry L. Taylor Begins His Journey in the Vietnam War When he began his studies in 1962, the United...

Civil War – The Battle of Antietam

Battlefield Chronicles, Civil War

The early days of the Civil War were some of the darkest for the Union. The Confederate Army won many of those early pivotal battles, and where the Union did see success, it often failed to follow up on them. What so many Americans in the North believed would be a short war, a spanking for the unruly South, was turning into a long, drawn-out bloodbath – and things would get much worse before they got better. The Turning Point for European Recognition The Confederates needed a hard-fought,...

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