The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Air Marshall William Bishop – WW1 Air Ace

Air Marshall William Bishop – WW1 Air Ace

Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop was a Canadian fighter pilot in WWI who crashed his plane during a practice run and was ordered to go back to flight school. He didn't. Instead, he went on to shoot down 72 enemy aircraft, making him a legend in his own time and earning him a Victoria Cross. William Bishop Faced Setbacks Before the Skies Bishop's military career didn't start off well. He joined the Royal Military College of Canada in 1911, was caught cheating, and had to start his first...

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The Barracks of 1814

The Barracks of 1814

At the time, it was the most devastating military disaster to ever occur on American soil. On August 24, 1814, British troops marched into Washington, the capital of the United States, and set key buildings ablaze. These included the White House, the Capitol, and finished off what was left of the Navy Yard.  The Barracks of 1814 Stood Firm Amid Defeat What was miraculously untouched, however, was the Marine Barracks and the Commandant's House. No one really understood why these buildings...

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WW2 – Operation Centerboard

WW2 – Operation Centerboard

In 1944, Col. Paul Tibbets was summoned to Wendover Army Air Field in Utah for what must have seemed like an impossible mission. He was ordered to create and organize a combat group with the sole purpose of delivering a weapon that didn't even exist yet. Operation Centerboard Trained Crews on Nonexistent Bombs Tibbets' name might sound familiar to World War II history buffs. He would pilot the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay as it dropped the atomic bomb codenamed "Little Boy" over the Japanese...

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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...

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Turning Point in Vietnam War

Turning Point in Vietnam War

Most military historians and analysts agree the 1968 Tet Offensive was the turning point in the war in Vietnam. They reason that many Americans, seeing the bitter fighting raging up and down South Vietnam on the evening news, fostered a psychological impact that further generated an increased anti-war sentiment.

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Vietnam War – A Shau Valley

Vietnam War – A Shau Valley

The A Shau Valley is a rugged, remote passageway near the border of Laos and the Ho Chi Ming Trail in Thua Thien province. It runs north and south for twenty-five miles. It's low, mile-wide, flat bottomland is covered with tall elephant grass and flanked by two strings of densely forested mountains that vary from three to six thousand feet. Because of its forbidden terrain and remoteness - and the fact it was usually hidden from the air by thick canopy jungle and fog and clouds - it was a key...

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AFN Jamie Farr, U.S. Army (1957–1959)

AFN Jamie Farr, U.S. Army (1957–1959)

Jamie Farr, best known for his iconic portrayal of Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on the classic television series *M*A*S*H*, brought an irreplaceable sense of authenticity to the screen—largely inspired by his real-life service in the United States Army. While millions remember him for his comedic antics and cross-dressing attempts to secure a Section 8 discharge, Farr’s genuine military experiences were far removed from the character he played, rooted instead in duty, discipline, and personal...

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MCPO Carl Maxie Brashear, U.S. Navy (1948-1979)

MCPO Carl Maxie Brashear, U.S. Navy (1948-1979)

Carl Maxie Brashear came from humble beginnings, which gave no hint of the significant course his life would later take. Carl was the sixth of eight children born to sharecroppers McDonald and Gonzella Brashear in rural Tonieville, Kentucky, on January 19, 1931. Even though their home did not have electricity or running water, Brashear remembered a very happy childhood. The children found entertainment in telling jokes and playing with their father. Carl's great uncle was a preacher, and he...

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Irena Sendler

Irena Sendler

Often, non-combatant civilians risk their lives by performing quiet yet extraordinary acts of selflessness and gallantry that require just as much bravery as a soldier charging head-on into enemy fire. Irena Sendler was one such civilian. She was a gentle but determined Polish social worker who managed to smuggle 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War. As amazing as this feat was, she was only internationally honored for her immense bravery toward the end of her...

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Fallen Comrade (A Story of the Korean War) by Walter Howell

Fallen Comrade (A Story of the Korean War) by Walter Howell

There’s nothing wrong with writing a book that chronicles some of the most defining moments of one’s life or generation. American military veterans often write gripping books from their own perspectives. What’s really interesting about “Fallen Comrade: A Story of the Korean War” is that author Walter Howell chronicles the intertwined lives of three childhood friends from Clinton, Mississippi – Waller King, Joe Albritton, and Homer Ainsworth – who all enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and serve together in Korea. And at some point, uses their own words to do so.

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The Only U.S. Woman POW in WWII Europe

The Only U.S. Woman POW in WWII Europe

On September 27, 1944, a C-47 assigned to the 813th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron lifted off from England into the clear morning sky. Its destination was a landing field at St. Trond, Belgium, to pick up casualties. Since the aircraft usually carried military supplies and troops on the outbound flight and casualties on the return trip, it was not marked with the Red Cross. Aboard the aircraft was 24-year-old Texas-born Second Lt. Reba Whittle, an experienced flight nurse with 40 missions and...

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