Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz is an associate editor and content writer for Military.com. He previously worked for more than 30 years as a copy editor, writer and online producer for various newspapers. Stephen enjoys running, spending time with his girlfriend, Audrea, and dog, Holly, and rooting on his favorite sports teams, including his alma mater, LSU.

Email: stephen.ruiz@military.com.

Latest Articles

Prisoners of war in the German camp Stalag Luft III made golf balls from shoe leather and played on a rudimentary course.

How Airmen Started a Golf Club in the Nazi POW Camp Known for 'The Great Escape'

It began with one used golf club, sent to a British military pilot detained in a German POW camp during World War II...

Vincent Aiello’s first solo flight in a T-2 Buckeye occurred at Naval Air Station Meridian in Mississippi on Aug. 4, 1994.

What the Life of a Navy Fighter Pilot Really Looks Like

It never occurred to Vincent Aiello that he could join the military and become a pilot until an eye-opening conversation with...

From left, brothers Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan pose on board the USS Juneau.

The Gold Star Mom Who Rallied America After Losing 5 Sons During World War II

Despite the largest loss of life sustained by one family in the U.S. Navy's history, Alleta and Thomas were determined to...

Landing craft put troops ashore on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

What 'D-Day' Actually Stands For

What the "D" in D-Day actually stands for has been a source of debate almost from the time that the Allies first landed on...

Mel Brooks served as a corporal in the United States Army during World War II.

How Comic Legend Mel Brooks Defused Land Mines During World War II

Brooks participated in the Battle of the Bulge -- Germany's final major offensive on the Western Front -- but to his...

President Richard Nixon presents then-Capt. Robert Howard with the Medal of Honor during a March 2, 1971, ceremony at the White House.

This Vietnam War Legend Is the Only Soldier Nominated 3 Times for the Medal of Honor

Green Beret Robert Howard is the only one of the 3,547 Medal of Honor recipients to be nominated for the United States’ top...

Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield not only earned a Medal of Honor while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, but he also is responsible for the bugle call we know as taps.

Taps: How a Medal of Honor Recipient Gave America its Most Famous Military Bugle Call Ever

The central role that Daniel Butterfield played in taps was largely unknown until the late 19th century, only coming to light...

Jack Lummus, who was mortally wounded at Iwo Jima on March 8, 1945, is 1 of 2 NFL players to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

This NFL Player Lost Both Legs at Iwo Jima – and Rallied His Platoon to Keep Fighting

Jack Lummus' heroism dwarfed anything he did for the Giants in his short time with the franchise, but they never forgot his...

Shelton 'Ivan' Ware, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, retired as a lieutenant colonel after 32 years of military service.

How This 101-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman Helped Keep the 'Red Ball Express' Running During WWII

Nearly 75% of soldiers assigned to the Red Ball Express were Black, and collectively, they did yeoman's work until the...

Rudolph Pins (right) is shown with 2 other soldiers stationed at Fort Hunt, Virginia, during World War II.

The Army's Secret Program to Interrogate German POWs During World War II

From 1943 through 1946, more than 3,400 prisoners (including 15 Nazi generals) were processed at Fort Hunt, according to...

A KC135R Stratotanker from the 100th Aerial Refueling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, depicts nose art with a cartoon dog in a train called the ‘Wabash Cannonball.’

Aircraft, Flight Jackets and Pins: How Walt Disney's Characters Inspired Troops in WWII

During World War II, the company that has grown to become an entertainment, theme-park and merchandising empire today created...

B-17 Flying Fortresses fly over Hungary during World War II.

How a World War II Tail Gunner Survived a Midair Collision Without a Parachute

Sgt. James Raley's account came almost three months to the day after he improbably survived that fall from the skies over...

Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart lost his left eye and left hand, as well as part of his left ear, during World War I but continued on during his military career.

'The Unkillable Soldier' Who Kept Fighting Despite Losing an Eye and Hand in World War I

Carton de Wiart died in 1963 at the age of 83, but his exploits have inspired generations of service members in the United...

Marine Capt. Joe Foss is shown with his cigar beside his plane at his base somewhere in the South Pacific.

The WWII Fighter Ace and Medal of Honor Recipient Who Helped Give America the Super Bowl

When Joe Foss -- then the commissioner of the upstart AFL -- sent a letter to his NFL counterpart, Pete Rozelle, in December...

A fraudulent Medal of Honor was seized by the FBI in 1996 and is pictured on the right, next to a legitimate Medal of Honor.

The Medal of Honor Fraud Case that Took Stolen Valor to the Extreme

H.L.I. Lordship Industries of Long Island, New York, admitted to selling unauthorized versions of the Medal of Honor, the...

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Most Popular Military News

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth receives a coin

Hegseth Works Hard to Portray Himself as a Man of the Troops. They Might Not Be Buying It.

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Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colo.

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Nightclub where an immigration raid occurred in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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A live fire demonstration of the Army’s M10 Booker

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Capt. Matthew Lohmeier instructs a trainee

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Launch of hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

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