12 Photos Of Historical War Heroes

Even though Hawaii wasn’t a state during the Korean War, this didn’t stop residents of the islands from signing up to fight for the US. One of the most lauded of such men was Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano. After enlisting in the army, he fought on the front lines.

He showed particular valor during the Battle of Chup'a-ri. After ordering his men to fall back, he proceeded to gather ammunition and grenades, which he used against his North Korean opponents. Determined not to give an inch, Kaho’ohanohano even went so far as to fight with a shovel. 

Ultimately he was slain, but he managed to take out a surprising number of the enemy before succumbing. For these actions, he posthumously received the Distinguished Service Cross. Several decades later, President Barack Obama also presented the Medal of Honor to Kaho’ohanohano's sister and brother.

Henry Johnson was one of the most extraordinary American soldiers in WWI. Even though he endured much discrimination in the years leading up to his service, he immediately joined the US Army when old enough. He went on to perform a remarkable act of heroism, defending his comrades from oncoming Germans. He even went so far as to engage in hand-to-hand combat, all in the act of helping someone else. 

The Germans were so intimidated by Johnson's fierceness and fighting prowess that they actually retreated. He would subsequently become known as “Black Death,” though he frequently averred he wasn’t a hero. Nevertheless, his valor was widely celebrated both in France and the US, where no less than former President Theodore Roosevelt would sing his praises, calling him one of the five bravest Americans to serve in WWI.

Unfortunately, the widespread racism of the time kept Johnson from receiving the benefits and compensation he should have received. This literally added insult to injury, as the chronic pain and disability from his battle wounds made it hard for him to find and keep a job. His wife and children left him, and he passed alone in July 1929.

Soldiers and generals often command the lion’s share of attention when it comes to deeds of valor, but it's also important - and necessary - to acknowledge and honor civilians. One such was Renée Lemaire, a Belgian woman who exhibited extraordinary bravery during WWII until her passing at the age of 30.

She worked tirelessly as a nurse to save the lives of the Allied men who came under her care. However, that ended on Christmas Eve 1944, when German bombers struck the field hospital at which she was working. It remains unclear if she perished moving others to safety, or if she was killed instantly. What isn’t in doubt is her posthumous memory; she has since come to be called the “Angel of Bastogne.”

Some of the most famous and brave people are those who carry weapons onto the battlefield and into enemy fire. Also among the bravest are those who don’t carry weapons. Such was the case with US Army Corporal Desmond Doss, who has the distinction of being the first person to earn a Medal of Honor despite being a conscientious objector. 

Doss was a Seventh-day Adventist, and his faith profoundly impacted his views of armed conflict. Although basic training was a harsh experience for him - and he endured much ridicule from his fellow soldiers - the medic more than proved his valor in the Pacific Theater, where he was known to race into the middle of enemy fire to treat his comrades. 

He was particularly brave at Okinawa, where he saved dozens of soldiers through his selflessness. In early May 1945, Doss refused orders to retreat until he had rescued all injured men, despite being injured himself. He later received the Medal of Honor by US President Harry Truman.

War is a violent and ugly thing, and far too often those who are bravest end up paying the ultimate price. This was true for Edith Cavell, a British nurse during WWI who repeatedly put her own life at risk while serving in German-occupied Belgium. In particular, she was vital in helping many French, British, and Belgian soldiers escape the occupied country, often into the neutral Netherlands.

Cavell did all this at extreme risk to herself. In fact, after the Germans discovered her activities, they imprisoned her. She was later tried and executed by firing squad, an action which, while technically legal, nevertheless caused moral outrage worldwide, particularly in the UK and US. Her image and her sacrifice became a recruitment tool and an inspiration to many others.

Although WWI might not have achieved quite the place in the American psyche as WWII, it still produced a number of notable heroes, including Alvin York. At first he sought exemption on the basis of religious grounds, but once he enlisted in the US Army, he became one of the most celebrated soldiers of the conflict. Among other things, he captured more than 100 German soldiers. It turned out his skills as a sharpshooter (learned in his native Tennessee) were invaluable in combat.

Unsurprisingly, York received a number of medals and awards for his meritorious service, including the Medal of Honor. Though he largely stayed out of the spotlight after returning to the US, he did finally give ravenous Hollywood studios a chance to tell his life story, which emerged in the film Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper.

He passed at 76 in 1964 in his home state of Tennessee.