New Heroic Comics #75

Sgt. Walter I. Ingalls, an Army combat correspondent covering Company F during the Korean conflict, finds himself thrust into unexpected combat when enemy forces suddenly attack the ridgeline. Disregarding his own safety, Ingalls volunteers to help his fellow soldiers and assists wounded comrades to safety. This is the true story of a newsman whose dedication to duty earned him the Silver Star for gallantry in action—believed to be the first such decoration awarded to an Army combat correspondent in Korea.

When an employee at a Toledo coal company slips into a water-filled pit and loses consciousness, James L. Vail, the company's vice president, witnesses the accident and pulls the man to safety. Realizing the Rescue Squad won't arrive in time, Vail draws on skills learned decades earlier as a Boy Scout to apply artificial respiration and restore a faint heartbeat. This heroic true-life story captures a moment when quick thinking and remembered training make the difference between life and death.

In July 1952, during the Korean War, a rifle company struggles to capture a heavily fortified enemy position until they discover a gully that might lead them up the ridge. When the men are pinned down by machine gun fire in the ravine, Corporal Ignacio Zaragoza of Los Angeles takes a stand with his recoilless rifle, laying down covering fire that turns the tide and allows his unit to push forward. This true-life account celebrates an act of courage under fire that earned Zaragoza the Silver Star.

Lt. John M. Gerber leads his platoon to a Korean hilltop to establish a defensive position protecting an advancing patrol, but when enemy fire pins down his men, he exposes himself to direct accurate artillery strikes against hidden fortifications. As withdrawal orders come through, Gerber stays behind to cover his soldiers' retreat, holding the line against an enemy assault until his platoon reaches safety.

Chaplain Captain George W. Williams, a Bronze Star veteran of World War II, carries his calling into the Korean War—refusing the safety of aid stations to minister to wounded soldiers under fire. When trapped troops and the injured find themselves cut off by a raging river with enemy forces closing in, Williams and a Medical Officer improvise a daring rescue, with the Chaplain staying behind to ensure every man makes it across safely. A true story of one soldier's unwavering commitment to those he served, earning him the Silver Star—though Williams counts his greatest reward in the lives he saved and the dying he comforted.

When a man rushes into a burning building in Washington, D.C., a 14-year-old named Cephas Vaughan ignores the warnings of those who tried before him and races through the flames after hearing a child's cry. Inside the inferno, Cephas discovers an unexpected rescue mission that tests his courage as smoke and heat threaten to overwhelm him. Based on a true story, "Alert Youth" captures the remarkable bravery of a young person who refused to stand by.

When an oil stove explodes in the middle of the night, 16-year-old Jane Krause must act fast to protect the two children in her care—racing against spreading flames to get them to safety. This true-life account from 1952 shows how quick thinking and courage can mean the difference between tragedy and survival when danger strikes without warning.

A Cleveland mailman named Fred Hatcher's routine delivery turns into a desperate rescue when he discovers a house fire with children trapped inside—and a locked bedroom door standing between them and safety. With quick thinking and courage, Hatcher springs into action to save the family, only to return the next day with an unexpected reminder of the chaos that almost cost him his job. A straightforward tale of an ordinary person doing what needed to be done when it mattered most.

When a truck driver named August Adamak arrives home unexpectedly in Milwaukee, he discovers his young son has fallen into a swollen creek—and only swift action and divine timing stand between tragedy and salvation. Racing against the clock, Adamak fights to save his child through desperate heroism and the grace of being in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment.

When a man named Alfred Pappalardo stops for cigarettes in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a stranger rushes up with an urgent plea—a boy has fallen into a nearby pond. Pappalardo springs into action, wading into the water despite sinking mud and deepening currents, swimming out to reach the drowning child before it's too late. A true account of quick thinking and courage that turns a chance encounter into a life-saving rescue.

When a convoy led by 1st Lt. Harold J. Coole comes under heavy enemy mortar fire near Chungsani, Korea, the lieutenant makes a desperate choice—racing back repeatedly into the chaos to move burning trucks to safety before the entire line is lost. As Coole works to complete his final rescue, enemy fire catches up with him, but his actions don't go unnoticed by those around him. This gritty 1952 war story captures one soldier's split-second decision to risk everything for his unit.

During the Korean War, Lt. Silver leads a truck carrying Marines and ammunition when the vehicle suddenly overturns, trapping several of his men beneath the wreckage and threatening to ignite the cargo. Working against the clock and the danger of explosion, he pulls trapped Marines to safety and organizes the uninjured to help extract the others. At an improvised casualty station, Silver provides critical first aid to the wounded leathernecks.

When his mother collapses, three-year-old Lewis Talmadge Glasson of Atlanta, Georgia sets aside childhood to do what needs to be done—using quick thinking and courage to help her through a crisis. This 1952 true-life story captures a remarkable moment of a young boy rising to the occasion when it matters most.

M/Sgt. Edward F. Sheehan faces an impossible choice when one of his wounded comrades is left behind enemy lines during a Korean engagement—does he follow orders to fall back, or risk everything to bring his man home? This true-life account captures the moment Sheehan disregards enemy fire to locate and evacuate the injured soldier, holding off enemy forces until the litter bearers reach safety. A gripping testament to courage under fire that earned him recognition for his selfless actions.