WW2 Memoire Archive — Obscure History, Forgotten Heroes

Answer: Wojtek ("Joyful Warrior"), a Syrian brown bear purchased as a cub from a shepherd boy in Iran in 1942 by Polish soldiers. He was officially enlisted as a private with a service number, paybook, and rations.

The deeper story:
Wojtek was taught to salute and drank beer from mess tins (he ate cigarettes but not the tobacco). At the Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944, he carried 100-lb crates of 25-pound artillery shells to the guns without dropping one. Promoted to Corporal for his service, his unit adopted a bear with a shell as their official emblem. After the war he lived in Edinburgh Zoo. Veterans visited him and the lights would go on when he saw them. He died in 1963 with full military honors. Statues stand in Edinburgh, London, and Kraków.

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Amazing True Stories Medium

Who was the youngest American serviceman in WWII and what happened to him?

Answer: Calvin Graham was 12 years old when he enlisted using a forged birth certificate. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS South Dakota and was only discovered after being wounded in the naval battle of Guadalcanal.

The deeper story:
Graham enlisted August 15, 1942 at age 12. He served during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 14, 1942, where he was hit by shrapnel while passing ammunition to gunners. He refused evacuation and treated his own wounds. He was awarded the Bronze Star. His mother revealed his age to the Navy when she saw him on newsreel footage. He was court-martialed for lying about his age and stripped of all medals and benefits at age 13. He received full benefits from Congress in 1988 after a years-long fight. He died in 1992 at age 62.

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Battles & Campaigns Hard

What was the only battle in which Americans and Germans fought side by side during WWII?

Answer: The Battle of Castle Itter, fought on May 5, 1945, three days after Hitler's suicide. U.S. Army soldiers and German Wehrmacht troops under Major Josef "Sepp" Gangl joined forces to defend Castle Itter in Austria against an attacking force of Waffen-SS.

The deeper story:
The castle held imprisoned French VIPs including former Prime Ministers Édouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud, tennis champion Jean Borotra, and the sister of Charles de Gaulle. Capt. Jack Lee of the U.S. 23rd Tank Battalion and German Major Gangl coordinated the defense. Gangl was killed by an SS sniper while protecting Prime Minister Reynaud. A young Czech prisoner at the castle, Karel Černý, later became president of Czechoslovakia.

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Forgotten Heroes

Japanese

Chiune Sugihara

Diplomat in Lithuania

Saved 6,000 Jewish refugees by issuing unauthorized transit visas by hand for 29 consecutive days.

British

Nicholas Winton

Stockbroker and humanitarian

Rescued 669 children from Czechoslovakia and kept it secret for 49 years.

American

Desmond Doss

Combat Medic, 77th Infantry Division

A conscientious objector who saved 75 men on Hacksaw Ridge without ever carrying a weapon.

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Quick Facts

Irony

Adolf Hitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939 by a Swedish parliament member as a sarcastic protest against Neville Chamberlain's nomination.

Amazing Facts

The most decorated soldier, Audie Murphy, was rejected by the Marines for being too small (5'5", 112 lbs) before the Army accepted him.

Amazing Facts

Wojtek the bear enlisted in the Polish Army drank beer from mess tins and carried 100-lb artillery shells at Monte Cassino without dropping one.

Myths Debunked

The Polish cavalry did NOT charge German tanks — that myth was Nazi propaganda. Polish cavalry fought mounted but dismounted to fight on foot as mounted infantry.

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