You never know how service members will react in war. Will they freeze up, or push through the chaos? For World War II Army Pvt. John Towle, it was the latter. The 19-year-old soldier single-handedly took out nine Germans and two armored tanks, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers but losing his own. Towle was born in Cleveland on ...

The traumatic events of Sept. 11, 2001, changed the lives of everyone in America, especially those working for the Defense Department. Terrorists proved that the very symbol of our national security — the Pentagon — was not, in fact, impenetrable. A hijacker flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the southwest corner of the Pentagon that day, killing 184 people — ...

Marine Corps Capt. Everett Pope was a seasoned officer by the time he landed on the small Pacific island of Peleliu during World War II, but little prepared him for what it took to survive there. His leadership while fighting devastating odds earned him the Medal of Honor. Pope was born July 16, 1919, and grew up in Massachusetts, where ...

On Sept. 2, 1945, Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, a Medal of Honor recipient, was among the few U.S. military leaders aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay when Japan signed the surrender documents ending World War II. Wainwright is lauded for defending the Philippines when they were overtaken by the Japanese and earned the nickname  “Hero of Bataan.” Born ...

World War II Army Tech. Sgt. Francis J. Clark was part of the famed 28th Infantry Division that was the first American military unit to parade down the Champs-Elysees during the Liberation of Paris on Aug. 29, 1944 — an anniversary that was celebrated with great fanfare over the weekend. Clark is the only World War II soldier from the ...

Few World War II veterans can say they earned not just America’s highest medal for valor, but France’s as well. Army Pvt. Wilburn Ross is part of an elite group who can. Ross single-handedly took out nearly 60 Germans in a five-hour period in 1944, saving his depleted company from an elite German force. Ross was born May 12, 1922, and ...

The invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, gave the Allies a foothold on the European continent, but a lot more needed to be done to keep it in place. Army Sgt. John J. McVeigh was one of the thousands of men tasked with strengthening that foothold. He died during his mission, but his effort earned him the Medal of ...

The Air Force was in its infancy when the Korean War began, but many of its airmen were experienced war veterans, having fought in World War II in the Army Air Corps. One of those men was Maj. Louis Sebille, a pilot who became the first Air Force recipient of the Medal of Honor. Sebille was born on Nov. 21, ...

The Wright brothers developed their first successful powered airplane in 1903, and it didn’t take long for the U.S. military to know it wanted in on the action. A few years later, that became reality. Here’s the story of the military’s first airplane. By 1907, the Army Signal Corps was preparing itself for flight — although it wasn’t yet sure ...

Nowadays, you have to be cautious of everything you do online. Scammers are always trying to get money, goods or services out of unsuspecting people — and military members are often targets. Here are some scams that have recently been affecting service members, Defense Department employees and their families. Romance Scams In April, Army Criminal Investigation Command put out a ...

A lot of U.S. service members may not have been born in America, but they’re just as willing to die for our ideals. Army Spc. Leslie Sabo Jr. is a shining example of those who were willing to fight for their adopted country. His efforts to save his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War earned him the Medal of Honor ...

A lot of men who earned the Medal of Honor did so knowing they were about to lose their lives, but they pressed on with what they were doing anyway. Army Pvt. Donald Lobaugh was one of them, giving his life for his comrades in the jungles of the South Pacific during World War II. Lobaugh was born on Feb. ...

I imagine it’s hard to keep your composure while your ship is being attacked, but that’s exactly what Navy Coxswain John G. Morrison did during the Civil War, and it earned him the Medal of Honor. Morrison was born in Ireland sometime between 1836-1842 — online records reflect a few possible dates, so it’s not clear — but in 1855, ...

Marine Corps Pfc. Grant Timmerman had already served plenty of time abroad when he was discharged from the military in late 1941. But Pearl Harbor happened five weeks after he got out, so he decided to join right back up. Timmerman shipped out again for his country a short time later, and he never returned. But the actions he took ...

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Black Hawk Down,” then you know the story of Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon. Gordon and his comrade, Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart, made the most difficult decision service members could ever make — to give their lives for their brothers in arms. This Medal of Honor Monday, we honor Gordon’s life and ...