When American troops lay pinned on the bloody sands of Leyte, Captain Francis B. Wai rose alone and led them forward—unarmed, exposed, and utterly fearless.
Cut off on a wooded ridge in France, Staff Sergeant Robert Kuroda fought his way through two machine gun nests alone—refusing to stop until the last gun fell silent.
When fire erupted deep inside the USS Trenton’s forward gun mount, Boatswain’s Mate First Class George Cholister didn’t run from the flames—he ran straight into them.
Hook Line When fire swept through the forward turret of the USS Trenton, Ensign Henry Clay Drexler didn’t hesitate—he charged into the blaze to save his men.
When his platoon was forced to fall back under crushing fire near Kumson, Korea, Sergeant Jack Weinstein stayed behind — alone, outnumbered, and unwilling to yield an inch.
On the killing ground they called “Suicide Hill,” Private Barney Hajiro rose into enemy fire—charging alone, shouting encouragement, and turning certain death into victory.
When his company was overrun and the line began to crumble, Sergeant Max Thompson stood alone—fighting tanks, machine guns, and an entire battalion with nothing but grit and fire.
