Top 10 Attack Helicopters In The World

10. Z-10:                                                  

The Z-10 attack helicopter is expected to enter servicewith Chinese army in 2008-2009. The Z-10 helicopter hasa standard gunship configuration with a narrow fuselageand stepped tandem cockpits. Gunner is seated at the

front and the pilot is at the rear. Weapons of the Z-10may consist of 30-mm cannon, HJ-9 anti-tank guidedmissiles (comparable to the TOW-2A), newly developedHJ-10 anti-tank missiles (comparable to the AGM-114

Hellfire) and TY-90 air-to-air missiles. It can also carryunoperated rocket pods.


9. MI-24 Hind:

                                                             

The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. The Mi-24, the first helicopter to enter service with the Russian Air Force as an assault transport and gunship. The Mi-24 is a close counterpart to the American AH-64 Apache, but unlike this and other Western assault helicopters it is also capable of transporting up to eight troops.


8. AH-2 Rooivalk:                                                 

The Denel Rooivalk is an attack helicopter manufactured by Denel of South Africa. Rooivalk is Afrikaans for “Red Kestrel”. The South African air forces operate only 12 Denel AH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopters. Although it looks like an entirely new machine, the Rooivalk is based on a degree of reverse engineering of the Aerospatiale Puma, using the same engines and main rotor.

7. AH-1W Super Cobra:                                                         

The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the US Army’s AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra.

6. A-129/T-129 (Italy/Turkey):
                                     

The Agusta A129 Mangusta is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Agusta in Italy. It was the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Western Europe.

The TAI/AgustaWestland T-129 ATAK is a derivative version of the A129, and its development is the responsibility of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), with AgustaWestland as the primary partner.

5. AH-1Z Viper:
                        

Capable. Flexible. Multi-mission. The ultimate in attack helicopters. The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, that was developed for the United States Marine Corps. The AH-1Z features a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system. The AH-1Z is part of the H-1 upgrade program. It is also called “Zulu Cobra” in reference to its variant letter.

4. Eurocopter Tiger:
                           

The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre. The Tiger is powered by two MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshaft engines.

3. MI-28H Havoc (Russia):
                        

The Mil Mi-28 (NATO reporting name ‘Havoc’) is a Russian all-weather, day-night, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter. It is a dedicated attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 for the role. It carries a single gun in an undernose barbette, plus external loads carried on pylons beneath stub wings.

2. Kamov KA-50/KA-52:

                                

The Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark” is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995.

The Ka-50 was designed to be small, fast and agile to improve survivability and lethality. For minimal weight and size (thus maximum speed and agility) it was uniquely among gunships to be operated by a single pilot only. The Russian designed Ka-50 Hokum also can carry 24 ?Vikhr? missiles, four 20-round rocket pods, or a mixture. The Hokum also can carry the AA-11/R-73 Archer air-to-air missiles, which makes the Hokum a very capable threat against opposing attack helicopters. The 30mm 2A42 is also mounted on the Hokum, albeit more like a fighter?s cannon. The Hokum?s top speed is 350 kilometers per hour, and it has a combat radius of 250 kilometers.

1. AH-64D Apache Long Bow:
                          

The Boeing AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter was known to be the preeminent and most powerful anti-armor weapon system in the Gulf War. Designed to perform its combat missions day or night and in adverse weather, the Apache was designed specifically to meet the rigid requirements of the US Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter Plan. The Apache is equipped with state of the art electronic technology and fire control systems. The firepower is awesome. The Apache can be loaded with 16 AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, 76 70mm folding-fin aerial rockets or a combination of both – in addition to 1,200 30mm rounds for its M230 automatic cannon.

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Top 10 Most Famous Actors Who Served in the Military

10. Eddie Albert:

People generally remember Eddie Albert as the inept farmer and perennial straight man on the goofy hit 1960’s TV show Green Acres, but few know that he also won the Bronze Star with Combat “V” for his actions during the invasion of Tarawa. In November, 1943, Albert (then a young Navy Lieutenant by the name of Eddie Heimberger—his real name), rescued dozens of stranded and wounded Marines from the landing craft he commanded, much of the time while under heavy enemy machine-gun fire.

