Meet 6 Fearless World War II Heroes
World War II was one of the most transformative events of the 20th century. It was the largest war ever fought, with more than 50 nations and 100 million troops involved, and it reshaped geopolitics, resulting in the United States and Soviet Union emerging as major world powers leading into the Cold War. This far-reaching war also inspired new global peacekeeping efforts, including the creation of the United Nations, and it brought to light incredibly courageous acts of humanity from soldiers and civilians alike. Here are the stories of six daring heroes of the Second World War.
The Youngest American Soldier in WWII
Calvin L. Graham was the youngest U.S. military member during WWII, and is still the youngest recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. It wasn’t unusual for boys to lie about their age to enlist, but Graham was just 12 years old when he forged his mother’s signature and headed to Houston to enlist. The 125-pound, 5-foot-2 boy was miraculously cleared for naval service and assigned to the USS South Dakota as an anti-aircraft gunner.
On November 14, 1942, the South Dakota was ambushed by Japanese forces at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Graham was severely burned and thrown down three stories of the ship, but still mustered the strength to tend to his severely wounded shipmates. He was honored for his heroism, but when his mother found out about the honor, she informed the Navy of his real age and he was stripped of his medals and thrown into the brig for three months. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter learned of Graham’s story and restored his medals, except for his Purple Heart, which wasn’t restored until two years after Graham’s death.
Wojtek the Bear
Polish soldiers stationed in Iran during the war were met with great surprise when a shepherd traded them a Syrian brown bear cub for a Swiss army knife and some canned goods. The cub’s mother was likely killed by hunters, so the soldiers adopted him, giving him the name “Wojtek,” meaning “joyful warrior” in Polish — a title he soon lived up to. His caretaker, a soldier named Peter Prendys, taught the bear how to salute, wave, and march, and Wojtek became a great morale booster.
In 1944, Wojtek was given the rank of private and a serial number (pets were banned in the Polish army), and he shipped off to Italy with his unit. That May, the bear even joined combat during the Battle of Monte Cassino, carrying supplies to his fellow troops, according to witnesses. He was promoted to the rank of corporal for his bravery. After the war, Wojtek found his forever home at the Edinburgh Zoo in 1947. A bronze statue of the bear and Prendys still stands in downtown Edinburgh today.
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An “Angel in Fatigues”
Army Colonel Ruby Bradley of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps was working at Camp John Hay in the Philippines when she was taken prisoner by the Japanese army in 1941. She became a POW at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila — but she didn’t let it break her spirit. Bradley immediately went to work helping her fellow POWs by offering medical aid and smuggling food and medicine to those in need. She assisted on 230 major surgeries and delivered 13 babies during her 37 months at the camp. Bradley and her fellow nurses became known as the “Angels in Fatigues.”
In February 1945, the camp was finally liberated, and Bradley — who was malnourished from giving her food rations to children — went home. She continued her career in the Army, amassing 34 decorations, medals, and awards (including the Bronze Star Medal), making her one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history.
America’s First Black General
General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. faced racial discrimination from the very beginning of his military career. He was only the fourth Black cadet in the history of the United States Military Academy at West Point before joining the Army in 1936. After being stationed in Alabama, he received the opportunity of a lifetime: squadron commander of the first all-Black unit in the Army Air Forces. This unit of 1,000 Black pilots became known as the Tuskegee Airmen, renowned for their exceptional achievements in combat despite the discrimination they faced.
Davis led the 99th Fighter Squadron during their 1943 deployment against Axis forces in North Africa, and later that year, he commanded the 332nd Fighter Group to fight on the front lines in Italy. During his two-year command of the Tuskegee Airmen, Davis and his crew sank more than 40 enemy ships and downed more than twice the number of aircraft they lost, earning them a reputation as a formidable fighting squadron. Their impressive record wasn’t just a message to the enemy; it broke racial barriers at home, furthering the fight for desegregation and equal rights. Davis had a life of public service and was promoted to four-star general by President Bill Clinton in 1998.
The First Female Asian American Officer
For Navy Lieutenant Susan Ahn Cuddy, entry into military service was personal. Her father, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, died while imprisoned by the Japanese in 1938. He was incarcerated for anti-Japanese activism as a known leader for the Korean independence movement. Despite growing anti-Asian sentiments during WWII, Cuddy wanted to honor her father and fight against the Japanese, so she enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942. She was the first female Asian American naval officer and eventually became the first female gunnery officer, training pilots to fire a .50-caliber machine gun. She later worked with codebreakers at the Naval Intelligence Office while using her knowledge of the Korean language. Even there, Cuddy faced discrimination — one of her superiors wouldn’t let her access classified documents. After the war, Cuddy worked at the National Security Agency during the Cold War. She died peacefully in her sleep in 2015 at the age of 100.
A Civilian Dockyard Worker at Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, George Walters, a crane operator at the Pearl Harbor dockyard in Hawaii, awoke to a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces. Walters ran to a massive crane next to the USS Pennsylvania and began moving it back and forth on its track to shield the ship from an onslaught of rounds from Japanese fighters and dive bombers. He even attempted to knock planes out of the sky with the boom. The protected gunners onboard the Pennsylvania were able to return fire. Later, a bomb exploded on the dock next to Walter’s crane, knocking him out of the fight. He survived with a concussion, and it’s believed that his actions helped save the ship from certain destruction. The story of Walters’ heroism was featured in Walter Lord’s 1957 book “Day of Infamy.” Walters continued to work at the shipyard for 25 years following the attack. Lewis Walters, George’s son, was a young shipyard apprentice at the time who witnessed his father’s bravery firsthand.
