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¸é²¹¾±²õ±ð»åÌýin Pratt City, Gunner's Mate 1st Class Osmond Kelly Ingram had served in the U.S. Navy for 14 years when he leapt into action to save the USS Cassin from a German torpedo in 1917. Although the destroyer had maneuvered to avoid being hit, IngramÌýknew it could hit depth chargesÌýat one end of the shipÌýandÌýtried to release the charges,Ìýbut was killed in the resulting explosion. He was the first enlisted man in the U.S. Navy to die in World War I. Ingram received theÌýMedal of Honor and had a destroyer, the USS Osmond Ingram, named for him.

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Juneau's own Marine Col. Archie Van Winkle first served in World War II, but it was his actions in the Korean War that earned himÌýthe Medal of HonorÌýforÌý"conspicuous gallantry."ÌýA platoon sergeant at the time, Van Winkle defended his squad against a large number of Chinese soldiers,Ìýsometimes charging them by himselfÌýamid automatic weapon fire and grenade blasts. Despite being seriously wounded in the battle, he survived and eventually retired from the Marines in 1974; he died onÌýMayÌý22, 1986, in his home state.

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A Winslow native, Jay Vargas was serving as a captain in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War when heÌýled his platoon to aid others under fire. He was wounded three times while leading troops in this battle and remained at the fore. When his battalion commander was hit, Vargas carried the man to safety while continuing to defend the battalion. Vargas requested that his recently deceased mother's name be engraved on his Medal of HonorÌýinstead of his own name.

Nathan Green Gordon, a Morrilton native, was a Navy pilot in World War II. In Feb.Ìý1944, he carried out a dangerous mission to rescue pilots lost near Papua New Guinea. HeÌýlanded his bulky seaplane three times, with Japanese forces nearby, to rescue nine men, then went back for six others in difficult weather conditions. Gordon received the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. Green later went on to becomeÌýlieutenant governor of Arkansas for 20 years.

Chief Petty Officer John Finn was asleep asÌýJapanese planes approached Pearl Harbor.ÌýThe noise woke him, and he hurried to a nearby hangar where he leapt into action,Ìýdefending the base with a machine gunÌýfor two and a half hours. He sustained multiple serious injuries, but stayed at his post until it was safe to seek medical attention. The Los Angeles native received theÌýfirst Medal of Honor in World War II; in 2017, the NavyÌýnamed a destroyerÌýafter him.

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Enemy fire was heavy as 2nd Lt. Raymond Murphy, a Pueblo native,Ìýdirected evacuation teams to wounded soldiersÌýduring a 1953 Korean War assault. Murphy personally carried many fellow Marines to safety andÌýprovided cover fireÌýuntil everyone had safely evacuated. MurphyÌýreceived the Medal of HonorÌýas well as the Silver Star, among other decorations.

In 1969, Hartford native Airman 1st Class John Levitow was serving as aÌýloadmaster on an AC-47 gunshipÌýas it fired ammunition and dropped flares on Long Binh Post in Vietnam. Five hours into his mission, a mortar blasted through the plane and hit him and four others with shrapnel. One of the wounded men dropped a 27-pound lit flare inside the plane, dangerously close to explosive ammunition.ÌýLevitow managed to grab it while woundedÌýand throw it out of the plane with seconds to spare. He is one ofÌýonly two Air Force-enlisted men to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam (the other is Airman 1st Class WilliamÌýPitsenbarger of Piqua, Ohio). In 1998,Ìýthe Air Force namedÌýa C-17 Globemaster plane for Levitow.

Army Air Corps pilot George Welch was coming back from a late-night party at his base on Hawaii in 1941 when he saw the Japanese planes headed for Pearl Harbor. He and another pilot rushed to the airfield andÌýimmediately took off to defend the American fleet. In his career, the Wilmington native flew 348 combat missions andÌýreceived the Distinguished Service CrossÌýfor hisÌýactions at Pearl Harbor. His story is included in the 1970 film "Tora! Tora! Tora!"

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Dennis Bell was a Buffalo soldier—a member of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, which was made up entirely of African Americans. During the Spanish-American War, Bell embarked on a rescue mission to aid wounded colleagues in Tayabacoa, Cuba. Although some thought the mission impossible, Bell and his fellow soldiers successfully rescued the injured men. Bell received the Medal of Honor for his part in the mission.