                                                               9. James Arness                                   

Think Matt Dillon wasn’t for real? The fictional old west sheriff was every bit as tough as the six-foot, seven-inch tall actor who played him. As a rifleman for 3rd Infantry Division, Arness landed at Anzio, Italy in January, 1944, where he was wounded by enemy fire and evacuated. After undergoing surgery several times, Arness was honorably discharged in 1945, having received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart medals. His wounds bothered him after the war, resulting in acute leg pain that made it increasingly difficult to mount a horse (Matt Dillon without a horse? Unthinkable!) It became so bad he had to undergo a series of operations to remove bullet fragments that had fused into the bone. Now that’s one tough hombre.

                                                                      8. Mel Brooks
                                             

Hard to believe the off-the-wall director and actor famous for such goofy films as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and Space Balls was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), but it’s true. A corporal in the combat engineers, his job was to destroy enemy obstacles and included occasionally defusing mines—a job that required a steady nerve, a calm demeanor, and no doubt a good sense of humor. He also fought in the famous Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944 and was even rumored to have been known to answer German propaganda that was being broadcast at regular intervals from a loudspeaker by shouting “Toot Toot Tootsie goodbye!” I guess Mel Brooks was Mel Brooks even back then.
                                     
                                      7. Art Carney   

|Before becoming Jackie Gleason’s lovable but bumbling side kick on the hit 1950s TV sitcom The Honeymooners, Carney fought at Normandy in July of 1944 as part of a machine gun squad. While performing that dangerous task, he was hit in the leg by mortar shrapnel and sent home—where he walked with a limp the rest of his life. He later quipped about his military service by saying that he “Never fired a shot and maybe never wanted to. I really cost the government money.”                                        
                                       6. Charles Durning
                                                              

This versatile actor with a long acting career and over 100 movies to his credit was one of the most decorated soldiers turned actors of World War Two. A combat infantryman during the war, he survived the bloody landings at Omaha Beach in June of 1944 and was even capture by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944 (though he managed to escape). Awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Cross for bravery, he was to spend months after the war recovering from the many wounds he received before being discharged and beginning his long acting career—a career, by the way, that is still going strong today.              

                                                        5. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.                   

 Few would have guessed the dashing actor and first husband to Joan Crawford would give up the sparkling lights of Hollywood to serve his country, but that’s exactly what he did. Commissioned an officer at the outbreak of World War Two, the actor served on Lord Louis Mountbatten’s staff in England where he observed the British make cross-channel raids on German positions designed to confuse and deceive the enemy. Taking that knowledge back to America, he was made part of a unit called the “Beach Jumpers” whose job it was to make bogus beach landings designed to confuse the enemy as to the location of the real landings. Serving in this capacity in North Africa, Sicily, and France, he was awarded several medals for bravery, chief among them the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the British Distinguished Service Cross, and even the French Croix de guerre. Fairbanks stayed in the Naval Reserve after the war and ultimately retired a captain in 1954

                               4. Russell Johnson
              

Hard to imagine the mild-mannered and slightly nerdy (but in a good way) professor on the popular but utterly inane 60’s sitcom Gilligan’s Island was an Army Air Corp bomber pilot who flew no less than 44 missions over the Pacific during World War Two. In one mission, his B-25 was shot down over enemy held territory in the Philippines, forcing him to crash land, which resulted in two broken ankles. He was also awarded the Air Medal before being discharged in 1945 and going on to use his GI Bill money to finance his way through acting school (which is where it is assumed he first learned how to make a radio out of a coconut. Too bad he couldn’t figure out how to fix a hole in a boat.)



3. Lee Marvin



This actor, known for his tough guy roles, was a real life roughian who left school to join the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Scout Sniper in the 4th Marine Division in the South Pacific. He was wounded in action during the Battle of Saipan and saw most of his platoon killed. Marvin was wounded by machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart medal and given a medical discharge. The tough old Marine died of a heart attack in 1987 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery where his headstone reads “Lee Marvin, PFC US Marine Corps, World War II”. Once a Marine, always a Marine.

