The story
Calvin Graham was only 12 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart before the Navy found out how old he was.
In May of 1942, at the age of 12, he enlisted in the Navy by lying about his age. His mother later revealed his true age, and he spent three months in the brig and was dishonorably discharged in May 1943—but not before he saw some serious action.
On the night of November 14-15, 1942, Graham was wounded during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, he served as a loader for a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun and was hit by shrapnel while taking a hand message to an officer.
Though he received fragmentation wounds, he helped in "rescue duty", by aiding and pulling the wounded aboard ship to safety.
He was wounded during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal while on board the USS South Dakota. He helped in the fire control efforts but was hit with fragmentation, causing lacerations. For his bravery and sacrifice, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heartand his crewmates were awarded another Navy Unit Commendation.
Not only was he the youngest person to receive these awards—he was the youngest U.S. Serviceman in WWII.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.