Real Heroes #6

Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley leads daring PT boat raids in the Philippines, including a high-stakes mission to disrupt Japanese forces in Subic Bay. After a harrowing escape from Bataan, he pilots General MacArthur’s small party across enemy-infested waters in a race to reach safety in Australia, navigating mines, gunfire, and treacherous seas.

In 1776, Major Francis Marion leads a desperate defense of Sullivan’s Island against a vastly superior British force, relying on a palmetto log fort and limited supplies. With dwindling powder and no reinforcements, he orchestrates a daring mission to retrieve ammunition from a captured schooner, turning the tide in Charleston’s favor.

General Draja Mihailovich leads the Chetniks, a Yugoslavian guerrilla army determined to resist Nazi occupation, as his forces grow from scattered fighters into a formidable force of over 150,000. Through daring sabotage, intelligence operations, and unwavering defiance, he keeps the spirit of resistance alive across the country, even as the Nazis retaliate with brutal reprisals.

Lou Gehrig's remarkable career is chronicled through key moments: his early success at Columbia University, his rise with the Yankees, and his record-setting 2,130-game streak. Despite injuries and mounting health issues, he remained a dedicated player and team leader until his final season, when his performance began to falter. The story highlights his resilience, love for the game, and quiet dignity as he faces the end of his playing days.

A Royal Air Force Beaufort bomber crashes into the North Sea after engine trouble, but the crew escapes into a rubber dinghy—along with Winkie, their carrier pigeon. Winkie flies over 200 miles to her home loft in Dundee, Scotland, where her arrival triggers a rescue mission that locates the stranded crew.

In a Nazi-occupied village during World War II, a young woman known only as Tanya leads a daring sabotage mission to destroy a critical supply train. Captured after setting off explosions that ignite the enemy’s fuel depot, she endures brutal interrogation and freezing conditions but refuses to betray her comrades. Her silence and sacrifice enable the guerilla resistance to succeed, leaving her fate unknown but her courage a symbol of the unbroken spirit of the Russian people.

Lieutenant T. H. Moorer and his crew survive a harrowing attack by Japanese bombers and are stranded on a lonely island after their ship sinks. With no food and dwindling hope, Moorer devises a desperate plan to signal for help by creating a massive S.O.S. in the sand.

Morris Frank, a blind student at Vanderbilt University, is inspired by a magazine article about guide dogs in Switzerland and resolves to bring the idea to America. After traveling to Switzerland to train with a guide dog named Buddy, he returns to the U.S. determined to prove that blind people can achieve independence with the help of trained dogs.

Commander Ellsberg leads a daring effort to raise the sunken U.S. submarine S-51 after a 1925 collision, facing relentless challenges from underwater repairs, a trapped diver, a storm, and a dangerously rolled hull. With ingenuity and courage, he oversees the complex operation to attach pontoons, navigate shifting wreckage, and withstand violent seas. The story follows the team’s grueling months of perseverance as they work to bring the submarine back to the surface and tow it to safety.

In wartime China, young boys aged five to ten play a vital role in undermining Japanese forces through clever sabotage and intelligence gathering, using their small size and stealth to outwit the enemy. From cutting telephone wires to warning guerrilla fighters of hidden ammunition, their actions—though seemingly small—have significant impact. The story highlights their bravery and resourcefulness, showing how even children contribute to the war effort in ways that keep the enemy off guard.

General George Custer leads a small force in a desperate defense against a vastly outnumbered Native American coalition on the Little Bighorn, making a fateful decision to attack despite overwhelming odds. As reinforcements fail to arrive, Custer and his men fight on, their final stand marked by bravery and sacrifice.

Squadron Leader L.J. Birchall and his R.C.A.F. patrol spot a large Japanese fleet in the Indian Ocean, immediately alerting Ceylon base to a looming attack. As they keep the enemy in sight, Allied fighters scramble to intercept, turning back the Japanese air assault—though the fate of Birchall’s crew remains unknown.