Home - Battlesight Zero

$0.00

Cart

No products in the cart.

Feature Stories

Holding the Line:

Marines Confront Abbey Gate Memories

Veterans of Operation Allies Refuge face the memories of the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Read here as Marines on the ground reveal what they saw and how it impacted them, providing insights far above and beyond the viral video clips and photos most Americans saw in the news.

The Illustrated Marine

Marines and their tattoos have a long and colorful history. From professional ink to barracks tattoos, from the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor to baby unicorns, read here how USMC tattoos and the policies that regulate them have evolved.

A Knife in a Gunfight:

The Marine Who Defied

All Odds in Vietnam

In April 1967, the "Walking Dead" endured another night of hell during their storied combat tour in Vietnam. One Marine's heroism stood out, and was finally recognized 52 years later. Read about the Marine who brought a knife to a gunfight... and won.

The Spirit of Basilone

Machine gunners take to Instagram to preach the belt-fed gospel. Read here about the medal one veteran created to recognize his peers.

The Spirit of Basilone

One-Man Stand

Tank mechanic Staff Sergeant Harold Riensche survived an epic one-man stand and earned the Navy Cross.

LZ Margo: Lest We Forget

Veterans of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines invited the Editor of BZO to their 50th anniversary reunion of the battle at LZ Margo.

LZ Margo: Lest We Forget

Read More Feature Stories

New designs on the store!

Check out our new shop, with your favorite old designs and products, plus more.

View the Shop Here

From the blog

David Brunotte

Brady Gustafson

George Van Orden

Stephen Pless

Read More Blog Posts

New BZO Gear

Tumblers and mugs for daily use.

new store image

USMC VETERAN OWNED AND OPERATED

Join our followers on social media!

@BZOHISTORY

@bzohistory is an account every one of you should be following. Tales of giants! Never any BS, just awesome, true stories!

@VELOCES

This may be my favorite account on Instagram. Goosebumps every time!

@brianmcewen24

A machine gunner with a broken rifle, left only wi

Four enemy soldiers yelled at Eli. He yelled back

Four enemy soldiers yelled at Eli. He yelled back as loud as he could until one of the soldiers kicked him. Another grabbed a stick and jabbed it into a large, bloody hole in Eli’s leg. Eli screamed louder. The soldier left the stick protruding from the wound, grabbed another, and stabbed into more open wounds.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“They were screaming at me and the only thing I could do was curse and holler, curse and holler... All the sudden, Stogner come in like a wild man and went to cuttin’. I don’t know how he did it. All I know? Out of four of ‘em, four of ‘em dead.”
___________________
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A Knife in a Gunfight
Tomorrow on BZO
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #machinegunner #0331 #vietnamwar #navycross #kabar

“Hey, you guys find any gooks that looked like t

“Hey, you guys find any gooks that looked like they were killed with a knife?”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Yeah, a couple over there looked like they were cut up pretty bad.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Van Meeteren walked in the direction they pointed. He spotted two booted feet sticking out from under a bush. He grabbed ahold of each ankle and pulled. No wounds revealed themselves as he dragged the body into the open. When the head appeared, Van Meeteren saw two long gashes across the soldier’s throat. He paused.
“My God. Stogner really did this.”
_________________
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A Knife in a Gunfight
2.1.2023
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #machinegunner #0331 #vietnamwar #navycross #kabar

There is a lot out there on Jim Stogner, but nothi

There is a lot out there on Jim Stogner, but nothing quite like this.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I first met Jim Stogner and Eli Fobbs several years ago, shortly after Jim received the Navy Cross 52 years after his heroic actions in Vietnam. The sensational story of Jim and his Kabar made headlines across the web. In the intervening months during the pandemic, I had the privilege of getting know several veterans from the Walking Dead who endured that night of hell on April 5, 1967. To us, it seems an unimaginable nightmare. To them, tragically, it proved just one more date they now remember with grief.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Based on hours of interviews with Jim, Eli, and several other Marines who were there, this story paints the picture of chaos that ensued that night, and the terrifying details leading up to Jim's actions rescuing his friend from captivity. I hope you'll take the time to read it. "A Knife in a Gunfight" is published in the February issue of Leatherneck magazine, and is coming to Battlesight Zero on 2/1. Stay tuned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #machinegunner #0331 #vietnamwar #navycross #kabar

