Real Heroes #11

In November 1942, Colonel "Nick" Craw volunteers to deliver a critical letter from President Roosevelt to French commanders in North Africa, hoping to prevent bloodshed during the Allied invasion. Racing through shellfire and confusion off the coast of Morocco, Craw undertakes a dangerous mission that tests both his courage and his lifelong conviction that a soldier's place is in the fight. This is the true story of a man whose final act of service would earn him a place in American military history.

When Nazi forces invade Greece in 1941, General Manoli Mandakas refuses to flee with his king—instead, he stays behind to lead a fierce guerrilla resistance from the mountains of Crete. Drawing on a lifetime of military skill and an unshakeable commitment to his country, Mandakas rallies his fighters, the Pallikarias, to wage a desperate campaign against overwhelming odds, sabotaging supply lines and holding ground even as the Nazis tighten their grip. This is the true story of a soldier who chose liberty over safety, and the Greek patriots who stood with him.

When a flaming U.S. Army plane crashes near a remote California ranch in 1943, nine-year-old Marylynn Winckler doesn't hesitate—she hikes five miles to the crash site to help the injured airmen. With nothing but resourcefulness and courage, she tends to Staff Sergeant Bob Edelman and Private Bob Nengel, building fires to keep them warm, gathering water, and fashioning stretchers from branches to aid in their rescue. This true story captures one girl's quick thinking and determination to save lives in a moment when every second counts.

Wild Jack Howard has spent his life chasing adventure—from the merchant marine to ranching in Australia—but when war comes to Europe, his expertise in chemistry and explosives makes him invaluable as a liaison officer in France. As the German army closes in on Paris in 1940, Howard takes on a dangerous mission to rescue French scientists and secure vital assets for the war effort, even as the enemy hunts him relentlessly across the French coast.

During the Nazi occupation of France, French resistance workers pose as laborers at a submarine base, planning a daring scheme to seize a newly constructed U-boat before the Germans can claim it. When the moment of launch arrives, these hidden operatives reveal their true identities as submarine officers and make their escape, delivering the vessel to the Allied fleet. It's a thrilling true account of how French courage and quick thinking turned the tables on their occupiers.

In 1872, the legendary fossil hunter Edward D. Cope assembles an expedition to investigate prehistoric remains discovered in Wyoming's treacherous badlands, braving both harsh desert conditions and encounters with indigenous peoples to pursue his scientific mission. As Cope's determined team digs through rock formations day after day, they finally uncover a remarkable fossil skeleton—the "Emperor of the Dawn Age"—that reveals the secrets of creatures that roamed the earth fifty million years ago. This thrilling tale captures the real-world adventure of a pioneering paleontologist and the perilous journey to unlock prehistory's mysteries.

When the Flying Fortress "Phyllis" leads a bombing run on a Nazi aircraft factory in occupied France, she and her crew face relentless enemy fighter attacks that cripple her engines and damage her controls—but this bomber refuses to go down without a fight. As the gunners battle back and the pilot struggles to keep the wounded plane airborne long enough to reach the English coast, every crew member must dig deep to survive.

Four airmen from a Royal Canadian Air Force patrol over Nova Scotia must bail out over the frozen North Atlantic when their fuel runs dangerously low, landing scattered across ice floes in brutal conditions. With minimal supplies and one man nursing a broken leg, Squadron Leader Richardson, Pilot Officer Wilson, Dobson, and Barrette face a desperate five-day struggle against the elements while hoping their carrier pigeons reach base with their position. A gripping true account of survival against the unforgiving Arctic sea.

John Colter joins Lewis and Clark's legendary expedition west in 1803, and after helping explore the untamed frontier—including becoming the first white man to reach Yellowstone—he stays behind to trap beaver in the dangerous wilderness. When a harrowing encounter with Blackfeet warriors forces him into a desperate race for survival, Colter must rely on his wits and determination to reach the safety of Manuel Lisa's trading fort.

A young French captain uses cunning and disguise to escape Nazi-occupied France and eventually joins General de Gaulle's Free French forces in Africa, where he takes the assumed name Jacques Le Clerc to protect his family back home. Under his command, Le Clerc leads daring raids across the North African desert that harass Axis forces so effectively they're forced to weaken their main front, earning him the fearsome reputation as the "Desert Phantom." As the tide of war turns, Le Clerc's growing army prepares to carry the fight all the way to Europe.