2. Audie Murphy

                                                                       

Murphy was a true American hero and the only actor to have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fact, Murphy was the most decorated American soldier of World War II who, besides receiving the CMOH, was also awarded 32 additional U.S. and foreign medals and citations, including five from France and one from Belgium. He later went on to appear in 44 films—mostly westerns and a few army films—before he died in a plane crash near Roanoke, Virginia three weeks shy of his 46th birthday. Not surprisingly, he was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

1. Jimmy Stewart
Stewart was an up and coming actor when he chose to give it all up and join the Army Air Corp in 1942. Considering how dangerous the skies over Europe were and the very high rate of attrition suffered by allied pilots, it’s a miracle he survived at all. Flying no fewer than 20 combat missions over Germany at the controls of the famous B-17 bomber, he received six battle stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal and even the famous French decoration, the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He even stayed active in the U.S. Air Force reserve after the war, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in 1968.

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Top 10 Shockingly Dangerous Animals

10. Swans
                                          

Swans are the floating asses of the bird world. Though they certainly look majestic when they’re floating casually along a river or lake, like a rubber duck made of silk and swag, swans are without a doubt some of the most vicious animals one could have the misfortune to encounter.

It’s an oft-repeated fact that a swan is easily capable of breaking a man’s arm; this is, for the most part, a myth. What a swan is capable of though, is straight-up drowning someone. Which is what happened to one poor guy in England when he was knocked out of his canoe and stopped from swimming to shore by a mute swan. It was noted by swan experts (yes, those exist) that this was presumably due to the swan in question being territorial. It was also noted that this was an incredibly rare occurrence and that for the most part, swans will only charge you, not attempt to murder you.


Then again, shark attacks are also a rare occurrence, and people still know to stay the hell away from those. So take it from us: swans are killing machines, and they have swan experts tucked under their wing.

9. Chickens:
                                         

Chickens are by far one of the most useless animals in the entire world. Their only real purpose on Earth is to provide humans with sustenance, whether it’s through their supple bird flesh or their unborn young.

Which probably explains why the humble chicken has such a literal blood lust. Do you know what happens when a chicken or rooster sees blood? Simple, the chicken or rooster will lose its rag and peck whatever is bleeding to death. This is actually such a serious problem that back in the ’50s they had to fit chickens with tiny sunglasses to stop them seeing the blood. If that wasn’t terrifying enough, chickens will outright attack humans, with knives! That last sentence isn’t an overstatement.


To explain, cock fighting takes advantage of the aforementioned fact that a chicken will kill anything it sees covered in blood, by pitting two roosters against each other in a fight to the death. However, the owner of one such bird decided to give his chicken an edge, in the form of a bloody great knife he strapped to its leg. How did the chicken thank its owner for this new deadly prosthesis? It stabbed him to death. Sure you could say it was an accident, but can you honestly say you’re not a little unnerved right now, after learning that the first thing a rooster did when given a knife was stab a guy? We thought so.

8. Cats:
                                     

Cats, despite their almost-universal approval rating with the online world, actually hate you. Given the chance, a cat would literally poop on everything you love. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but many people seem to forget that cats have these things called claws.

Here’s another question for you: what’s the worst injury do you think someone has sustained from a cat? The answer is all of them, all of the injuries. A Cleveland man was attacked with such ferocity by his pet cat that he actually had to resort to fighting it off with a knife. When taken to the hospital, the doctors took one look at the raw meat he called a face, shrugged, and had him airlifted to a better hospital.


Of course this was a freak occurrence, but the next time a cat is on your lap, just remember that if it wanted to, if it really, really wanted to, it could scratch your grill so hard they’d need to airlift you out of your home.

7. Squirrels:
                             

Squirrels, with their big bushy tails, actually kind of look like they’re sat on tiny furry thrones all the time. And that’s awesomely adorable. Though they’re considered pests in some parts of the world, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hates squirrels. That is, unless you asked one of the hundreds of people they attack every year.


Yes, squirrel attacks are not only a thing, they’re a really major thing that’s a cause of a lot of hassle for a whole bunch of people we’re glad aren’t us. For example in Bennington, Vermont locals were asked to be extra careful when walking home because of a rogue squirrel that was attacking people for seemingly no reason. In Orange County, a 3-year-old was sent to the hospital by a rogue nut bandit and, over in Russia, a gang of squirrels reportedly bit a dog to death. Now that’s hardcore! You win this time, Russia. This time.

