During the Civil War, more than 1,500 men earned the Medal of Honor, which had just been created. Today’s Medal of Honor Monday honoree, Army 1st Lt. Arthur MacArthur Jr., was one of only two fathers who shared the privilege of being a Medal of Honor recipient with his son. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in June 1845, MacArthur eventually moved ...

It’s been 75 years since American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, in the largest land, sea and air invasion in history. D-Day gave the Allies a long-awaited foothold in Europe, and its success led to the continent’s liberation and the end of World War II. About 160,000 men took part in the June 6, 1944, invasion, about half ...

For today’s Medal of Honor Monday, we’re honoring a brave recipient who passed away recently — 75 years after he jumped on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers in World War II. Army Technician 5th Grade Robert Maxwell was born on Oct. 26, 1920, in Boise, Idaho, but he grew up with his grandparents in Kansas. He eventually moved ...

Coast Guard response boats don’t handle quite the same as race cars, but to NASCAR driver Austin Dillon, they’re both a blast. ”Coast Guard boats, they’re unbelievable machines. It’s like driving a big jet ski,” No. 3 said when he recently visited Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Dillon had a chance to see how the Coasties protect America’s maritime ...

“Starting now, you will live, eat, sleep and train as a team. The words ‘I, me and my’ will no longer be a part of your vocabulary!” Those words were some of the first that NASCAR driver Kyle Larson heard as he stepped off the bus at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. No. 42 got an earful ...

Going fast is clearly a passion for NASCAR driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. But 500 mph in a fighter jet? That’s a little faster than what he’s used to. “We’ve got to find some speed in our car to match this speed,” Wallace said after visiting Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina to test out the adrenaline rush from an ...

Selfless sacrifice is a common theme among Medal of Honor recipients, as many of them give their own lives to save their fellow comrades during war. Army Pfc. Leslie Bellrichard was no exception. Bellrichard was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, on Dec. 4, 1941 — three days before America was thrust into World War II — and his life was a ...

Master divers have one of the most coveted titles in the U.S. Navy. They’re technical experts who can journey to dark depths of the world’s oceans to accomplish things few others can with little to no margin for error. Navy Chief Petty Officer William Badders, a machinist’s mate, had that coveted role in the 1930’s. He and three of his ...

Many of our nation’s fallen heroes have yet to make it home from war. One of those men is Air Force Capt. John S. Walmsley Jr., whose dedication to completing his mission during the Korean War cost him his life, but it earned him the Medal of Honor. Walmsley was born and raised in Baltimore and attended the University of ...

Heroes are often people who volunteer for missions they know might be their last. During the Vietnam War, despite having reached retirement age while managing to survive two wars, Army Capt. Ed Freeman volunteered for just such a mission. Freeman was born on Nov. 20, 1927, into a big family who lived on a farm in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He never finished ...

U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa have spent the past few weeks helping victims of Cyclone Idai, a devastating storm that slammed into Mozambique and Zimbabwe in March. Most Americans don’t know a whole lot about the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa — CJTF HOA, for short — or our relationship with ...

Actors do some crazy things for their jobs, but it’s not every day they choose to put on a padded dog bite sleeve and get attacked by a military working dog with 300 pounds of pressure behind its bite. A few actors recently watched some drug-sniffing dogs in action at the 2nd Military Working Dog Detachment at Fort Meade, Maryland. They ...

Artillery battalions were rarely on the front lines of the battle during World War II, but cannon units often found themselves in line with the infantrymen directly facing the enemy. Marine Corps Pfc. Harold Gonsalves lost his life on the front line of the Battle of Okinawa in the Pacific, but in doing so, he earned the Medal of Honor. ...

The American Civil War accounts for 1,522 Medal of Honor recipients — nearly half of the total who have earned the award since its creation in 1861. One of those recipients was Union Army Pvt. George Maynard, who refused to leave a man behind during a lopsided fight. Maynard was born in a suburb of Boston in 1836 and attended ...

Chaplains aren’t just religious advocates for service members. They’re also relied upon for moral and spiritual well-being, with an ability to be calm in the most harrowing of circumstances. Only a handful of chaplains have earned the Medal of Honor. Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, whose bravery and selflessness were exemplified during the Vietnam War, is one of them. Capodanno was ...