Military slang grew by leaps and bounds during the Vietnam War. Here are some terms worth knowing.

MILITARY
Did your state make the list of state most likely to endure an extraterrestrial encounter?
What do Julia Child, Paul Revere, and Harriet Tubman all have in common? Each played a crucial role in the clandestine world of espionage and intelligence.
From a now-regretted counter-counterculture anthem to an oft-misunderstood ’80s hit to the song that allegedly got its singer followed by the CIA.
History is teeming with unlikely heroes—these ones just happen to have feathers and fur.
We get this byword for enthusiasm from an officer in the Marines named Evans Fordyce Carlson.
The U.S. and USSR employed spies, quelled internal dissent, made allies abroad, and stockpiled nuclear weapons in this proxy war.
Civil War surgeons learned fast. Here are a few of the MacGyver-like medical solutions that have had a lasting impact.
The seven-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind M*A*S*H and Gosford Park, who would have turned 100 this year, changed how we watch—and hear—movies. He also tattooed Harry S. Truman’s dog.
Eugene Bullard survived some of the deadliest battles in history and became the world’s first Black fighter pilot—all before the age of 30.
We have the military to thank.
It has a little something to do with bees—a fact you can drop around the watercooler the next time your coworker says they spotted a mysterious drone in the sky.
You probably didn’t know about a few of these celebrity veterans who served the red, white, and blue.
Kurt Vonnegut and Oliver Stone have something in common: They both earned Purple Hearts. Discover other famous veterans have earned this venerated medal.
Are you having trouble falling asleep? Try the military method that helped Navy pilots fall asleep in under 120 seconds.
According to a medieval saga, the Norwegian “Well Man” might have been used as a biological weapon.
Even candy corn.
Uncle Sam is an easily recognizable piece of wartime propaganda. And legend says he was based off a real person—though that may not actually be the case.
The rare golden bracelet was probably given to a soldier as a reward for bravery as Roman armies invaded England.
The F-19 became the bestselling model plane of all time. Some feared it leaked some highly classified military secrets.
The most popular Chinese takeout dish in the U.S. is a sweet, spicy, saucy chicken entree named after a famous Hunanese general who actually preferred pork.
A fleet of warships is still running on 8-inch floppy disk power.