Navy Lt. Clyde Lassen of Ft. Myers flew his helicopter in a nighttime rescue mission over Vietnam. Initially able to hover between treesÌýwith the help of flares, once the flares burned out, the helicopter collided with a tree. Lassen was still able to fly andÌýmade another attempt. The rescue was successfulÌýand he arrived back at the USS JouettÌýwith only five minutes' worth of fuel left. He received the Medal of Honor—the only Navy helicopter pilotÌýin Vietnam to receive it—and a Florida veterans' nursing home is named after him.

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Barrow County native Mildred Dalton ManningÌýwas part of a group of Army nurses known as the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor."ÌýShe, along with dozens of others, was taken prisoner by the Japanese in Philippines during World War II. Though sheÌýlost all her teeth from malnutrition,Ìýshe continued to work as a nurse, treating fellow POWs from 1942 to 1945. The Army awarded Manning and other nurses the Bronze Star for their service.

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In 1951, Pfc. Herbert Kailieha Pililaau left his hometown of Waianae after being drafted into the Army to serve in Korea. During theÌýBattle of Heartbreak Ridge, Pililaau's squad covered for retreating troops. With his ammunition and grenades all used up, Pililaau threw rocks at the enemy soldiers rather than surrender. When troops retook the hill and recovered Pililaau's body, they discovered he'd taken out 40 enemy soldiers by himself. Pililaau received a posthumous Medal of HonorÌýandÌýthe Navy named a ship for him in 2000.

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Army Pvt. Thomas Neibaur was on patrol just after his unit had helped secure Cote-de-Chatillon on Oct. 16, 1918, whenÌýhe encountered enemy fireÌýand sustained machine gun wounds to the leg. Neibaur, a Sharon native,Ìýkept defending his positionÌýand eventually captured 11 enemy soldiers. His Medal of Honor citation said that the enemy "counterattack in full force was arrested to a large extent byÌýthe single efforts of this soldier."

In 2008, Cpl. Joseph Lollino was serving with the Army in Afghanistan as a medic when his convoy came under fire. He drove into the line of fire and stayed there to treat four injured soldiers.ÌýThough hit by shrapnel himself, Lollino continued to treat others' wounds and got the casualties evacuated. For his actions, the Hoffman Estates nativeÌýreceived the Distinguished Service Cross.

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In 1967, Stephen Wayne of Fairmount was a first lieutenant teaming up with Maj. Robert Pardo to fly a mission near Hanoi, Vietnam. The two ended up making history with "Pardo's Push,"Ìýwhen a second aircraft took a critical blow from enemy fire. Though their plane was also damaged, Wayne and Pardo managed toÌýhook their plane to the other oneÌýand get both crafts to safety, whereÌýall four airmen could eject. WayneÌýreceived the Silver StarÌýfor his actions.

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In 1918, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edouard Izac found himselfÌýa prisoner of warÌýaboard a German U-90 submarine. Determined to share his observations and information about the submarine, he laterÌýescaped from a moving train, was recaptured, and escaped a second timeÌýto successfully share his information. The Cresco native retired as a senior lieutenant in 1921 and received theÌýMedal of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy, and the Cross of Montenegro.Ìý

Second Lt. Erwin Bleckley of Wichita was flying as an observerÌýas part of the 50th Aero SquadronÌýin OctoberÌý1918 when he received the mission toÌýsearch for The Lost Battalion. He and pilot 2nd Lt. Harold GoettlerÌýdropped crucial supplies to the battalionÌýbefore being shot down by enemy fire and killed. Bleckley isÌýone of just four airmenÌýto have received the Medal of Honor during World War I.

Bowling Green native Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester of the 617th Military Police Company National Guard unit made headlines back in 2011 when she earned the Silver Star—the first woman to receive it since World War II. She was protecting a convoy in Iraq—but not meant to be in direct combat—when an attack wounded three members of her team. SheÌýjoined her squad leader in defendingÌýthe group forÌýa 45-minute firefight, saving the entire team.

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From 1891 to 1932, New Orleans-raised Margaret Norvell rescued many people as a keeper with the U.S. Lighthouse Service, which later merged with the U.S. Coast Guard. When a naval airplane crashed in Lake Pontchartrain in 1926 in the middle of a squall,Ìýshe rowed a boat for two hours in the stormÌýto reach and recover the survivor. The Coast GuardÌýnamed a cutter in honor of herÌýin 2013.

