soldiers - History In Memes https://www.historyinmemes.com Thu, 08 Dec 2022 17:24:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://www.historyinmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cropped-Julius-32x32.webp soldiers - History In Memes https://www.historyinmemes.com 32 32 WW2 Pilot First Time Seeing F-22 Raptor https://www.historyinmemes.com/2022/12/08/ww2-pilot-first-time-seeing-f-22-raptor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ww2-pilot-first-time-seeing-f-22-raptor Thu, 08 Dec 2022 17:24:19 +0000 https://www.historyinmemes.com/?p=976

Some things in life you need to see to believe. As World War 2 veteran and Staff Sergeant Leslie Edwards found out, a F-22 Raptor screaming over your head is one of those things. A lot has changed since the planes of WWII ruled over the skies. Modern technology has changed the way aerial combat […]

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Some things in life you need to see to believe. As World War 2 veteran and Staff Sergeant Leslie Edwards found out, a F-22 Raptor screaming over your head is one of those things.

A lot has changed since the planes of WWII ruled over the skies. Modern technology has changed the way aerial combat is fought. 

Let’s take a deeper look at the F-22 Raptor and how far fighter planes have come since WWII!

US Fighters of WW2

During WWII, the P51 Mustang was the US’s most dominant fighter plane. It performed incredibly and was said to have a 19-to-1 kill to losses ratio. In fact, the Senate War Investigating Committee even named it the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane during its existence.

With nearly 5,000 destroyed German planes to its credit, it has taken down more than any other US or Allied fighter. The P51 retired in 1951, making way for the next generation of aircraft. 

Tuskegee Airmen

SSgt. Edwards was part of a unit of African American military pilots called the Tuskegee Airmen. They were the first African Americans to complete training and join the Army Air Corps successfully. 

This remarkable group destroyed hundreds of German aircraft and ground support vehicles. They returned home with 96 distinguished flying crosses, 14 bronze stars, 744 air medals and at least 60 purple hearts.

The F-22 Raptor

When it comes to air superiority, the F-22 Raptor is unmatched. This fifth generation piece of art combines stealth, speed and situational awareness to dominate the air. It’s capable of both air-to-air combat and air-to-ground combat, making it one of the most versatile fighters in the world.

Capabilities of the F-22 Raptor

The F-22 can reach speeds up to Mach 1.8 and even Mach 2 with the afterburners. It can fly at 65,000 feet of elevation and can carry A LOT of weapons

The Raptor can outmaneuver any current or projected aircraft with its advanced thrust vectoring, aerodynamic design, and high thrust-to-weight ratio. Its supercruise capability allows it to travel at supersonic speeds without using afterburners. This permits the aircraft to maintain its pace over a tremendous range. 

The Cost of an F-22 Raptor

As you can imagine, these things don’t come cheap. The Raptor is one of the most expensive jets in the world with a price tag of roughly $120 million! The operating cost alone is enough to make your head spin at an estimated $68,362 per hour. 

However, even for those willing to spend the coin, the F-22 Raptor is not for sale. This aircraft is packed with classified technology! And in 1998, congress voted for an amendment that forbids it from being sold or exported to foreign countries.

Beyond the F-22 Raptor

If you want to dominate the air, a continued focus must be on future aircraft development. In 2020, the Air Force stated that it would look to begin retiring the F-22 Raptor to focus on its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. 

The budget space freed up in this move will allow the air force to focus on developing the warfighters of our future. 

Conclusion

Air dominance is a race of progress. The aircraft that soared over battlefields in WW2 vastly differ from the modern fighter jets that rule the skies today. And nobody can see that more clearly than the veterans that flew them!

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How This Yugoslavian Resistance Soldier Lost Her Eye https://www.historyinmemes.com/2022/11/16/how-albina-mali-lost-her-eye/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-albina-mali-lost-her-eye Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:58:30 +0000 https://www.historyinmemes.com/?p=554

Our scars, both physical and not, show the pain we’ve endured, but alsoo what we’ve survived. And, that is definitely the case for Albina Mali-Hodevar. Albina Mali-Hodevar has become known for her scars. She was a Yugoslavian resistance fighter who made many sacrifices during her time of service. Unfortunately, not many people know her name […]

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Our scars, both physical and not, show the pain we’ve endured, but alsoo what we’ve survived. And, that is definitely the case for Albina Mali-Hodevar.

Albina Mali-Hodevar has become known for her scars. She was a Yugoslavian resistance fighter who made many sacrifices during her time of service. Unfortunately, not many people know her name or story. 

So, let’s dive into the history behind the woman in the picture, to uncover her truth. Here are four questions about Albina Mali – answered!

1. Who Is The Woman In The Photo?

The girl in the photo is named Albina Mali-Hodevar. She was a resistance fighter in Slovenia in 1941 after Germany invaded Yugoslavia during World War II. While World War II is flooded with endless tragic wartime stories, Albina’s story and service to Yugoslavia has gone unnoticed for a long time.

She was born on September 12, 1925, and was one of eight children. At the age of 16, Albina joined the People’s Liberation Movement, which was a part of the People’s Liberation War of Yugoslavia. She was initially designated to be a nurse, but ended up being involved with action on the battlefield.

