New Heroic Comics #85

During a tense three-day standoff at Luke's Castle in Eastern Korea, machine gunner Pfc. James E. Sandford grows frustrated with orders to hold fire while H Company takes heavy casualties from enemy artillery. Determined to turn the tide, Sandford volunteers to run through enemy fire to reach the command post and secure permission to fight back—a desperate gambit that sets off a fierce duel between his machine gun and an enemy 76mm field piece. This 1953 story captures the raw nerve it takes for one Marine to defy the odds and force his unit's hand when survival is on the line.

A soldier in a platoon faces his fears when his unit moves to the front line during a brutal campaign, only to discover that courage comes not from the absence of terror, but from action in the heat of battle. As Herbert L. Joy and his fellow soldiers engage the enemy with limited ammunition and mounting casualties, a harrowing close call forces him to confront just how thin the line between survival and tragedy truly is. This true-life account captures the raw intensity of combat and the bonds forged between men under fire.

When an American infantry platoon faces overwhelming enemy fire and is forced to retreat, Pfc. Mack A. Jordan volunteers to hold the line alone, determined to buy his outfit time to escape. As he wages a one-man stand against superior forces, Jordan fights with desperate courage to break the enemy's offensive and protect his comrades—no matter the cost.

Near Yonhina-dong, Korea, Master Sergeant Gene Grenowich faces a desperate choice when enemy fire destroys his unit's communication with their mortar crew—the only support holding Company A's line. With his company pinned down and outgunned, Grenowich volunteers to position himself between the two units as a human target, using his own location to guide the mortars' fire and turn the tide of battle. Based on a true account of extraordinary heroism in combat.

When Marine pilot Col. Robert E. Galer's Corsair fighter-bomber is hit during a bombing run over enemy territory, he's forced to bail out—but a cockpit strap nearly traps him before he can escape. With a useless arm and seven broken ribs, Galer must evade enemy soldiers on the ground while using his portable radio to call for help, racing against time as a Navy helicopter makes desperate passes to pull him to safety.

Outnumbered and retreating under devastating enemy fire in Korea, a U.S. Army company faces certain defeat—until PFC Edward R. Enders takes matters into his own hands and launches a daring solo assault on the Red positions. With fearless determination, Enders tears through enemy lines, destroying gun crews and silencing rifle fire to single-handedly turn the tide of battle. His extraordinary courage becomes the stuff of legend among his unit, proving that one soldier's resolve can change the course of a desperate fight.

Sergeant Augustin Salazar of Las Vegas, New Mexico recounts his harrowing experience during a reconnaissance mission in Korea, where his unit found itself heavily outnumbered and pinned down by enemy forces. Wounded himself and under intense fire, Salazar must decide whether to prioritize his own survival or risk everything to help his fallen comrades. His actions during that desperate battle would earn him the Silver Star for extraordinary bravery in combat.

Gene De Sylvia, an airman second-class from Butte, Montana, pilots a dangerous bombing run deep into enemy territory over Korea, spotting and attacking enemy concentrations with precision and nerve. When his aircraft takes fire, De Sylvia doesn't hesitate—he turns his guns on the antiaircraft positions threatening his crew, demonstrating the skill and bravery that will earn him the Distinguished Flying Cross. This heroic true-life account captures the split-second decisions and steady aim that defined combat missions in the Korean conflict.

Robert L. Mickelberry, an Army Private First Class from Silverdale, Washington, earns the Silver Star for his extraordinary actions during the Korean War when his company faces overwhelming enemy fire near Hanymyong-dong. In the chaos of a forced withdrawal, Mickelberry neutralizes an enemy soldier blocking his platoon's path and then carries a critically wounded comrade nearly six miles to safety. This true account of combat heroism captures one soldier's decisive moments under fire that would add another decoration to his growing list of medals for valor.

Major John W. Lincoln, a U.S. Marine Corps pilot, receives orders to destroy an underwater bridge north of Chunchon, Korea, where enemy troops are massing—but his fighter-bomber takes fire on the first run, leaving him wounded. Disregarding his injuries and facing relentless ground fire, Lincoln presses the attack, making repeated bombing runs until the bridge is obliterated and a devastating number of enemy forces are eliminated. This true account of uncommon valor earned the decorated pilot his Distinguished Flying Cross and stands as a testament to the courage demanded in combat.

Thirteen-year-old Richard Tweddell faces an impossible choice when a runaway steam shovel barrels down the hill toward his home—and his mother inside it. With only seconds to act, he must decide between his own safety and warning his mother to escape. A true account of one boy's selfless heroism from the pages of 1953's New Heroic Comics.

At a forward aid station near the Korean front, army medic Sgt. Robert D. Hanson discovers a live hand grenade hidden among blood-stained clothes—its pin so loose that the slightest disturbance could trigger disaster. Working with steady nerves and deliberate care, Hanson faces a delicate race against time to neutralize the threat before it claims more lives. This gripping true account celebrates the quiet heroism of a soldier who chose swift action over panic when lives hung in the balance.

Corporal Jack A. Davenport, a former University of Kansas athlete, faces a deadly moment during a patrol in Korea when enemy forces close in on his position. When a grenade lands near his squad, Davenport must act quickly to protect those around him, an act of valor that would earn him the nation's highest military honor.