"A fearless man"
Private First Class Carl B. Bentley described the actions of Private First Class Desmond Doss in April and May, 1945. Doss, an unarmed medic serving on Okinawa,...
A headstone for a veteran
This War Department application requests a headstone for Corporal Julian Longoria. The application notes that he had been honorably discharged from service seven...
A military classic
A standard of the U.S. military for over half a century, the heavy M1 helmet was introduced in World War II. It changed little through the Korean and Vietnam Wars....
“A real naval hero”
Commander Charles A. Iarrobino described Lieutenant John K. Koelsch as “a real naval hero” in this letter dated June 3, 1954. Iarrobino recommended that Koelsch...
A surprise visit
In December 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson paid a surprise visit to South Vietnam to raise troop morale. In this photograph the President poses with nurses at a...
Above and beyond the call of duty
This memorandum, dated December 20, 1954, from Marine Corps Major James V. Wilkins to the Secretary of the Navy describes Lieutenant John K. Koelsch’s brave deeds...
"…and everybody froze"
In this eyewitness statement, three radio telephone operators describe how Staff Sergeant Clifford Sims saved the lives of all the soldiers in the area. Sims was...