A fine example of life’s unfairness is the young man below. His name was Calvin Leon Graham. In 1942, early bloomer Graham lied about his age in order to enlist in the United States Navy. Graham served his country bravely, avoiding detection.
In October 1942, he fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal and saw action. He was wounded by shrapnel while carrying a message to his commanding officer, but still managed to do his duty. In spite of his injuries, he helped wounded fellow sailors get to safety. Graham saw action on several occasions and eventually was rewarded with eight medals. In 1943, the young soldier traveled to Texas for his grandmother’s funeral — without permission of the Navy. For this, he was placed in military prison.
Calvin Graham’s mother revealed his true age in order to have him released from military prison. He was discharged and stripped of his medals. Graham married at fourteen, was a father at fifteen. By seventeen he was divorced. His Purple Heart medal wasn’t returned to him until after his death, when it was presented to his widow… I understand discharging the fellow. But why strip him of his hard-earned medals?