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As the Japanese attacked the cruiser San Francisco during World War II, Lt. Cmdr. Herbert Schonland found that all his superior officers had died in the battle, andÌýhe was now in command. FacingÌýwaist-deep water inside the shipÌýand constant enemy fire, Schonland managed to bring the ship back to its port successfully. The Portland nativeÌýreceived the Medal of HonorÌýand later went on to become a rear admiral.

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A Marine staff sergeant in Korea, William Shuck took charge of a rifle squad during an assault on a heavily fortified enemy position. ThoughÌýseriously wounded himself, he continued to lead the attack until all the dead and wounded had been evacuated.ÌýA sniper killed ShuckÌýas he helped to move the last casualty. The Cumberland nativeÌýreceived a posthumous Medal of Honor.

During the Revolutionary WarÌýwomen weren't allowed to serve in the Army, but some found a way around the rules. One of the most famous was Deborah Sampson of Plympton,Ìýwho served in the Continental Army from 1781 to 1783Ìýwhile disguising herself as a man. She served as part ofÌýthe Light Infantry Troops, taking on risky missions. Wounded in the thigh,Ìýshe removed the bullet herselfÌýso a doctor would not discover her gender and prevent her from continuing to serve. In 1837, a congressional committee considering her husband's application for a military widower's pension could findÌýÌýfrom that war on the level of Sampson.

When his unarmed helicopter flew into a hostile area of Vietnam in 1967, Duane D. Hackney of Flint, a pararescueman,Ìývolunteered to go into the jungleÌýto find a downed soldier. As they loaded the rescued man onto the helicopter, HackneyÌýgave the man his own parachute. Just as Hackney located another, enemiesÌýfired atÌýthe helicopter, and HackneyÌýwas blown out the door. He managed to open the replacement parachute and survived to receive the Air Force Cross.

Lt. Col. Leo Thorsness of Walnut Grove saw muchÌýof Vietnam from above. The pilot of an F-105, he kept an eye on another crewÌýwho had to bail out of their planeÌýduring a fight in 1967 while continuing to attack enemy aircraft to keep them safe. He later spent six years as a prisoner of war. ThorsnessÌýreceived the Medal of HonorÌýfor his actions in the air.

Marcus Shook of Belmont was part of a B-17 crewÌýbringing supplies to the Polish during the Warsaw UprisingÌýin SeptemberÌý1944. Under heavy fire, their plane was destroyed, and Shook was wounded. Though he and another crewmate were able to parachute out, they became prisoners of war. The people of Lomianki, Poland, were so grateful for the aid Shook and his fellow Army Air Forces team had tried to bring thatÌýin 1993ÌýtheyÌýnamed the streets of their townÌýafter Shook and the other crew of that B-17 bomber.

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Born in the small town of Knox City, Laverne Parrish was serving as a medical aid man with the Army in the Philippines in 1945. During a battle, he pulled five wounded men to safety andÌýtreated 12 more while exposed to heavy enemy fire. AltogetherÌýhe treated 37 men over the course of the battle. He continued to give aid to the wounded until he was killed by a mortar shell.ÌýHe received the Medal of HonorÌýfor his actions.

Pfc. Donald Ruhl, a Marine from Columbus, fought at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor after braving gunfire and mortars to rescue a wounded soldier,Ìýcarrying him out of the line of fireÌýand 300 yards to an aid station. He died shielding fellow Marines from a grenade.ÌýA cemetery in WyomingÌýis named for him.

Charles Hagemeister trained as a battlefield medic in Vietnam. As he crawled through enemy fire in March 1967 to treat wounded soldiers, the Lincoln nativeÌýtook a rifle,Ìýand shot a sniper and three other enemy soldiers. He thenÌýevacuated the injured men. Hagemeister received the Medal of Honor.

Army Sgt. Jon Wright of Lovelock was protectingÌýbomb disposal technicians as they worked in Afghanistan on March 24, 2010, whenÌýsomeone threw a grenade at them. Wright scooped it up andÌýhurled it away before it exploded. His actions saved a nearby sergeant and earned him a Bronze Star.

Staff Sgt. Joseph Conlon of Manchester was fighting as part of an Army Special Forces unit in Vietnam in 1968. When enemy soldiers attacked a command post, Conlon defended the post andÌýrescued wounded soldiers, even shielding one from enemy fire with his own body. Because of rules regarding Special Forces soldiers, Conlon did notÌýreceive a Silver StarÌýin recognition of his efforts until 2011.

