It Really Happened #3

When Colonel Evans F. Carlson leads a thousand specially trained Marine Raiders on a raid against Japanese-held Makin Island in August 1942, a chance discovery nearly ruins the surprise—but the unit's fierce combat discipline and unorthodox fighting spirit, forged through unconventional training and the Chinese military philosophy of *gung ho*, turns potential disaster into overwhelming victory. This true account traces how Carlson's observations of guerrilla tactics with China's 8th Route Army inspired him to build a radical new kind of fighting force, one where officers and men share hardships equally and soldiers understand the cause they're fighting for. From their first mission to their subsequent infiltration behind enemy lines at Guadalcanal, Carlson's Raiders prove themselves the deadliest unit in the Marine Corps.

Over four decades as a naturalist and explorer, Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews pursued creatures across the globe—but when the American Museum of Natural History sends him to Central Asia in search of ancient fossils, he discovers something far more thrilling than the massive whales that first made his career. From harrowing encounters with bandits in the Gobi Desert to the unearthing of prehistoric dinosaurs and their eggs in the "Flaming Cliffs," Andrews and his expedition uncover one of the world's greatest paleontological treasures. His groundbreaking work in the remote Mongolian wilderness convinces him that Central Asia may hold the key to understanding humanity's own ancient origins.

When German occupation forces order young Lithuanians to report for forced labor, Maria Melnikaite and her fellow resistance fighters strike back with improvised bombs, destroying the Gestapo headquarters and sparking a guerrilla campaign that makes her a symbol of defiance across the nation. As the Nazis escalate their hunt—posting a massive reward and massacring entire villages in retaliation—Maria leads daring raids against Nazi forces, outwitting her pursuers with cunning and courage even as the noose tightens around her and her comrades. This true account from *It Really Happened* #3 captures the extraordinary valor of Lithuania's resistance movement and the legendary "Maid of the Margiris" who refused to break.

Theodoric the Great, a Gothic prince returned from years as a Byzantine hostage, launches a westward campaign at the emperor's behest to reclaim Italy from the rival king Odoacer. Over four years of relentless pursuit and strategic maneuvering, Theodoric drives his opponent to negotiate a truce—but a betrayal forces a dramatic reckoning that reshapes the fate of Rome itself. What follows is a reign of sweeping reforms that transforms a war-torn empire into a land of opportunity and justice for its people.

When Lt. George Blair's fighter plane is shot down during a daring raid on Truk, one of Japan's strongest naval bases in the Pacific, he finds himself struggling for survival in the lagoon—dodging enemy fire and desperately hoping his fellow pilots can reach him before the Japanese do. This true account of wartime heroism showcases the split-second teamwork and courage that defined American air operations in 1944, as Blair's comrades risk everything to pull their man out of enemy waters.

A Swiss revolutionary-turned-strategist, General Antoine Henri Jomini rises from his idealistic fight for a unified Switzerland to become one of Napoleon's most brilliant military minds, shaping the decisive campaigns of the early 19th century. Torn between loyalty to France and his conscience as empires clash across Europe, Jomini navigates seventy years of warfare, from the heights of Austerlitz and Jena to the tragic fall of those he served. His story traces a soldier's struggle to apply military genius while watching the nations he fought for turn against each other.

In 1528, Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca sets out with Captain Narvaez on an expedition to find the legendary golden city of Apalache in the New World, but what begins as a quest for riches quickly becomes a desperate struggle for survival. As disease, starvation, and hostile lands decimate the expedition, de Vaca takes command of the dwindling group and leads them in building makeshift boats to escape the Florida coast. Four years of unimaginable hardship await the handful of survivors as they navigate the wilderness.