Calvin Graham was just 11
years old when he first
thought of lying about
his age to join the navy.
He had his friends forge
his mother's signature,
stole a notary's stamp, and
told his mom he was going
to visit relatives for a while.
Graham was five foot two,
125 pounds in his older brother's clothes,
and somehow made it through
the recruitment screening.
He was sworn into the
Navy on August 15th, 1942.
At 12 years years, 4
months and 12 days old,
he was the youngest individual to serve
for the US in World War II.
Graham sailed aboard the USS South Dakota,
known as Battleship X, as a loader
for a 40 millimeter anti-aircraft gun.
November 14th, 1942, during
the Battle of Guadalcanal,
the battleship was struck
47 times by Japanese fire,
an explosion threw our young sailor
down three decks of stairs.
He suffered severe burns
and was seriously wounded
by shrapnel that tore through his face
and knocked out his front teeth.
In spite of his injuries he tried to help
his fellow sailors quote,
"I took belts off the dead
and made tourniquets for
the living and gave them
cigarettes and encouraged them
all night, it was a
long night, it aged me.
I didn't do any complaining
because half the ship was dead."
Graham received the Bronze
Star and a Purple Heart
for his efforts, but a
year later Graham's mother
learned of what her son had been up to
and informed the Navy of his real age.
He was thrown in the
brig for three months,
had his medals stripped from him,
and was dishonorably discharged,
which meant he couldn't receive
any disability benefits
despite his injuries.
Graham lived a hard life afterward.
Getting married and
fathering a child at 14.
Then getting divorced and
enlisting in the Marines at 17.
He broke his back when he fell
from a pier three years later,
ending his service career.
Graham had to fight for medical benefits
and a clean service record.
In 1978, President Carter gave
him an honorable discharge,
and reinstated all of his medals,
except for his Purple Heart.
In 1988, his story came
to public attention
through the TV movie, "Too Young The Hero".
President Reagan eventually granted Graham
full disability benefits
and increased his back pay.
Calvin Graham died of heart
failure in November of 1992.
Two years later his Purple
Heart was reinstated
and presented to his widow
at a special ceremony.
He also received the National
Defense Service Medal,
The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal,
with Bronze Battle Star Device,
and the World War II Victory Medal.
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Let's recognize the heroic
acts of men like Graham,
who did so much and received so little.