John Basilone, who grew up in Raritan, was serving as a Marine sergeant during the third month of the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942 when one of his heavy machine guns was severely damaged by enemy fire. Basilone not onlyÌýmaneuvered a new one into position,Ìýbut was able to repair the other, all while the battle raged around him. LaterÌýhe procured extra ammunition for his men by going past enemy lines. BasiloneÌýreceived both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. He later died at Iwo Jima.

Army Sgt. Louis R. Rocco was a long way from his native Albuquerque when he volunteered to help evacuate eight wounded South Vietnamese soldiers in May 1970. He defended his helicopter from enemy fire. When it crashed,Ìýhe pulled every survivor from the burning wreckage, despite sustaining serious wounds himself. Later promoted to chief warrant officer,ÌýRocco received the Medal of Honor in 1974.

While attacking a machine gun post near Varennes, France, in World War I, Cpl. Donald Call's tank took aÌýdirect hit from a high-explosive shell. As gas from the explosion filled the tank's interior, Call got out and took cover nearby. When he realized the officer who had been with him in the tank didn't follow, he returned to the tank,Ìýrescued the officer, and carried him a mile to safety while avoiding sniper fire. The New York City native received the Medal of Honor.

Born as a slaveÌýon Roanoke IslandÌýin 1880, Capt. Richard Etheridge became the first African AmericanÌýto command a life-saving stationÌýfor the Coast Guard. In 1896, he sailed into a severe storm with his men to rescue a grounded schooner, the E.S. Newman. Two of his surfmenÌýtied a rope ladderÌýto connect the E.S. Newman to shore and made 10 trips to get everyone aboard to land safely. Etheridge and his team received the Gold Lifesaving Medal. In 2018, the North Carolina Department of TransportationÌýnamed a bridge in his honor.

Born in Sentinel Butte, Staff Sgt. Jack J. PendletonÌýwas part of Company I, 3rd Battalion of the 120th Infantry Regiment, which arrived in Normandy in Europe on June 11, 1944. By OctoberÌýhe had arrived in Bardenberg, Germany. During the battle there, Pendleton led his unit toward an enemy position while ducking heavy enemy fire. Despite sustaining a serious leg wound, Pendleton crawled forward toward the enemy post andÌýdrew fire toward himself, enabling others to overpower the German position. He was killed in action and received the Medal of Honor posthumously. The ArmyÌýnamed a shipÌýin his honor.

You might recognize the ceremony where President Lyndon Johnson awarded Dayton's Sammy L. Davis the Medal of Honor—it's in the filmÌý"Forrest Gump"Ìýwith Tom Hanks' head superimposed over Davis. The Army private was serving in Vietnam,Ìýfighting under heavy fire, when he realized there were three wounded servicemen stranded across a river. Although he couldn't swim, Pfc. DavisÌýsailed an air mattress across to rescue the threeÌýwhile still dodging mortar fire. Davis was later promoted to sergeant.

Born near Medicine Park, Charles ChibittyÌýwasn't allowed to speak his native Comanche languageÌýat school. As a corporal in the Army during World War II, that same language—and those of other tribes—enabled Chibitty and other Native American code talkers to transmit information that saved livesÌýduring the Battle of the Bulge and other conflicts. Chibitty receivedÌýfive campaign battle stars as well as a cavalry officer's saber from his tribe. In 1999, the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes recognized him with theÌýKnowlton Award from the Military Intelligence Corps.

It made headlines around the world when Oregon National Guardsman Spc. Alek Skarlatos and two of his friendsÌýtackled and disabled a gunmanÌýin 2015 on a train from Amsterdam to Paris. While U.S. Air Force Airman Spencer Stone wrestled the gunman, Skarlatos grabbed the gun and used it to knock out the man. Skarlatos, a Roseburg native,Ìýreceived the Soldiers Medal for non-combat heroism. The incident has been made into a movie calledÌý"The 15:17 to Paris."

In FebruaryÌý1945, Army Air Forces Capt. Robert Trimble undertook a dangerous mission to rescue American prisoners of warÌýwhile sidestepping Soviet alliesÌýwho were obstructing all attempts to do so,Ìýsuspecting the POWs to be spies. The Camp Hill native, who had already completed 35 bombing runs over Germany, saved numerous POWs as well as at least 400 French women. He received the Bronze Star from the Americans andÌýthe Croix de Guerre from the French.

