Navy Ensign John Joseph Parle risked his own life to save a ship and ensure a successful Allied amphibious invasion of Sicily in 1943. 

For his heroic service as an infantry officer during the Allied invasion of Sicily, Second Lieutenant Robert Craig was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 11, 1943.

George Benton Turner joined the US Marine Corps in 1918, but World War I ended before he shipped overseas. When World War II broke out, Turner, now in his early 40s, once again volunteered to fight for his country, this time enlisting in the US Army in October 1942.

Jewish Americans like Isadore S. Jachman contributed greatly to the American war effort in World War II, risking—and sacrificing—everything in the struggle against fascism.

Benjamin Salomon, a Jewish American dental officer in the Army, made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of his patients and fellow soldiers in World War II. Almost 60 years after his death in the Pacific, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. 

Decades after his death, Mikio Hasemoto’s Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. A second-generation Japanese American serving in the segregated 100th Infantry Battalion, Hasemoto’s sacrifice was one of many initially overlooked because of race.

A first-generation American of Lebanese descent, James Jabara was intent on being a fighter pilot. Soon, the five foot five airman would make US military aviation history.

Robert D. Booker was born on July 11, 1920, in Callaway, Nebraska, where he joined the US Army in June 1942. After basic training, Private Booker was assigned to the 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, and sent to Africa.

World War II saw more women serving than any conflict in history. Many Americans know about their own women’s organizations, such as the Women’s Army Corps. Across the pond in England, many women served in the WRNS, or the Women’s Royal Navy Service.

After a difficult adjustment to the discipline of Army life, James I. Spurrier Jr. deployed to the South Pacific as an infantry soldier. Returning to combat duty after being wounded in New Guinea, he joined the 35th Infantry Division, landing in Normandy on D+1. Excellent in combat, his lack of discipline led to his assignment as a company runner rather than a squad leader. This enabled him to fight on his own, which was his preference.

Born in the Appalachian Mountains on May 1, 1918, in Cherry Grove, West Virginia, T/Sgt. Clinton Hedrick enlisted in the US Army in September 1940 in Columbus, Ohio, before America’s entry into the war.

Jack Mathis was born the second of three children in San Angelo, Texas, on September 25, 1921.