6. Crows:
                         

Crows are one of smartest animals we share the planet with. Their tiny crow minds are capable of complex thought, problem solving and apparently, enjoyment of harassing strangers or people they don’t like.


For example, crows have been known to harass and warn other crows about people who mistreat them. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; even if you don’t go out of your way to insult a crow, these tiny black-clad birds will still find a reason to attack you. For example, in England several joggers suffered injuries (one was even sent to the hospital) because they ran too close a crow’s nest. The thing is, crow’s nest are way up in the trees and people can’t exactly fly. And yet the crow still felt threatened.This means that if there’s a crow anywhere near you, there’s also a chance there could be a crow’s next, which means you could have a bullseye on your back. Man, Edgar Allen Poe had it all wrong; he should have been wary of crows instead of ravens.

5. Guinea Pigs:
                                     

Guinea pigs are pretty much tiny furry decibel meters that double as a pet for kids too stupid to look after a pet rock. Though they certainly have their fans, guinea pigs are mostly known for being annoying as sin to anyone who isn’t currently cuddling one, since they spend all their time screaming and pooping, in equal measures.


However, the guinea pig has apparently been hiding a dark side from the public. For example, in Australia, guinea pigs cause more injuries than freaking sharks! Obviously the injuries from sharks tend to be way worse because, well, sharks finish the job. But up until you read that sentence just then, did you honestly expect to hear that guinea pigs attack people so often that the government had to warn people about them? Or that they attack people with such ferocity that paramedics needed to be called? Yeah, that’s something that happens.

4. Mice:
                                                  

We don’t have to warn you about how dangerous mice are, when they attempt to kill fictional cartoon cats every other week on TV. That previous sentence is completely serious by the way. Though the humble mouse poses little-to-no threat to a human, because they’re tiny and most humans are partial to shoes with heavy soles, they positively can and do pose a threat to every other animal that crosses their path.


For example, when firefighters in Taiwan caught a deadly viper and opted to feed it a tiny mouse as a snack, they in no way expected the mouse to bite the viper to death. But hey, that’s exactly what happened. If a tiny mouse biting a snake 5 times its size to death isn’t impressive enough, you should also note this story. For those of you too lazy to click that link, basically it tells the story of another plucky mouse who stole a leopard’s dinner from right underneath its stupid leopard nose. We should probably be glad mice are that small; with balls that size, God knows what damage they could do if they were guinea pig size. We’d be too extinct to keep writing these articles.

3. Cows:
                                         

Cows are, for the most part, walking steaks that occasionally give us milk. We probably don’t have to warn you about bulls being dangerous, because there’s an entire job literally dedicated to annoying them and trying to move out of the way before they jam their horns into your torso. But cows? The biggest threat they pose to any human is being undercooked, right?

Well, no. Despite their dopey appearance and delicious taste, cows are deceptively dangerous. Because, despite everything, they’re still a 1000-pound animal full of hormones and an unbridled hatred for all of mankind. Cows have been known to trample people to death and, in less serious cases, injure them so severely they spend the rest of their lives suffering cracked ribs whenever they drive past a McDonalds.


Though cow attacks are rare, they’re far, far more common than shark attacks and result in way more deaths. The reasons for cow attacks are usually people coming near their young which is understandable but, at the same time, kind of terrifying. Since baby cows are adorable, it’s almost like they specifically evolved to look that way just to send their mothers into a rage-induced trample spree when people tried to Instagram them. Baby cows are freakin’ evil! From now on, whenever we eat veal parmesan, we’re doing so with sweet sweet revenge on our minds.

2. Deer:
                                   

Deer are mostly known for being Bambi’s relatives and, if that film taught us anything, it’s that deer go down easy and without a fight. And can make the manliest among us weep like babies papercuts when this happens.

But who would have guessed that Disney would stretch the truth about anything, much less about how easy deer are to kill? As it turns out, a buck can easily shrug off a bullet wound and still have enough fight left in them to tackle their shooter and stomp his face for good measure. Likewise, they’ve also been known to straight-up tackle people for no reason and steal their cigarettes, because even deer understand that smoking is cool.

Though normally timid, during rutting season a buck or doe can pose a major threat to a human if they happen to interrupt some sweet deer tender time. This dangerous is so real that even the Army (you know, the guys with all the guns,) advise people to not approach a deer.


