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Incredible Military Stories
Sgt Paul Arizin, U.S. Marine Corps (1952-1954)

Sgt Paul Arizin, U.S. Marine Corps (1952-1954)

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Paul Arizin, who served in the US Marine Corps between 1952 and 1954, is more commonly known as ‘Pitchin’ Paul’, NBA Hall of Fame member and star player of the Philadelphia Warriors during the 50s. There are no shortage of basketball stars who have built an athletic career after a stint in the military: David Robinson and Mike Silliman are two such men. However, Arizin is notable for not only being one of the first, after the NBA was established in the aftermath of World War II, but also for...

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Michael Caine’s Service In The Korean War (1952-1954)

Michael Caine’s Service In The Korean War (1952-1954)

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Michael Caine is one of the most well-known and highly-regarded British actors of the 20th and 21st centuries. He is famous for roles in movies like Zulu, Get Carter, The Eagle Has Landed, The Italian Job, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Christopher Nolan's Batman films, and a host of others spanning an acting career of 70 years. While he has become a household name across the globe, many people don't know about Michael Caine because he served in the British Army and saw combat in the Korean War....

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Patriot Army Saved From Disaster

Patriot Army Saved From Disaster

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On August 27, 1776, the British Army defeated Patriot troops at the Battle of Long Island, New York. Though the Americans were soundly defeated, they could safely evacuate their troops and avoid what would have been the probable destruction of a large part of the Continental Army. After the British were pushed out of Boston in March 1776, they next set their sights on capturing New York City and the vital Hudson River. During that summer, 32,000 British and Hessian troops under the command of...

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Explaining Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT)

Explaining Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT)

Joining the United States Air Force requires comprehensive training to become a proficient Airman. Air Force basic training is considered by some to be the ‘easiest’ of the branches. While it is shorter than the Marine Corps’ and Army’s basic training programs, it is still an exceptional test of a young recruit’s physical and psychological fortitude. Not everyone can become an Airman. Reports have found that over seven in ten young people are incapable of even becoming a recruit. The Air Force...

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Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Military Operations

Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Military Operations

When thinking of American military history successes, one cannot help but think of USMC operations as being prominent among them. The United States Marine Corps has, for centuries, prided itself on being the first to respond to external threats. Historic Marine Corps Operations The Marine Hymn records some of its earliest operations: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli” references the 1847 Battle of Chapultepec, part of the Mexican-American War, and the 1805 Battle of Derna,...

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Explaining U.S. Navy Units

Explaining U.S. Navy Units

How much do you know about the organization of US Navy units? The United States Navy is the world’s most powerful naval force that has ever existed, with the ability to exert military might in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, and beyond. Not many people know that if all the navies of the rest of the world were combined together, it would just barely amount to more than the US Navy. Since its founding in 1775, the Navy has grown and developed its operational capacity and...

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Explaining Navy Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Explaining Navy Basic Training (Boot Camp)

If you were a sailor in the US Navy, you went through the Navy training program. Basic training (or boot camp) is how raw recruits are shaped into the foundation of the world’s most powerful navy. The Navy hasn’t always had a formalized training program, but things began to change after modernization began in the 1880s. Naval Station Great Lakes was built in Lake County, Illinois, between 1905 and 1911, the first (and since 1996, only) basic training facility for the US Navy. This proud naval...

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Explaining Army Basic Training

Explaining Army Basic Training

United States Army Basic Combat Training, also referred to as Initial Entry Training, is the recruit training program of the United States Army, for service in the Regular Army, United States Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. Army basic training is how raw recruits are sculpted into members of the most powerful military force in the history of mankind. United States Army Basic Training Passing basic training is necessary to join the Regular Army, US Army Reserve, or the Army National...

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Explaining U.S. Navy Operations

Explaining U.S. Navy Operations

The US Navy is the world’s most powerful seagoing force and has amassed a long list of achievements through its numerous naval operations. Together We Served, the internet’s largest repository of personal military history, honors those sailors who have contributed to its successes, from naval operations in World War II to the Global War on Terrorism. Historic Naval Operations While there were plenty of battles in the Pacific Theater that counted as prominent victories: The Battle of Midway,...

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Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Explaining U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training (Boot Camp)

Many Marine veterans have said that the Marine Corps training they underwent on enlisting was the most challenging experience of their lives. Around the world, the reputation of Marines being the toughest fighting force is respected, and the statistics support it: Marine Corps boot camp recruits suffer more broken bones than any comparable boot camp! What Training Do Marines Go Through? Basic training, also known as boot camp, is a process that all United States Marines must go through to call...

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Preserving Military Service History

Preserving Military Service History

Many military veterans are, rightly, proud of their service to their country and want to record it for future generations to note. Others might take it further and indulge an interest not only in their own service history but of their whole unit history. Of course, the US Armed Forces keep detailed military records to the extent that they are able. Multiple buildings house substantial military service records, from the United States’ founding to modern-day. Records from the Revolutionary War...

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Explaining Air Force Military Operations

Explaining Air Force Military Operations

How much do you know about the Air Force operations undertaken in this country’s history? The United States Air Force has been striving for excellence in its military operations since its founding in 1947. It has been responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring feats of logistics, both in wartime and times of peace. Imagery from a Training. Air Force Doctrine All US Air Force operations are oriented around the official Air Force Doctrine. Responsibility for developing doctrine rests on the...

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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.