Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy spent roughly 400 days on the World War II front lines, was wounded three times, and earned 33 decorations. During one famous action, he climbed onto a burning tank destroyer and directed fire against German forces.
Alvin York
In 1918, Sergeant Alvin York found himself commanding seven men after their officers were killed or wounded. He attacked German machine-gun positions, killed 25 enemy soldiers, and captured 132 prisoners, earning the Medal of Honor.
Mary Fields
Mary Fields became Montana’s “Stagecoach Mary” after winning a postal contract at about sixty by demonstrating she could hitch six horses faster than male applicants. She delivered mail through snow, wolves, bandits, and brutal weather without missing a day.
John Colter
John Colter voluntarily stayed in the wilderness after the Lewis and Clark Expedition, then explored Yellowstone alone. After being captured and stripped by Blackfeet warriors, he reportedly escaped by running six miles before hiding beneath a logjam.
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini made a career out of voluntarily putting himself into situations that looked catastrophically stupid. He escaped handcuffs, locked trunks, jails, and even a water-filled milk can secured with six padlocks, turning danger into entertainment.
Clara Barton
Clara Barton had little formal medical training, yet repeatedly ventured onto Civil War battlefields to bring supplies and aid wounded soldiers under fire. At Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Cold Harbor, she simply went where help was desperately needed.
