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Topic Archives:Firsthand Accounts

Photo of a soldier in the U.S. Army 1st Air Cavalry holds his rifle above his head as he serves as a 'traffic cop' for helicopters landing in a field during an operation north of Saigon in the Vietnam War, South Vietnam. The helicopters were bringing members of the unit to the area that they were to patrol.

When a Vietnamese Ally Was Wounded, Two American Soldiers Had to Choose Obedience or Compassion

by John B. Haseman and John M. Harris10/16/202310/16/2023
Louisiana Tigers painted by Keith Rocco

How Wheat’s Tigers’ Opening Gambit at First Manassas Turned to Legend

by Richard H. Holloway9/18/20239/12/2023
Fox’s Gap battlefield

The Real Story Behind 58 Confederate Bodies Tossed in a Well 

by Steven R. Stotelmyer9/14/20239/14/2023
Colored Orphan Asylum burns during New York draft riots

‘Oh! my soul—what a sight presented itself!’: A Witness to the July 1863 New York Draft Riots 

by Jonathan W. White9/14/20232/1/2024
Photo of James Vaughn, shown here at the Hai Van Pass in Vietnam, got into a sticky situation in search of a shower during the war.

A Desperate Quest for a Shower Soon Turned Into a Comedy of Errors for this Soldier in Vietnam

by James Vaughn8/22/20238/21/2023

A Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient Shares Leadership Lessons

by Zita Ballinger Fletcher8/15/20238/17/2023
Jackson leads troops on horseback

A Raw Look at Confederate Soldiers at First Manassas

by Harry Smeltzer7/11/20237/10/2023
wounded-union-soldiers-maryes-heights

Louisa May Alcott Wanted to Be a Nurse…Until She Realized It Required Bathing Soldiers

by Louisa May Alcott7/5/20237/6/2023
Photo of author Jerry Dallape (right) and his buddy Gordon “Gus” Gustafson had an unusual adventure in Vietnam.

This Marine Used a Gunny Outhouse Without Permission. Then He Accidentally Burned It Down. 

by Jerry Dallape5/22/20235/23/2023
Painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill (1776-77)

Abigail Adams Persevered Through Siege and Smallpox to Support the Revolution

by Jon Mael5/2/20232/28/2023

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