The Bravest Medal-Of-Honor Recipients Who The History Books Always Forget

As 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Vernon Baker captured five enemy emplacements in mountainous Viareggio, Italy. He is the only living Black soldier to receive a Medal of Honor. Though the events happened in 1945, Vernon didn’t receive this honor until 1997.

On August 9, 1918, Jake Allex’s platoon was under heavy fire from German soldiers. When his superiors were killed, Jake charged across the battlefield and killed the enemy gunners. He then bayonetted five soldiers, until his blade snapped. He then relied on his rifle butt at the end. In total, he captured 15 men.

Flying into Loc Ninh, Vietnam, Sergeant Roy Benavidez rescued eight soldiers from treacherous jungle conditions. Though Roy was shot, he continued his mission until he was satisfied that he found everyone who required evacuation.

As a turret gunner, Ross McGinnis had a better view of the Baghdad surroundings than the rest of his unit. When he noticed a grenade had entered his Humvee’s interior, Ross jumped on the grenade, absorbing its blast and saving the rest of his four-person team.

As William flew his B-17 aircraft in a February 1944 bombing run, his plane was attacked, injuring most of the crew, including William. The pilot dipped the plane sharply to put out the flames and then managed to crash land it in England.

During the Battle of the Bulge on December 26, 1944, James Hendrix was only 19 when he forced two German gunners into submission, forcing the Germans into surrendering. He also helped two soldiers trapped in crossfire, and another one in a burning vehicle — on the same day.

In World War II, Lt. Daniel Inouye sustained major injuries as he led his troops across a key 40-yard expanse. Daniel was shot by a sniper and his right hand was blown off by a grenade. Despite these wounds, his unit successfully captured the ridge.

Despite being wounded in both legs and arms, his chest, and his head, Robert led a charge against the Japanese army in 1945. He killed three soldiers, before falling down 60 feet down a hill. Robert then climbed back to the top to lead the charge against the enemy before being evacuated.

On September 29, 1918, Alan Eggers and John Latham rescued three American soldiers trapped in a tank. The group hid in trenches, firing on the enemy with a stolen gun. All of them escaped when night fell and survived the ordeal.

Charles Watters was an Army Chaplain who threw himself into enemy and friendly fire to rescue three stranded soldiers. Once he’d dragged them to safety, he was helping medics treat the men and give their last rites when he was mortally wounded.

On October 3, 2009, Combat Outpost (COP) Keating was manned by only 60 soldiers as the base prepared to close. Three hundred Taliban fighters decided to stage a surprise attack, and Ty Carter heroically charged across the battlefield four times to save soldiers and to grab a radio.

During the Civil War, Dr. Mary Walker served as a field surgeon for both sides of the army. Continually crossing dangerous territory was something most soldiers refused to do, but not Dr. Mary — even though she was captured as a POW by Confederate soldiers. She’s the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor.

When William Turner’s unit was fighting in the trenches during WWII, a small group of them were separated from the larger one. German soldiers, wielding machine guns, attacked them. In response, William took over five enemy trenches before being killed in action.

In the night, Charles Berry’s unit was flooded with Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima. Grenades flew into their foxhole in a surprise attack. Charles caught them and threw them back … until he missed. Saving the lives of numerous battalion members, he threw himself on the grenade.

In 1951, Junior Edwards charged up a hill, throwing grenades at the Japanese soldiers’ pillbox bases. He ran up and down the rough landscape three times, while being fired on by the enemy, to replenish his grenades. By the end of the fight, Junior succumbed to his injuries.

In 1953, most of Bryant Womack’s patrol was seriously injured, including Bryant, who served as a medic. He treated soldiers while under fire, even after a mortar missile blew off most of his arm. He died of his injuries on the battlefield.

During the Vietnam War, Matthew fought bravely to protect his troops. He rescued a trapped soldier, nearly losing his left hand in the process. When the enemy was setting up a machine gun, Matthew charged them, sustaining major injuries. He then leaned against a tree and continued shooting until he died.

In 1993, two Black Hawk helicopters were felled on the Horn of Africa. Randall Shughart and Gary Gordon gave their lives to save the four pilots trapped in their aircraft. This story inspired the film Black Hawk Down.

Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, medic for the 101st Airborne Division Kenneth Kays’ unit was ambushed by enemy forces. Kenneth lost a chunk of his leg while treating wounded soldiers and still rushed onto the battlefield to save soldiers.

In Afghanistan, Ryan Pitts was on observation duty when 200 soldiers attacked the outpost. Ryan was hit by shrapnel and fired on the attackers with grenades and his rifle. His actions helped save the entire base from being taken. Heroes like Pitts are everywhere. In fact, you might not know that some huge celebrities served in the military.

The iconic Dirty Harry actor was in the army before he ever set foot in front of a camera. He was working as a lifeguard in Fort Ord in California, when he was involved in a plane crash, resulting in a medical discharge.

The golden voiced performer joined the Air Force as a radar technician in 1955 and served for over three years before he left to pursue a career in Hollywood. After multiple decades of working as an A-list actor, we’re pretty sure he made the right choice.

The legendary rapper-turned-actor from Law & Order: SVU served four years in the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry after enlisting right out of high school in 1979. He was released from the military on an honorable discharge.

Before the Food Network personality was whipping up her famous peanut butter cookies, Sunny Anderson was a radio broadcaster in the Air Force, serving in South Korea and later in Texas. She used her broadcasting experience as a springboard for a career in media.

The famous comedian made a career out of his hilarious straight-talking, highly-opinionated routines, so it’s no surprise that after serving three years of service in the Air Force, George Carlin was discharged for poor conduct.

The iconic father of psychedelic rock and roll enlisted in the army in 1961, serving in the 101st Airborne Division. He was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky for just a year before he was discharged because of an injury.