I stumbled across his bio the other day. I knew all about him, anyway, but it was still stunning to be reminded.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with his story, I would recommend taking a look at Wikopedia.
He tried to enlist in the Army, Navy and Marines when he was 16 during WW2, but was turned down because he was too small. He stood 5-5 and weighed 112 pounds. The next year he got his sister to back up his lie that he was 18 and he was accepted, although he was still the same size. He ended up as the most decorated soldier in U.S. history, being awarded virtually every medal the U.S. offers, including the Medal of Honor, as well as similar honors from France.
Back in the states, he wrote songs and had a fairly successful career as a movie actor.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with his story, I would recommend taking a look at Wikopedia.
He tried to enlist in the Army, Navy and Marines when he was 16 during WW2, but was turned down because he was too small. He stood 5-5 and weighed 112 pounds. The next year he got his sister to back up his lie that he was 18 and he was accepted, although he was still the same size. He ended up as the most decorated soldier in U.S. history, being awarded virtually every medal the U.S. offers, including the Medal of Honor, as well as similar honors from France.
Back in the states, he wrote songs and had a fairly successful career as a movie actor.