Then again: look at them! How can you not want to go pet them? They’re practically made of hugs … which is exactly what they want you to think.

1. Pelicans:
                             

Though pelicans arguably do pose some danger to people (have you seen the size of those things?) they’re not number one on this list for that. They got this spot through sheer ferocity.


You see, a pelican is universally known as that goofy-looking bird with the huge mouth. Now this mouth is mostly used for scooping up fish. Note the use of the word “mostly,” because a recent trend has started in which pelicans have begun straight-up eating other birds. Whole. Here’s a video of one eating a freaking pigeon if you don’t believe us.Did you see that ? The pelican literally inhaled that poor pigeon and swallowed it all: feathers, bones, beak, claws, the works. To a pelican, all is edible, and all is yum-yum. This proves that, until we learn how to swallow our enemies whole, animals such as pelicans will always have an edge on us, and that’s terrifying.

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10 Forgotten American Heroes of WWI

10. Daniel Daly:
           

A Sergeant Major in the United States Marine Corps, Daniel Daly leads off our list with one of the most impressive accomplishments in American military history: he’s one of only 19 men to have received the Medal of Honor…twice. Yes, you read that correctly. Daly earned his first Medal of Honor for service in China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. In that instance, he successfully defended his position virtually singlehandedly while inflicting more than 200 casualties. And that was just a warm up act, seeing as he tacked another Medal of Honor onto his resume 15 years later.

That one came for his service in Haiti, when he led a group of only about 40 men against an attack by hundreds of Haitian insurgents in the Battle of Fort Dipitie. He led his men to safety, and was quickly rewarded for his heroism. Obviously, you might be wondering what any of this has to do with World War I. Well, as you can probably imagine from someone like Daly, he wasn’t done yet. During his service in the Great War, he received the Navy Cross for what were described as “repeated deeds of heroism and great service” during the Battle of Belleau Wood. With his impeccable service record, basically the only reason he’s not higher on our list is the fact that he’s not quite as forgotten as some of these other men. After all, chances are you’ve heard his most famous rallying cry, given to his men at Belleau Wood: “For Christ’s sake men-come on! Do you want to live forever?”


Daly, as you can probably guess based on the fact that his balls and probably every other part of him were made from pure steel, survived the war and retired from the USMC in 1929, passing away in 1937. We’re guessing the reason Hitler waited two more years to start World War II was that he was making sure Daly was truly dead, so he wouldn’t have to deal with such a badass.

9. Eugene Bullard:
                                

There are a lot of “firsts” when it comes to wars, and to life in general. There had to be a first for everything, right? Well, have you ever wondered who the first black, American combat pilot was? The answer is Eugene Bullard, a Haitian-American from Georgia who flew with France during World War I. His father’s family had fled Haiti during the Haitian Revolution, and eventually Bullard made his way to Europe and settled in Paris, thus beginning his allegiance to France at the outset of the war.

Before becoming a combat pilot, Bullard served as a ground troop and machine gunner in the French Foreign Legion until being wounded during the Battle of Verdun. It was during his recuperation that he joined the French Air Service, flying with the Lafayette Flying Corps and taking part in 20 combat missions as a pilot. Over the course of his service, he received 15 commendations and was made a knight of the Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France, as well as the Medaille militaire.


You might be vaguely familiar with Bullard if you ever saw the movie Flyboys, which is based on the Lafayette Flying Corps – except for the fact that the movie changed Bullard’s name, ignores his background, and puts James Franco front and center.

8. Frank Luke:
                                           

Speaking of flying aces, if there’s any American pilot you’ve heard of from World War I, it’s probably Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker had more aerial victories than any other American pilot during the Great War. But did you ever wonder who had the second most? No one remembers the silver medalist, right? And that’s why most people have never heard of Frank Luke, who had 18 aerial victories to Rickenbacker’s 26. The Second Lieutenant, sadly, did not make it out of World War I alive. He had been attacking enemy balloons (yes, the hot air kind were actually used during combat in those days) when a machine gunner hit him in his plane. He landed safely but, having been seriously wounded by the bullet, was quickly tracked down and killed by members of the German infantry.


