The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Service Reflections of LT David G. Potter, U.S. Coast Guard (1968-1973)

Service Reflections of LT David G. Potter, U.S. Coast Guard (1968-1973)

In Spring 1968, the Vietnam War was very hot and heavy. Politicians were screaming about men hiding in colleges. I finished my college degree (B.S., wildlife biology, Washington State University) and received a research assistant full scholarship to Penn State for a master’s degree studying wood ducks. Drove 90 miles, including changing a flat tire on a snowy road shoulder, to hear my draft board take minimal time to decide I would be drafted if I didn’t get into an Officer program.

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Bayonet Charge

Bayonet Charge

Following World War I, Americans reached the conclusion that our country's participation in that war had been a disastrous mistake, one which should never be repeated again. This resulted in a major segment of the population becoming "isolationist" hoping to avoid dragging the country into another disastrous foreign war. Lewis Lee Millett Enlisted Before America Entered the War Even when Nazi German invaded Poland in 1939 and began conquering and controlling much of continental Europe, most...

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Made in Taiwan by T.C. Brown

Made in Taiwan by T.C. Brown

T.C. Brown's "Made in Taiwan: A Naïve American's Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times" is a Vietnam-era memoir set mostly in the bars, back alleys, and barracks of Taiwan. Brown, a church-going kid from Columbus, Ohio, joined the Air Force in 1968 at age 18, hoping to play in the Air Force Band, and instead found himself shipped to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung. From 1968 to 1973, he served as a military policeman in Taiwan and Vietnam.  Made in...

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Service Reflections of Capt Al Kyle, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1971)

Service Reflections of Capt Al Kyle, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1971)

My dad and father-in-law were both career Marines – a big-time influence! Also, I had an NROTC scholarship to Duke University, and graduated in 1967. I was a Marine officer for four years, from 1967 to 1971. Before graduation, we were asked our preferences for a duty station. We were given three choices: West Coast, East Coast, or Vietnam, and were guaranteed to get one of our first three choices. HA! Virtually every graduate ended up in Vietnam.

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Korean War – Firefight at Outpost 3 (1952)

Korean War – Firefight at Outpost 3 (1952)

"There were 80 of us on that hill when an estimated 600-800 Chinese hit us hard that night. Sixty-six of us were killed, wounded or missing."PFC Edgar "Bart"Dauberman, USMC "Easy"Company, 2d Battalion 5th Marines  In the spring of 1952, General James A. Van Fleet, USA, Commander, 8th United States Army in Korea and supreme commander of all Allied Forces in Korea, undertook one of the most audacious operations in the history of warfare. With his Army fully engaged against Chinese and...

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Service Reflections of Lt Col Arthur Wedra, U.S. Air Force (1962-1984)

Service Reflections of Lt Col Arthur Wedra, U.S. Air Force (1962-1984)

The draft was on! I dreamed of being an Air Force pilot… had several training flights during my first two years of Air Force ROTC at Gettysburg College (PA), a detachment that trained only pilots in 1956-1957. After completing my second year of ROTC, I was subjected to a complete physical, in which I discovered that I was color-blind and consequently would never be able to fly as an Air Force pilot. I was disappointed, but shortly thereafter learned that the Navy had an easier-to-pass color-blindness test… so I arranged for a physical at the Philadelphia Navy Base… it was an all-day exercise; the last event was the color-blindness test. The testers brought out what I knew was the same test the Air Force testers used. Surprised, I asked about the different tests and replied, “Oh, we found out that this one is more reliable.” And so ended my desire to be a military pilot. I put the whole idea of military service on the back burner until my senior year, in the spring of 1962…following two dropouts for lack of funds to return.

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Women Combat Journalists

Women Combat Journalists

The Second World War opened a new chapter in the lives of Depression-weary Americans. As husbands and fathers, sons and brothers shipped out to fight in Europe and the Pacific, millions of women marched into factories, offices, and military bases to work in paying jobs and in roles traditionally reserved for men in peacetime. It was also a time that offered new professional opportunities for women journalists - a path to the rarest of assignments, war reporters. Women Journalists Break...

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Capturing Skunk Alpha By Raúl Herrera

Capturing Skunk Alpha By Raúl Herrera

In "Capturing Skunk Alpha: A Barrio Sailor's Journey in Vietnam," author Raúl Herrera does something a lot of Vietnam books promise but very few deliver: he keeps you at "deck level" the whole time and still shows you the bigger war. Capturing Skunk Alpha Brings the War Down to Deck Level On the surface, it's the story of one mission: the July 1967 hunt for a North Vietnamese resupply trawler, codenamed "Skunk Alpha," and the small Swift Boat, PCF-79, that helped stop it cold off the coast of...

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5 Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Marine Corps

5 Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Marine Corps

When it comes to famous Marine Corps veterans, everyone remembers Lewis "Chesty" Puller, John Basilone, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, and a slew of other legendary devil dogs. But to celebrate the Marine Corps' 250th birthday, it's important to remember that the Corps has no end of heroes, many of whom fade away further and further with time.  So we don't forget the Marines who fought with distinction, but may not have been as quotable as Chesty, as political as Smedley Butler, or as smart as John...

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The Most Decorated Enlisted Sailor in Navy History

The Most Decorated Enlisted Sailor in Navy History

In the history of the United States Navy, only seven men have earned all of the big three valor awards: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, and Silver Star. Six were World War II officers, including one aviator. The seventh was James Elliott "Willy" Williams - considered the most decorated enlisted man in the history of the Navy. James Williams Joined the Navy at Sixteen James Williams, a Cherokee Indian, was born November 13, 1930, in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Two months later he moved with his...

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250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps

250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps

Happy 250th birthday, United States Marine Corps! From the earliest days of the Continental Marines to present-day missions, the Marine Corps continues to stand as a symbol of courage and resilience. Celebrations this year span the globe, highlighting the Corps’ storied past and ongoing commitment to readiness. The Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress, which authorized “two Battalions of Marines”...

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