Through rain, fire, and the roaring waters of the Volturno, Captain Arlo Olson led from the front—one man against machine guns, grenades, and death itself.
When his platoon was pinned down by a fortress spitting grenades and bullets, Pfc. Michael Perkins crawled alone through the mud—knife in hand—and stormed it himself.
When the enemy stormed his outpost and the radio went dead, 2nd Lt. Sherrod Skinner refused to give ground—fighting on until his last breath to save his Marines.
When every gun around him fell silent, Platoon Sergeant Mitchell Paige kept firing—alone against an entire Japanese regiment—holding Guadalcanal by sheer will and steel.
For four relentless days in the frozen Vosges, Technical Sergeant Charles Coolidge stood his ground against an entire German company—and two tanks—armed with little more than grit, a jammed bazooka, and a handful of grenades.
When his bomber was torn apart over the South China Sea, Major Horace Carswell refused to abandon a wounded crewmate—he stayed at the controls and went down with his ship.
When a dying comrade cried out for water amid the thunder of machine guns, Sergeant William Sawelson didn’t hesitate — he crawled into the fire to bring him peace.