In 1985, Eric Althen crafted a homemade "prison" t

In 1985, Eric Althen crafted a homemade "prison" tattoo machine from a toothbrush, bic pen, guitar string, and a motor extracted from a cassette player. The aspiring artist inked many a Marine in the barracks on Guam that year. To mop up the ink and blood, Althen sacrificed a pair of tighty whities to the cause.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"They were freshly laundered, at least..."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Read more about barracks ink and other USMC tattoos in the Illustrated Marine. Click the link in our bio for the full story!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #machinegunner #tattoo #barracks

Featuring @goons_____up @hamsamichrva @w_immel @v

Featuring @goons_____up @hamsamichrva @w_immel @vonstr8 @ericalthen @gmcmahon323 and more, The Illustrated Marine is published on BZO. From bulldog heads to baby unicorns, this story covers it all. Many of you reached out to help on this story of USMC tattoos, and a huge thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. Click the link in our bio or story to read the full article!

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #tattoo

My first article covering Vietnam vets, and still

My first article covering Vietnam vets, and still one of my favorites! You can read it on BZO website as well! Posted @withrepost • @mca_marines On this day in 1968, the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 26th Marine Regiments participated in Operation Meade River in Vietnam. Leatherneck staff writer, Kyle Watts, wrote an article in the 2017 Leatherneck magazine highlighting the Marines of 3/26. Read the article here: https://buff.ly/3FcXgZB #USMC #History #Marines #LeatherneckMagazine #USMC

Had the opportunity to attend the Commandant’s b

Had the opportunity to attend the Commandant’s birthday ball last night. It was great to be surrounded by Marines again! Semper Fi!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #usmc #marinecorps #marines #semperfi #semperfidelis #marinecorpsbirthday

I had never heard the story of Einar H. Ingman, Jr

I had never heard the story of Einar H. Ingman, Jr., until I met his daughter earlier this year in Quantico. Ingman was one of only 43 Korean War Medal of Honor recipients who survived to receive the medal. It is shocking he was included in that number.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
On Feb 26, 1951, Corporal Ingman served in the Army with Company E, 17th Infantry Regiment. Near the town of Malta-ri, he was among two squads of men tasked with assaulting a fortified ridge top. The patrol ran into a Chinese force dug in above them. When both squad leaders were wounded, Ingman combined the force and took command. Ingman single-handedly attacked a machine gun firing on his men, throwing a grenade into the emplacement and killing the entire crew with his rifle. While approaching a second machine gun position, a grenade explosion knocked him to the ground, ripping off most of his left ear. When he got back up, a Chinese soldier shot him in the face. Ingman was blinded in his left eye by the bullet, which exited his head behind his left ear. He ignored all of this and charged the machine gun, killing the crew with his bayonet. Shortly after, he fell unconscious.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingman regained consciousness 7 days later. Over a period of 2 years, he endured 24 operations, including emergency brain surgery. Miraculously, he survived. For his heroism, he received the Medal of Honor. His citation credited him with single-handedly forcing more than 100 Chinese troops to abandon their positions and enable his soldiers to capture their objective.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingman medically retired from the army in 1952. He spent 32 years as a mail clerk at a paper company in his home state of Wisconsin. His daughter, Mary, was one of 7 children. In 2003, Ingman suffered a debilitating stroke. Mary eventually became his primary care giver through the rest of his life, attending with him everything from Presidential Inaugurations to visits back to Korea. Ingman passed away in 2015 at the age of 85.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#battlesightzero #bzo #history #military #militaryhistory #veteran #veterans #america #army #usarmy #soldier #koreanwar #medalofhonor

Follow on Instagram

Do you have a story idea?

Or something you've always wanted to write about your service?

BZO can help. Send us a message with your idea to get the ball rolling. We will email you back ASAP.