Real Heroes #12 (1943)

Contains 10 stories

The Bulletproof Hero of Dieppe

5 pp

Lieutenant Colonel Dollard Menard of the Canadian Fusiliers leads his men during the historic Allied raid on Dieppe, determined to destroy a fortified pillbox despite taking enemy fire from all directions. Wounded repeatedly as he presses the attack and rallies his troops through chaos and carnage, Menard refuses to fall back, driving his unit forward through sheer force of will. This is the true story of a soldier who endured punishment that would break most men, proving that courage and leadership can carry the day.

Monarch of the Plains

8 pp

Kit Carson proves his legendary tracking skills while working the frontier as a hunter and guide, but his destiny shifts when Colonel John C. Frémont recruits him to lead a dangerous expedition charting a route to California through unexplored wilderness. As the survey party battles frozen peaks and treacherous terrain, Carson's woodcraft and courage become America's best hope—first to open the West, then to secure California itself when war with Mexico erupts and he must undertake an impossible mission behind enemy lines.

Hero of New Guinea

5 pp

From his formative years through West Point and his early encounters with Japanese forces in Siberia, Lieutenant General Robert L. Eichelberger earned a reputation for decisive action and bold leadership—qualities that would define his command when he arrived in Australia during World War II with orders to drive the enemy from New Guinea. Tasked with capturing the strategic stronghold of Buna, Eichelberger leads his troops across the treacherous Stanley Mountains and into the thick of combat, sharing every hardship and danger with his men as they close in on their objective. This gripping account shows how one soldier's fearless example and unwavering determination inspired his forces through some of the war's fiercest jungle fighting.

A Mighty Man Was He

4 pp

After a U.S. destroyer is sunk off the Solomon Islands in October 1942, seaman Charles French faces an impossible choice: stay afloat himself or give up his place on a crowded life raft to a wounded officer. When the raft drifts helplessly in hostile waters, French strips down and volunteers to tow the entire vessel to shore by swimming—a grueling six-hour ordeal through shark-infested seas that will test every ounce of his strength and resolve. A gripping true story of sacrifice and Navy brotherhood that shows what one man's courage can accomplish when the stakes are survival itself.

Amazing Chaps, These Yanks

4 pp · non-fiction; aviation; war

An American photo reconnaissance crew heads to an Italian aircraft factory to gather intelligence for an upcoming bombing raid, but when a tail gunner improvises with some incendiary bombs he finds aboard, the mission takes an unexpected turn. The photographs that come back tell a story that could change everything about tomorrow's plans. These resourceful Americans prove that sometimes courage and quick thinking can accomplish what conventional tactics alone might not.

The Australian Sparrows

5 pp · non-fiction; war

When Japanese forces invaded Timor in 1941, they believed they'd crushed all resistance—but a small band of Australian commandos called the Sparrows had other plans. Operating from hidden camps, these guerrillas harass the occupiers relentlessly, and when ammunition runs low, they undertake a perilous mission to recover a buried battery that might let them contact Australia for supplies. As the Sparrows fight against overwhelming odds, they discover whether their daring gamble will bring the help they desperately need.

Home Front Heroes

1 pp · non-fiction; biography

Jerry Morrill, fifteen, and his twelve-year-old brother Giles decide to contribute to the war effort by setting up a manufacturing operation in their Fort Wayne basement, determined to produce precision bomber parts for the military. When their first government contract arrives, the brothers must master exacting tolerances to meet Army standards—and discover that their meticulous work rivals that of established industrial plants. This true account of two young Americans pitching in on the home front will remind you why wartime sacrifice came in all sizes.

Czech Night Hawk

7 pp

When Hitler's forces occupied Czechoslovakia, Czech pilot Karel Kutl refused to surrender—he escaped the Gestapo and made his way to France to join the fight against Nazi aggression. After the fall of France, Kutl continued his relentless campaign from Africa and eventually England, where he mastered a daring new "intruder" tactics that turned enemy airfields into hunting grounds. With skill, determination, and a growing arsenal of faster planes, Kutl became one of the war's most feared night fighters, racking up an extraordinary record against the Luftwaffe.

Born to Fight

5 pp

Honor of the Regiment

6 pp · non-fiction; war

Encircled by Nazi armor on the Russian steppes, the soldiers of the Forty-Third Regiment vow that their banner will never fall into enemy hands—but when the regiment is forced to scatter after a brutal breakout, the precious flag must be hidden away by a shepherd while Lieutenant Weber faces capture. Months later, as Soviet forces advance westward, the scattered regiment searches desperately to restore their honor and recover the symbol that defines them.