2. How Did Albina Mali Get Those Scars?

She was wounded a few times during the war. More specifically, she was wounded twice by the age of 17. After her 18th birthday, she was tragically wounded again by exploding mines. During her time of service (1942-1943), she had sustained multiple injuries, including the injury seen in the photograph, which caused a disfigurement of her face and the loss of her eye.

3. What Was Her Role In The War?

Her efforts of assisting continued long after she was no longer on the battlefield. She had transitioned from soldier to nurse, going above and beyond to assist the wounded. Even though she wanted to be a soldier and actively fighting against invaders rather than a nurse, she did not take her new role and responsibilities lightly. Her dedication to her duties and her patients did not go unnoticed by those around her.

Multiple people who were around Albina during her time of service, recall her work on the battlefield as a nurse:

“The nurse Albina always paid more attention to the wounded than to herself”

“She knew neither fear nor exhaustion while… there were wounded [partisans] to be taken care of.”

4. What Happened To Albina Mali After The War?

Due to her dedication, courage, and bravery during particularly hazardous and dangerous situations, the country of Yugoslavia awarded Albina the Yugoslavian Order of the Partisan Star, 3rd class. She then went on to have a prominent role in the government before passing away on January 24, 2001 at age 76.

albina mali

Albina gave her life and even her eye for freedom. Even though a lot of people have seen this photo, tragically most people don’t know about the incredibly powerful and brave woman behind this photo. There is still a lot unknown about Albina’s life and not many photos of her beyond this one, but what we do know is that she was incredibly courageous and driven to help free her country from invaders and oppression. Her legacy goes beyond this picture. And this photo is a symbol of what horrors and tragedies war puts the men and women serving through, but also what real-life heroes look like.

Watch this video to learn more about Albina Mali-Hodevar’s story!

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The History Behind Spiral Staircases https://www.historyinmemes.com/2022/11/07/the-history-behind-spiral-staircases/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-history-behind-spiral-staircases Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:24:06 +0000 https://www.historyinmemes.com/?p=455

The best part of reading stories set in medieval times was dreaming of walking down the spiral staircases making a princess-like entrance or racing up the tower to slay a dragon. Well, at least that’s what the storybooks always detailed. But in reality, why did they make those damn stairs so narrow and spiraling? It […]

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The best part of reading stories set in medieval times was dreaming of walking down the spiral staircases making a princess-like entrance or racing up the tower to slay a dragon. Well, at least that’s what the storybooks always detailed. But in reality, why did they make those damn stairs so narrow and spiraling? It sounds hard to maneuver with all that armor and a sword in your hand!

Most staircases in medieval castles were built to be extremely narrow and spiraling in a clockwise direction. But why? What was going on in these architects’ minds when they built these? 

Why Were There Spiral Staircases in Medieval Times?

Well, since medieval castles were built mainly as fortifications, staircases were designed to make it extremely difficult for enemy combatants to fight their way up. Most soldiers were right-handed, so they would need to round each curve of the inner wall before attempting to strike, inevitably exposing themselves in the process. 

This basically all means that the defenders coming down the stairs would be able to get clear shots at their opponents who were struggling to wield their weapon. This also helped them be less concerned with hitting walls or remaining unprotected from incoming strikes.

What Did the Spiraling Staircases Look Like?

The clockwise spiral stairs were very narrow with sharp turns. They were intentionally poorly lit and built to be uneven. This made it even more difficult for the attackers to gain any sort of balance or momentum during their fight to capture the castle. 

How Defending Soldiers Used the Spiral Staircases

The clockwise spiral staircase also allowed the defenders to use the inner wall as a partial shield and easily allow them to swing their weapon without being hindered by the curvature of the outer wall. Making the stairs very narrow with sharp turns made it increasingly difficult for invaders to launch a massive attack all at one time. 

Think about it: When people fight in an open field or on a straight staircase, all the invaders and defenders can race towards each other at once. But with the spiral staircase being so narrow, invaders had to climb them one soldier at a time. This also made it easy for the defenders to set up on the top of the stairs with crossbows and launch an air attack. This would happen all while the invaders struggled to climb the stairs quickly and shield themselves from fire. 

These stairs were built to give the defending castle’s soldiers a home-field advantage while also making it extremely difficult for the attackers to mauver smoothly.

Game of Thrones makes invaders mounting these stairs appear to be effortless. In actuality, invaders wouldn’t be able to see very well, would be tripping up the inconsistent steps, and couldn’t swing their swords well (unless they were southpaws).

We see that architects and building structures play a major role in successfully defending a base. And these setups are intentional and just as calculated as the way the troops are positioned. 

Are Spiral Staircases Used Today?

Nowadays, spiral staircases are incorporated in various buildings, not just castles. From churches, to towers, to tall buildings, and even homes. But the purpose of making the staircase spiral has since changed from the medieval days. 

Now, the spiral staircase design is more for aesthetics or to save space. Spiral staircases are mainly associated with kings, castles and wealth, but there is a truly fascinating history lesson behind them about architectural design that is purposeful and strategic.

spiral staircases

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