A Brief History
On May 7, 1429, Joan of Arc, The Maid of Orleans, pulled an arrow out of her own shoulder and went back to fighting, leading the final charge that lifted the Siege of Orleans. Some warriors are like that, they get wounded and care more about getting the job done than taking care of themselves. Almost all of US Medal of Honor winners qualify in this way, but we would like to present a variety of special warriors from various times and places. Here we list 10 such brave fighters.
Digging Deeper
10. Manfred von Richthofen, 1918.
Suffering a serious head wound in 1917 and undergoing several surgeries, The Red Baron, as he was called, insisted on returning to duty in spite of reluctance on the part of German headquarters to risk losing a national hero. The greatest fighter ace of World War I returned to combat while still suffering the effects of the head injury, and Richthofen was shot with a single bullet into his chest during a mission, damaging his heart and lungs. With a wound that would normally kill a man rather quickly, Richthofen somehow managed to land his plane intact, only to die in the cockpit when approached by allied soldiers.
9. Andrew Jackson, 1806.
The warrior known as “Old Hickory” earned his nickname by fighting in several wars, starting with the American revolution when he served as a courier. Receiving wounds from a British sword at age 13, he bore the scars as a reminder of that war. Jackson went on to fight numerous campaigns against Native-Americans and is famous for winning the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 during the War of 1812. In 1806 Jackson fought a duel against an expert duelist who fired first, striking Jackson in the chest. With a bullet next to his heart that could never be removed, Jackson shot and killed his opponent. Incredibly, Jackson was berated for his intrepid act of calmly killing his foe after such a wound, accused of cold blooded murder! What his critics thought of the guy that shot Andy in the chest first is unknown. Jackson served as President from 1829-1837.
8. Milunka Savic, 1914-1918.
Taking her brother’s place in the Serbian army at the outset of World War I, Savic had already been a veteran of the First Balkan War in which she had been wounded. Fighting through the war with heroics fit for a superhero, (super heroine), Savic was wounded a total of 9 times and kept coming back.
7. Yogendra Yadav, 1999.
During conflict with Pakistan this Indian mountain soldier led his unit up a cliff, fastening ropes so they could climb behind him. Taking heavy fire from bunkers at the top, Yadav was hit with 3 bullets but finished his job with the ropes. He took out the first bunker himself by charging into the direct fire of the enemy and throwing a grenade in, and then took out a second bunker, again alone, killing all 4 Pakistanis in hand to hand combat. He survived his 10+ wounds.
6. Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1805.
Britain’s greatest naval hero, Nelson lost an eye in battle and did not retire, lost an arm in battle and did not retire, and was wounded in the forehead at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and kept fighting. Finally, kind of a physical wreck, Nelson was in the thick of battle at Trafalgar in 1805 when he was shot through the spine. When being carried below, he stopped to give instructions to the helmsman and tried to direct the battle from below decks, but succumbed to his wound, saying “God and Country” as his last words.
5. John Kerry, 1968, 1969.
John Kerry, former US senator and current secretary of state volunteered for service in Viet Nam at a time when many young men were trying to avoid the draft (such as Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich and George W. Bush). Serving on “Swift Boats” (small patrol boats) in Viet Nam, Kerry was wounded in 1968 in the arm, but returned to combat when healed. In an action in 1969 his boat was hit by an RPG rocket and Kerry was again wounded with shrapnel, this time refusing to be evacuated. Eight days later Kerry was decorated for chasing down a Viet Cong fighter and personally killing him, even though he still carried the shrapnel in his leg. Two weeks later Kerry was wounded a 3rd time, with shrapnel in the buttocks, and when his boat was rocked by a mine Kerry injured his arm when he fell on the deck. Despite the minor wound in the buttocks and the injured arm, Kerry jumped overboard to rescue a man from the water.
4. Douglas Bader, 1939.
Despite having lost both legs in an airplane crash before the war, Bader returned to service as a fighter pilot in the RAF, likely the only one with no legs. He went on to shoot down 20 confirmed enemy planes, as well as sharing in 4 more kills and 6 more “probables.” When Bader was shot down (possibly by “friendly fire”) he was captured by the Germans and made several escape attempts, even without legs.
3. Roy Benavidez, 1968.
MSGT Benavidez did not hesitate when word came that 12 special forces troops were fighting for their lives against hundreds of North Vietnamese soldiers. Without time to grab a rifle, Benavidez grabbed a knife and hopped aboard the relief helicopter. Despite being wounded an incredible 37 separate times, Benavidez continued to carry and drag wounded soldiers to safety and lead the defense of the position, calling in air strikes and saving the lives of at least 8 men. When finally evacuated, thought to be dead, he was placed in a body bag, announcing his living status by spitting on the doctor! For his heroism Benavidez earned the Medal of Honor.
2. Joan of Arc, 1429.
As described above St. Joan (or Ste. Jeanne d’Arc in French) bravely disregarded a serious wound and led her side to victory. And please remember, she was a slight girl of 16 or 17 at the time! She also died bravely, preferring to be burned at the stake for heresy rather than pretend she was not what she claimed (a messenger of God).
1. Erich Gostl, 1944.
An SS machine gunner trying to repel the massive allied invasion of Normandy, France, Gostl was shot in the eye and wounded in the arm with shrapnel, but continued to fight. Gostl was shot in his other eye, and was blinded but continuing to shoot back, he was hit yet again in the face. Essentially fighting blind and without a face, Gostl actually survived and later earned a Doctorate in Law after the war. He was only 19 years old during the Normandy battle and died in 1990.
Question for students (and subscribers): Who would you nominate to this role of honor? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Howard, Jacquelyn M. and Robert C. Vallieres. Wounded Warriors: A Soldier’s Story of Healing through Birds. Potomac Books, 2014.