He received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his incredible actions during the Great War, and also received a posthumous promotion to First Lieutenant. And while he may have played second fiddle to Rickenbacker during the war, the famed pilot held Luke in the highest regard, saying of his friendly rival, “He was the most daring aviator and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war.” According to Rickenbacker, Luke “went on a rampage and shot down 14 enemy aircraft, including 10 balloons, in eight days. No other ace, even the dreaded Ricthofen [a.k.a. the Red Baron], had ever come close to that.”

7. George W. Hamilton:
                           

     

           
It’s kind of amazing that a man so revered in some circles that a book was written with a title literally claiming him to be “America’s Greatest World War I Hero” could be more or less forgotten, but such is the case for George W. Hamilton. The United States Marine Corps Major led the American forces in the Battle of Belleau Wood (the same battle for which Daniel Daly received his Navy Cross, for those keeping track at home), and over the course of his military career received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix de Guerre.


His fellow Marines, over the years, have also recognized his tremendous courage and acts of heroism. In addition to his heroics at Belleau Wood, he also served with so much valor that he was recommended for the Medal of Honor on multiple occasions, and was hailed by his peers as the “most outstanding Marine Corps hero of World War I.” Sadly, despite surviving the duration of the war despite participating in virtually every major action, Hamilton was killed in a plane crash at a hypothetical reenactment at Gettysburg – by which we mean, a reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg, but using the technology of the day, hence the inclusion of the small plane Hamilton was piloting. It was about as unceremonious and unfortunate an end as a hero of Hamilton’s stature could have had, and unfortunately he’s become so forgotten over time that he doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page.

6. Charles Whittlesey: 
                                       

You may have heard of the famous “Lost Battalion” but chances are, you never knew the name of the man who commanded it: Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whittlesey. The Wisconsin native was awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of courage in the Argonne Forest, in a story that’s pretty unfortunately ignored over the years. Amazingly, it’s a story that’s been most famously represented by a TV movie starring Rick Schroeder as Whittlesey.The story of what happened there is the stuff of military legend. Whittlesey and his battalion of 554 men pushed forward through the Argonne but were quickly cut off from supply lines and reinforcements, and found themselves surrounded and seemingly at the mercy of the Germans. They had no food or water, and since they had no means of receiving supplies, ammunition was precious. Snipers and German attacks came consistently for a period of four days, but somehow, amazingly, Whittlesey and his men held off wave after wave of the enemy attacks. The Germans eventually sent in a blindfolded American prisoner with a message imploring Whittlesey to surrender, but – and he denied saying it but like we said, it’s the stuff of legend so as always, we feel the need to print the legend – replied with a simple statement of, “You go to hell!”


107 of his men were killed, 190 were wounded, and 63 were missing in action at the end of those four days. Whittlesey was so revered in military circles that he served as a pallbearer for the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. Sadly, despite surviving the war, he went missing shortly after boarding a ship from New York to Havana. It’s presumed he committed suicide by jumping overboard, as he’d written several letters to his family members and prepared a will, which he left in his room aboard the ship.

5. Edouard Izac:
                                      

An Iowa native who rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander of the United States Navy, Edouard Izac served in the troop transport ship USS President Lincoln, and it was his time on this vessel that earned him a Medal of Honor for his brave exploits. Izac was aboard the Lincoln when she was struck by three torpedoes from a German U-Boat, sinking her and allowing Izac to be taken prisoner aboard the U-90. Rather than sitting idly by, Izac used his time as a POW to learn as much as he could about German submarine movements and attempted to escape in order to relay the information to US forces.


His first attempt to escape by jumping from a moving train, but the attempt was unsuccessful due to an injury he sustained in making the leap. However, he did eventually escape from capture and fled to neutral Switzerland. Of course by then, the war was nearly over and his information was no longer of much use to the Navy but his repeated attempts at foiling the Germans earned him his Medal of Honor for basically laughing in the face of death and repeatedly putting his life on the line to help his country win the war. He later became a Congressman and personally selected by Dwight Eisenhower to tour and inspect recently liberated concentration camps at the end of World War II. He died in 1990, having been the last surviving Medal of Honor winner from World War I.

