True Comics #10

Major General Commandant Thomas Holcomb's rise through the Marine Corps spans decades of service shaped by his family's unbroken military legacy and his own devotion to marksmanship and innovation. From his early days as a sharpshooter who famously competed despite a rifle injury, through his service in the Philippines, China, and World War I, Holcomb earned a reputation as one of the Corps' toughest leaders. Now leading the Marines into a new era, he champions mechanization and speed, working alongside Admiral Harold Stark to transform the Corps into America's elite rapid-response force.

Samuel Morse begins his life as a talented painter in Massachusetts, earning his way through Yale and achieving recognition for his art in London and France. But on a voyage home in 1832, a conversation about electricity sparks an idea—what if messages could be sent instantly through wires?—and Morse becomes consumed with developing the telegraph, balancing his art career with perfecting his revolutionary invention. This is the remarkable true story of how a struggling artist transformed communication itself.

In 1755, George Washington serves as an aide to General Braddock during the French and Indian War, warning the commanding officer of a potential ambush as the British and colonial forces march toward Fort Duquesne—but Braddock dismisses the counsel, confident his European-trained soldiers need no guidance from local Indian scouts. When the French and Indians spring their trap the following morning, Washington finds himself rallying frightened troops through the chaos while Braddock's rigid tactics crumble under guerrilla warfare, leading to a devastating defeat that paradoxically establishes Washington's reputation and opens new doors for his military future.

A former World War aviator takes to the skies over South America on a hunt for gold, but Jimmy Angel's expedition across the wild Venezuelan plateau yields something far more extraordinary—a vast, uncharted wilderness teeming with prehistoric life and a waterfall of stunning proportions. With his wife at his side and a crashed plane behind him, Angel pursues his discoveries across treacherous terrain, driven by both fortune and the lure of exploring the unknown. This 1942 account in *True Comics* charts how aerial exploration transformed a soldier of fortune into a discoverer whose name would be etched into geography itself.

This educational feature traces bowling's rise from a 14th-century English pastime—nearly banned by royalty over concerns it threatened archery—through Sir Francis Drake's famous pre-battle game and the Dutch introduction of the sport to America, all the way to its modern dominance as the nation's most popular indoor activity. The story celebrates how bowling evolved from exclusive greens to accessible street alleys, and shows how skill rather than strength determines victory on today's lanes.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a doctor and missionary working in Labrador and Newfoundland, answers an urgent call to treat a gravely ill boy on Easter Sunday 1908—but his journey across a breaking ice inlet goes catastrophically wrong when he finds himself stranded on a drifting ice pan in the Arctic sea. Separated from his companions and facing deadly cold, Grenfell must use all his resourcefulness and the loyalty of his sled dogs to survive long enough for rescue. This extraordinary true account captures one of the remarkable adventures from over four decades of service in the frozen north.

Sabu arrives in rural India as an infant, nearly claimed by a cobra before his mother's quick thinking saves him—and from that harrowing start, his life becomes a remarkable journey from elephant keeper to international movie star. When a film crew discovers the young boy's natural mastery of animals, he's whisked away to England and Hollywood, where his gift for working with dangerous creatures makes him a trusted advisor on jungle pictures. Though he embraces his new life in America, Sabu never loses his deep connection to the beasts and people of his homeland, and he dreams of using his success to give back to the elephant boys of India.

When Norwegian refugees fleeing civil war discover Iceland in the ninth century, they establish a bold new settlement on this volcanic island between Europe and North America—founding the first republic in the Western Hemisphere over a thousand years ago. From the Norsemen's hardy traditions of law, wrestling, and fishing to Iceland's crucial modern role as a stepping-stone between two worlds, this story traces how a small island nation has remained a beacon of freedom through the centuries. In 1941, as the world faces new dangers, Iceland's legacy of independence takes on fresh importance when its leaders invite American protection in the face of wartime threats.

Theodore Roosevelt arrives in North Dakota as a young man seeking to restore his health, trading city life for the rough-and-tumble world of ranch work at Chimney Butte. Determined to prove himself among skeptical cowboys, Roosevelt earns their respect through courage and skill—from breaking a wild bronco named Dynamite to standing up to a belligerent gunslinger in town. His time out West transforms him from a tenderfoot into a seasoned man, setting him on the path toward the remarkable career that lay ahead.

The daughter of a lighthouse keeper on England's rocky coast, Grace Darling hears desperate cries one stormy night in 1838—and despite her fever, convinces her father that they're the only ones who can reach a ship wrecked on the rocks. Together, they brave the violent sea in a small boat to attempt a dangerous rescue. Her courage in the face of impossible odds would earn her a lasting place in history.

During the War of 1812, with Baltimore under siege and President James Madison determined not to surrender, U.S. Attorney Francis Scott Key negotiates with the British fleet to secure the release of a captured doctor—only to find himself detained aboard a British ship as the bombardment of Fort McHenry begins. Witnessing the American flag still flying over the fort at dawn after a night of relentless attack, Key is moved to compose a poem that captures the moment of defiance, which soon finds its way to a Baltimore singer and spreads across the city.