Mental Floss

MILITARY









John Laurens and Joseph Brant.

While their images might not be immortalized on dollar bills or their stories ingrained into every high school syllabus, these lesser-known figures nonetheless played critical roles in the shaping of the American Revolution.

Colin Scanlon


Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 2023 premiere of 'FUBAR,' season 1.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger–starring Netflix series takes its title from World War II military slang. Here’s what 'fubar' means.

Ellen Gutoskey






The African American Civil War Memorial.

These tributes to fallen soldiers may not be as instantly recognizable as the Vietnam Memorial and others, but their stories are no less fascinating—including one that doubles as a mausoleum right in Manhattan.

Jake Rossen


Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

Greg Zapata






One of many protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

Tim Brinkhof
An American Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.

In a mission code-named Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military unleashed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant during the Vietnam War—and some descendants of Vietnam veterans say they’re still paying the price.

Nick Keppler