4. William J. Donovan:
                                       

You may know the name William Donovan, but chances are if you’re familiar with the man, it’s much less about his World War I heroics than it is his being considered the “Father of Central Intelligence.” Donovan was the head of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II – a department which would later morph into the Central Intelligence Agency. It’s as the father of modern American espionage that Donovan is best remembered, despite being one of the most highly decorated American soldiers in the Great War.


Of course, all you need to know about what a badass William Donovan was during the First World War is the fact that his nickname was “Wild Bill.” During his time in the service, he rose to the rank of Major General and earned such awards as the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. He earned his Medal of Honor as a Lieutenant Colonel, as he led his outgunned troops on an assault against a heavily organized and fortified position, consistently rallying his troops and, despite taking a bullet to the leg, refusing to be evacuated until his men were all withdrawn to safety. The man made a big name for himself later in life, but it was his heroics in World War I that should have let people know pretty early on he was bound for great things.

3. Freddie Stowers:
                                                           

Sometimes, it takes far too long for courageous actions to be recognized. We’ll get to that with the next entry on our list, also, but for now let’s focus on Freddie Stowers. The Corporal in the 371st Infantry wasn’t rewarded for his deeds until 70 years after his death, when he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. A South Carolina native, Stowers was killed in action on September 28, 1918 during an assault on Cote 188. On that day, he and his company were ordered to take the heavily fortified hill, fighting through mortar rounds and a hail of gunfire from the Germans.

The defense of the hill was so vicious that every ranking officer in Stowers’ platoon was killed, leaving the Corporal in command of his rifle squad as they continued the assault on Cote 188. He rallied the remaining troops and pushed forward, but was struck by an enemy machine-gun. That didn’t stop him, of course, and he continued forward, leading his men on. He was struck a second time, but he still kept pushing his men forward, and his act of valor in the face of imminent death inspired them to surge ahead and take out the remaining German defenders and take the hill. Stowers never made it off of that hill, succumbing to the overwhelming blood loss suffered from his multiple bullet wounds.

2. Henry Johnson:
                                    

One of the greatest American heroes of World War I who never got nearly the recognition he deserved is Henry Johnson, a Sergeant who didn’t receive his Medal of Honor until earlier this very year. Johnson, a North Carolina native who only received his long overdue honor after much campaigning by politicians like New York’s Chuck Schumer, was a member of the all black New York National Guard 369th Infantry – better known as the Harlem Hellfighters. His outrageously heroic deeds, needless to say, should have been recognized much, much sooner.


So what exactly did he do that was so great, you ask? Well, how about singlehandedly fighting off a German raiding party while sustaining a staggering 21 wounds and simultaneously preventing the other man on sentry duty with him that night from being captured? Oh, and there’s also the fact that his ability to fight off the Germans using grenades, his fists, and a bolo knife (as well as the butt of his rifle) kept numerous other soldiers alive. It’s speculated that there were as many as 24 Germans in the raiding party, yet somehow, Johnson managed to fend them all off, earning the nickname “Black Death” which, while a little racist in retrospect, is still a pretty badass moniker.

1. Frank Gaffney:
                                           

It’s kind of amazing that a man pretty universally praised as the “second bravest man in the US Military” has become largely forgotten through the years. Unfortunately, unlike guys like Alvin York, he never had a movie made about his courageous, inspirational feats starring Gary Cooper. Nicknamed “The Human Hurricane,” which would have made for a sensational wrestling moniker, Private First Class Frank Gaffney earned the Medal of Honor for, frankly, was basically the same sort of action that earned Sgt. York so much fame in the long run.

Serving as a lowly PFC and rifleman for the 108th Infantry, Gaffney saw his brothers in arms gunned down by the Germans. He was literally the last man standing in his unit, but he pushed forward and singlehandedly took out a German machine-gun post, killing the crew and taking the machine-gun position, which he held against the enemy until relief arrived. He killed four more Germans and bombed several dugouts, and his actions led to the capture of 80 German soldiers. Like we said – pretty much exactly the same thing that Alvin York gained so much fame for, yet Gaffney’s heroics have basically been swept over through time. Gaffney survived the war and passed away in 1948 at the age of 64, and was buried in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. He hadn’t survived the war completely unscathed, though, losing his left arm in battle.