When Oliver Hazard Perry faced a British fleet on Lake Erie on Sept. 10, 1813, he was up against the best navy in the world. Though his ships were badly battered and many of his men wounded, PerryÌýfollowed his motto, "Don't Give Up The Ship,"Ìýand managed to break the British lines with courage.ÌýThe victory was a turning pointÌýfor the Americans in the War of 1812.ÌýThe South Kingstown nativeÌýwas promoted to captain after the battle.

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Navy SEAL Michael Thornton, born in Greenville, saved the life of his senior officer, Lt.ÌýThomasÌýR.ÌýNorrisÌýwhen an operation in Vietnam went wrong. Massively outnumbered,Ìýhe carried NorrisÌýto escape via water under heavy enemy fire,Ìýeven giving Norris his own life jacket. Thornton received many honors for his service, includingÌýthe Medal of Honor.

CalledÌýof World War I by Gen. John Pershing, Alvin York grew up in a log cabin in Pall Mall. York, famously portrayed by Gary Cooper in a 1941 film, faced fierce German machine-gun fire behind enemy lines with his small squad during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.ÌýAttacking alone, he managed to turn the tideÌýof the fighting and eventually captured 132 Germans and killed two dozen others. He receivedÌýthe Medal of Honor in 1919.

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Master Sgt. Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez had 16 years of military experience behind him when he jumped from a helicopter into heavy fire to helpÌýextract a Special Forces team in Vietnam.ÌýThough Benavidez sustained several wounds, he managed to take charge of the situation to get the survivors to an evacuation helicopter. For saving at least eight men and the classified information they carried, Benavidez received the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, andÌýthe Navy named a ship after him in 1999.

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As a Navy hospital corpsman, George Wahlen of West OgdenÌýtended to wounded men in the Pacific theaterÌýduring World War II. After sustaining an eye injury from a mortar shell, he continued toÌýtreat 14 wounded soldiers under constant fire. Later, he also kept treating people on the battlefield after shrapnel broke his leg. For his actions, heÌýreceived the Medal of Honor. After serving in the Navy during the war, Wahlen spent two decades in the Army.

TheÌýpride of Montpelier, Commodore George Dewey led the American fleet during the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War,Ìýsinking every opposing ship with no American deaths. The battle wasÌýone of two American naval victoriesÌýin the war. He later becameÌýadmiral of the Navy. A monument honoring him stands in San Francisco.

Not every hero fires a gun. Desmond Doss,Ìýwhose story was dramatizedÌýin the 2016 film "Hacksaw Ridge,"Ìýwas a conscientious objector who served as a medic and did not carry a weapon. He faced hostility from men who served with him in the Army, butÌýchanged their minds with his serviceÌýduring the Battle ofÌýOkinawa. The Lynchburg nativeÌýtreated serious battlefield injuries under constant enemy fire, even using a rifle stock as a splint at one point. Doss received the Medal of Honor in 1945.

Navy medical corpsman Robert Bush faced a struggle saving the lives of his fellow servicemenÌýatÌýthe Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The Tacoma nativeÌýbraved heavy fire to deliver plasmaÌýto a wounded Marine with one handÌýwhile at the same time returning fireÌýwith the other hand. He lost an eye due to injuries he sustained in the battle. HeÌýreceived the Medal of HonorÌýand the Robert E. Bush Naval HospitalÌýin California and the Bush Health Care Clinic in Okinawa are named for him.

You might know Chuck Yeager as a test pilot from the film "The Right Stuff."ÌýThe Myra nativeÌýearned a Bronze StarÌýfor a daring escape after being shot down flying over France in 1944. He eluded capture for more than three weeks. YeagerÌýturned up in Spain after 25 days, having also helped another injured airmanÌýon his way there. He later became the first pilot to flyÌýfaster than the speed of sound.

Kenneth Stumpf was leading his Army squad on a search and destroy mission in Duc Pho, Vietnam, whenÌýthree of his men were wounded.ÌýUnder heavy fire he made three runs to rescue the casualties, then destroyed a machine gun with hand grenades. The Neenah native received the Medal of Honor for his actions the next year in 1968.

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Casper native Maj. William AdamsÌýflew a helicopter for the ArmyÌýduring the Vietnam War. In May 1971, he wasÌýattempting to rescue three injured comradesÌýandÌýunder heavy fire, he picked up the wounded men. Adams' helicopter sustained serious damage. Although he attempted to land, the helicopter exploded, killing him. HeÌýreceived the Medal of HonorÌýposthumously for this rescue attempt.