21 years old from Raritan, New Jersey

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division

November 4, 1916 - February 19, 1945

For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines' defensive positions, Sgt. Basilone, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machine guns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. Basilone's sections, with its gun crews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

GySgt. Basilone was killed helping to guide a tank to safety that was trapped in a mine field under heavy mortar and artillery barrages during the invasion of Iwo Jima.

The President of the United States of America awarded the Air Force Cross to Captain Barry F. Crawford, Jr., for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States as Special Tactics Officer near Laghman Province, Afghanistan, on 4 May 2010. On that date, while attached to Army Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha and their Afghan partner force, Captain Crawford conducted a helicopter assault into Hendor Village. Upon landing, Captain Crawford received reports that multiple groups of armed enemy were maneuvering into prepared fighting positions in the high ground around the village. As the assault force initiated clearance operations, they began to receive a high volume of accurate machine gun and sniper fire from an enemy force well over 100 fighters. As the assault force was attacked, Captain Crawford took decisive action to save the lives of three wounded Afghan soldiers and evacuate two Afghan soldiers killed in action. Recognizing that the wounded Afghan soldiers would die without evacuation to definitive care, Captain Crawford took decisive action and ran out into the open in an effort to guide the helicopter to the landing zone. Once the pilot had eyes on his position, Captain Crawford remained exposed, despite having one of his radio antennas shot off mere inches form his face, while he vectored in the aircraft. Acting without hesitation, Captain Crawford then bounded across open terrain, engaged enemy positions with his assault rifle and called in AH-64 strafe attacks to defeat the ambush allowing the aid-and-litter teams to move toward the casualties. While the casualties were being moved the team's exposed position once again came under attack from two enemy trucks that had moved into the area and were threatening the medical evacuation landing zone. As one of the aid-and-litter teams was pinned down by enemy fire, and the medical evacuation helicopter took direct hits from small arms fire, it departed with only four casualties leaving one wounded Afghan soldier on the ground. Captain Crawford developed, coordinated, and executed a plan to suppress the enemy, enabling the helicopter to return to the hot landing zone to retrieve the last casualty. While Captain Crawford's element exfiltrated the village, the assault force conducted a two kilometer movement over steep terrain with little to no cover. During this movement the ground force commander and Captain Crawford's element were ambushed and pinned down in the open from multiple enemy fighting positions, some as close as 150 meters away. Without regard for his own life, Captain Crawford moved alone across open terrain in the kill zone to locate and engage enemy positions with his assault riffle while directing AH-64 30-mm. strafe attacks. Continuing to move the team further over 1.5 kilometers of steep terrain with minimal cover, Captain Crawford again engaged the enemy with his assault rifle while integrating AH-64s and F-15E's in a coordinated air-to-ground attack plan that included strafing runs along with 500 and 2,0000-pound bomb and Hellfire missile strikes. Throughout the course of the ten hour firefight, Captain Crawford braved effective enemy fire and consciously placed himself at grave risk on four occasions while controlling over 33 aircraft and more than 40 airstrikes on a well-trained and well-prepared enemy force. His selfless actions and expert airpower employment neutralized a numerically superior enemy force and enabled friendly elements to exfiltrate the area without massive casualties. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Captain Crawford has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Not everyone who could be considered a hero has fought for their country. Paul Gleason, a retired history teacher, has never worn the uniform but in 1965 he wrote his first letter to a soldier, a student of his that joined the Army, and has since written more than 10,000 letters. He can been seen at Burger King just about everyday writing three letters, 15 handwritten pages, to active duty and veterans.

90 years old from Sierra Madre, Ca.

May 3, 1922 - April 18, 2013

Alan Wood didn't run into a burning building to rescue someone. He isn't credited with charging into the line of fire or piloting a damaged plane to save the crew. But he did play a role in what has become one of the most iconic images of all time. After nearly a month of heavy fighting U.S forces were able to capture the island of Iwo Jima. A flag was raised to seal the victory. When asked is anyone had a larger flag it was Lt. Wood who was able to provide one and a picture that has come to symbolize the sacrifice and heart of the military was taken. On April 18, Alan Wood passed away at the age of 90.

81 years old from Madison, Alabama

357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In the attack on the second missile site, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the two crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that two helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew’s position and that there were hostile MIGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft defenses to the downed crew’s position. As he approached the area, he spotted four MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MIGs, damaging one and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lieutenant Colonel Thorsness’ extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.

Senior Airman Austin Stoker replenishes a .50-caliber machine gun after a training mission in Afghanistan in March.

Colonel William Bowers, commanding officer of 6th Marine Corps District, awards the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal to Sgt. Darryl Greenwood, a recruiter from Recruiting Sub Station Germantown, Recruitng Station Nashville, Tenn., after the graduation of Fox Company aboard Parris Island, S.C., April 5, 2013. Greenwood received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as an impact award for his outstanding achievement and performance as a recruiter over the past year and for recruiting one of the four honor graduates of Fox Company, Lance Corporal Daniel Horvath. Greenwood's outstanding performance as a recruiter has directly impacted the quality of recruits being shipped to Parris Island each year, helping mold the future our Corps and meeting our Nation’s national security needs.

91 years old from Melbourne, FL

August 22, 1921 - October 31, 2012

General Blesse was born in Colon, Panama Canal Zone in 1921. His father was a brigadier general in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army, retiring in 1953. General Blesse graduated from American High School, Manila, the Philippine Islands in April 1939. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in June 1945 with a commission as second lieutenant, and a rating as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps.