Any list like this should start with the man responsible for freeing the budding colonies from British tyranny and actually creating the U.S. The son of a tobacco farmer, George Washington joined the Virginia militia and started fighting the British in 1753. Receiving no medals during his military service, Washington stands as proof that a military man is measured by more than just his decorations.
One of the few members of the U.S. Marines to receive the Medal of Honor for his efforts in Afghanistan, Sgt. Dakota Meyer is everything that embodies an American war hero. Along with Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, Meyer helped rescue 36 soldiers caught in a valley ambush. He ignored his superiors who denied him access to the battlefield over danger concerns. No court martial was ever initiated.
Though he was deemed too old to fly by the time he made it into the U.S. Air Force, Maj. Eddie Rickenbacker showed everyone that age means relatively little when one has the determination and mettle to defeat a powerful enemy. He is credited with shooting down two German flyers while being engaged by seven in total, and is one of the few fighting men to be awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II.
The U.S. president who espoused walking softly and carrying a big stick was also quite the fighting man. Teddy Roosevelt actually volunteered to fight at the inception of the Spanish-American War, trading a secretary post in the Navy for a spot atop a horse. He and his Rough Riders are famous for taking Kettle Hill near Santiago, Cuba.
A career military man, Andrew Jackson is perhaps best known for fighting during the Battle of New Orleans. This combat-hardened commander fought against Creek Indians in the War of 1812, against the British in 1815 and even sallied an expedition into what is now Florida in 1817, beating out the Spanish and establishing a foothold for annexation of the land in 1821.
Although she did no fighting on the frontlines, Anne Bailey proves that every contribution matters when trying to defeat an opponent on the field of battle. Bailey earned renown during the Northwest Indian War when she rode more than 100 miles from Fort Lee to Fort Savannah in Lewisburg to fetch ammunition for soldiers fighting at Fort Lee. It’s impossible to fight a war without food and ammunition. Bailey is credited with helping save Fort Lee with her legendary ride.
John “Jimmy” Thach is famous for his aeronautical endeavors, including being the mastermind behind a pair of aerial formations which tacticians still study today. The Thach Weave, named after the man who thought it up allows bulkier, slower aircraft to contend with lighter, faster planes. Similarly, his Big Blue Blanket formation gave allies an aerial formation capable of countering kamikaze attacks, thus saving an undetermined number of lives.
Immortalized in song and art, Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian who helped raise the U.S. Flag over Iwo Jima during World War II. An iconic photo showed his efforts, and Johnny Cash also wrote a song about the man, using his name for the title. If you haven’t heard The Ballad of Ira Hayes, here’s the track on Youtube. It’s quite moving.
An Oak Creek, Wisconsin resident, Gary Wetzel is famous for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War. He is one of many men decorated with the Medal of Honor after coming home from that horrible fighting scene. The citation for his medal described in gruesome detail how he held off Viet Cong soldiers, firing a machine gun until the barrel melted, then switching to small-arms fire. He saved numerous comrades from death.
One of only two soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor for combat in Somalia, Gary Gordon was a hero. He is credited with giving his life for his comrades, killing an unknown number of Somalis while fighting to rescue his brothers in arms during the shooting-down of a Black Hawk helicopter.
