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Today in military history: 12-year-old earns Purple Heart, Bronze Star in Guadalcanal
Unto the Breach ^ | Nov. 15, 2018 | Chris Carter

Posted on 11/15/2018 12:59:47 PM PST by fugazi

1942: Off Guadalcanal, the U.S. and Japanese fleets engage in one of only two battleship-on-battleship engagements of the Pacific War. While Kirishima hammers USS South Dakota (BB-57) in the early morning hours, USS Washington (BB-56) slips away undetected and maneuvers to near point-blank range, raking the Japanese battleship with devastating salvos. Japanese naval guns and torpedoes send three U.S. destroyers (Walke, Preston, and Benham) to the bottom of Ironbottom Sound, while U.S. warplanes destroy four troop transport ships carrying soldiers and badly needed supplies. The Allies have inflicted such heavy losses on the Japanese that they abandon the mission to retake Guadalcanal.

USS South Dakota in 1943

Injured in the attack on South Dakota is 12-year-old Seaman 1st Class Calvin L. Graham, who lied about his age that summer to join the Navy. Graham earns the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and the Purple Heart during the battle. Shockingly, Graham is thrown in the brig for three months, dishonorably discharged, and has his medals stripped when the government learns his actual age. He enlists in the Marine Corps when he turns 17.

1950: "As a squad leader of the 3d Platoon [U.S. Army Pfc. Mack A. Jordan] was participating in a night attack on key terrain against a fanatical hostile force when the advance was halted by intense small-arms and automatic-weapons fire and a vicious barrage of handgrenades. Upon orders for the platoon to withdraw and reorganize, Pfc. Jordan voluntarily remained behind to provide covering fire. Crawling toward an enemy machine gun emplacement, he threw 3 grenades and neutralized the gun. He then rushed the position delivering a devastating hail of fire, killing several of the enemy and forcing the remainder to fall back to new positions. He courageously attempted to move

(Excerpt) Read more at victoryinstitute.net ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: guadalcanal; militaryhistory
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To: Red Badger

My grandfather was born in 1904. He lied about his age in 1918 and joined the Army. His true age was discovered on the ship carrying him to France. He was discharged and sent back home. He saw no combat and was not allowed to set foot in France. He died in 1984.


21 posted on 11/15/2018 1:55:21 PM PST by lagrange point1 (Space is no longer the final frontier)
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To: fugazi

Thank you!!


22 posted on 11/15/2018 2:01:11 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: wbill

No ‘Snowflake’ he.....................


23 posted on 11/15/2018 2:04:44 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Romans Nine

Difficult to do in this day and age of computer databases, even from third world countries. Back then it was easy..............


24 posted on 11/15/2018 2:05:59 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: yarddog

IIRC, it was 17, but you had to have your parent(s) sign for you to go in.................


25 posted on 11/15/2018 2:06:45 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Romans Nine

We had no problems finding people to fight after 9/11. I don’t think it would be any different now.


26 posted on 11/15/2018 2:08:33 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Found" votes only benefit Democrats.)
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To: KC_Lion

WOW!!!!!!


27 posted on 11/15/2018 2:11:54 PM PST by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism.)
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To: 2banana

No snowflake there. God bless him!


28 posted on 11/15/2018 2:29:55 PM PST by Shark24
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To: Red Badger

Great strategy!


29 posted on 11/15/2018 2:39:42 PM PST by edwinland
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To: Romans Nine
I have some Canadian relatives that served in Viet Nam, War has a terrible attraction.
30 posted on 11/15/2018 2:47:37 PM PST by Little Bill (VN 65 - 68)
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To: taterjay

Sorry for your loss. I lost my cousin on the third USS Walke launched in 1943. On 12 June 1951, in Korean waters, the Walke either was torpedoed or hit a floating mine. My cousin was one of the 26 men killed.


31 posted on 11/15/2018 2:49:15 PM PST by chronicles
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To: Red Badger

There is an underage veterans org. They published some books with short biographies of their service. This was not a rare event in WW2.


32 posted on 11/15/2018 2:58:37 PM PST by lodi90
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To: lagrange point1

Unlike my DH’s great uncle (by marriage), who hid under neighbor’s porch to avoid going into WWII.


33 posted on 11/15/2018 3:15:26 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: fugazi

Just a teenager when he died. He was more man than most men could ever be. This man died as a hell of a man and he was a man’s man.


34 posted on 11/15/2018 3:36:59 PM PST by cpdiii (Cane Cutter, Deckhand,Roughneck, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist: THE CONSTITUTION IS WORTH DYING FOR!)
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To: fugazi

Calvin Graham, may he rest in peace. Most kids wouldn’t do that today. The greatest generation was not the SNOWFLAKE GENERATION...


35 posted on 11/15/2018 3:37:37 PM PST by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
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To: Future Snake Eater

You are probably right. My two oldest boys are Marines, my foster son is in the Army and my youngest son wants to be a squid......ah I mean a Sailor.


36 posted on 11/15/2018 4:51:13 PM PST by Romans Nine
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To: fugazi

“Too Young the Hero” is on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVSMncKEFF4


37 posted on 11/15/2018 5:34:02 PM PST by DFG
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To: yarddog

I came across my dads military paperwork in a box stored for several years. It had his Navy flight training records, dog tags and identification card. He was a WW2 veteran. His records stated that he was born on 19 September 1922. I had always thought that was his birthdate. I took him to renew his drivers license in 2005, the state of Arizona told him he couldn’t renew his license because the records didn’t match the birth records from New York. He had an AZ drivers license since 1946. A supervisor from DMV asked why the records didn’t match. He told them that he lied about his age to go into the service. They thanked him for his service and gave him his drivers license showing his actual birthday. It took almost 60 years to catch up with him.


38 posted on 11/15/2018 5:35:13 PM PST by wjcsux (The hyperventilating of the left means we are winning! (Tagline courtesy of Laz.))
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To: lodi90

Do you have a link to this site? I would like to give them my my dads story.


39 posted on 11/15/2018 5:44:36 PM PST by wjcsux (The hyperventilating of the left means we are winning! (Tagline courtesy of Laz.))
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To: wjcsux

http://www.oldvums.org/


40 posted on 11/15/2018 5:56:02 PM PST by kiryandil (Never pick a fight with an angry beehive)
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