Maybe it’s just us, but he certainly sounds like a man who deserves more than just the few sentences devoted to him on Wikipedia.

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Top 10 Best Goalkeepers in the World 2015

In any football match, the goalkeeper’s role determines the fortune of the game. There are many goal-keepers across the globe who have made wonderful performances. Such individuals have played a great role towards the winning of their teams. The above are the best goalkeepers that have shown outstanding abilities.


10. Victor Valdés Arribas:

                                  

Victor is a Spanish footballer who is currently the goalkeeper of Manchester United; an English football club, where he joined in January 2015. He played for F.C. Barcelona in La Liga for quite some time. He is considered to be one of the best in the history of the club, having appeared in over 500 official games for the club and won about 21 major titles, including 3 UEFA Champions League championships and 6 La Liga titles. He has also won the highly coveted Zamora Trophy 5 times.

9. David De Gea Quintana:

                                                         

 

This is another Spanish professional footballer, currently the goalkeeper for Manchester United and the Spanish national team. He started his career with Atlatico Madrid where he rose through the club’s academy system before his senior debut which was in 2009. He was made the first-choice Atletico’s goalkeeper and helped the team to win both the UEFA Super Cup and the UEFA League in 2010. His performance is what caught the attention of his current club, Manchester United, where he joined in June 2011. In 2013, he won one Premier League medal and made over 100 appearances.

8. Diego López Rodriguez:
                                   

He is a Spanish footballer who is currently the goalkeeper for A.C. Milan; an Italian club. He played for Real Madrid for 7 years under contract, which added to his professional football portfolio in La Liga. During this time, he appeared in 230 official games for 5 consecutive seasons.

7. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen:
                          

Stegen is a 21 years old German footballer who has created history in the game. He is the goalkeeper for the Spanish club; FC Barcelona where he joined in 2014. After 4 seasons in the Bundesliga, he made 108 league appearances. In his first season (in Spain) he won the treble while playing for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League and COPA del Rey.

6. Morgan De Sanctis:

                                                       

            

He is an Italian football player who is currently the goalkeeper for A.S Roma; an Italian football club. He played 6 matches for the Italian national team and was later included in squads for the EURO 2012, EURO 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World-Cup.

5. Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois:
                                        

He is a Belgian who plays for the Belgium national team and Chelsea club as a goalkeeper. He is a young, attractive and stout player ranking among the top 10 best football players. He won the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Ricardo Zamora Trophies. In 2011, Thibaut made his senior international debut. During the 2014 World-Cup, he played for Belgium. Courtois has so far earned more than 30 caps.

4. Petr Čech:

                               

             

He is a Czech professional footballer playing as a goalkeeper for the Czech-Republic National team and Chelsea football club. In the history of his country’s national team, Čech is the second most crowned player with 114 caps. He also represented his country at the FIFA World Cup in 2006 as well as the 2012, 2008 and 2004 European Championships. He received the best goalkeeper individual award in 2007-2008, 2006-2007 and 2004 -2005 UEFA Champions League seasons. He has given a consistent and continuous performance in the FA cup and Premier League.

3. Hugo Lloris:

                                  

This French professional footballer is the goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur club and is currently the France national team’s captain. He is a 3-time winner of the UNFP and ligue-1 “goalkeeper of the year” award. He is a great player who has shown exemplary performance especially in the world-cup games. He is known for good decision-making and speed.

2. Manuel Peter Neuer:
                                    

This is a German professional footballer playing as a goalkeeper for the German national team and Bayern Munich club. He is mainly known for his excellent shot-stopping abilities and quick reflexes. He has a great record of saving his club from defeats with his outstanding defense. He played for German in the 2014 world cup where his team won. He has also won the Golden Glove award.

1. Best Goalkeepers in the World – Gianluigi Buffon:
                                         

                                                  

He is an Italian goalkeeper playing for the Italy national team and is currently the captain of Juventus club. He is the most crowned player in the Italian national team’s history with 148 caps. He is considered the best goalkeeper in the world. He is known for his extra ordinary shot-stopping capabilities. He is also a vocal defense organizer. He is very sharp and eminent with his caliber. Buffon has been named the goalkeeper of the year in Serie for 9 times. He has also received the Yashin award, the UEFA-club “footballer of the year” award among others.

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