The Americans Who Answered the Call

During WWII, Josephine Baker used her fame to spy for the French Resistance, later becoming a Civil Rights leader.

The American Revolution was a fight for freedom, but for the enslaved man who helped ensure victory, the battle was just beginning.

Ulysses Grant took an unconventional path to the White House, rising from a leather goods salesman to a general in a matter of months.

After WWII, veterans returned home with "combat fatigue," now known as PTSD. Psychiatrist Robert Felix lobbied to establish the National Institute of Mental Health and elevated mental health awareness in America.

In 1945, 80 nurses from the 116th and 127th evacuation hospitals entered liberated Dachau and built a makeshift hospital for survivors.

After Japan invaded the Aleutians, 6,300 Alaska Natives formed the Alaska Territorial Guard to defend against further invasion.

Pearl Harbor was a shocking moment in American history, but instead of cowering in fear, the country rose to the occasion.

Mary Ross, one of the first Native American women engineers, helped shape top-secret Cold War projects that changed history.

Marcelino Serna came to the U.S. as a undocumented immigrant, and within just a few years, became one of the country's bravest heroes.

The end of World War II was one of the most celebrated moments in 20th-century history—and is marked by multiple historic days.

On 9/11, NYC ferry Captain Richard Thornton joined others in rescuing 500,000+ people by boat from Manhattan to safety.

Frank DeVita was in charge of lowering the ramp on the USS Samuel Chase on D-Day. The role would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Frank DeVita was in charge of lowering the ramp on the USS Samuel Chase on D-Day. The role would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Memorial Day's origins start in the years following the Civil War, founded by an army, but maybe not the one you'd expect.

Before beer and barbecues, the first tailgate happened in 1861—on a Virginia battlefield during the First Battle of Bull Run.

On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, mandating the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces and ending 170 years of officially sanctioned racial discrimination in the military. Although African Americans had served since the Revolutionary War, they were typically segregated from white troops and often assigned to menial roles. A landmark achievement of both the postwar civil rights movement and Truman’s presidency, the order marked one of the first times a U.S. president used executive authority to advance civil rights. It also helped pave the way for broader desegregation efforts across American society.

Agustín Ramos Calero is the most decorated Puerto Rican and Hispanic Veteran of World War II. Over the course of his 21 years of service, he earned the nickname "One Man Army."

In America's forgotten war, one hero with heritage on the other side of the battlefield put himself in harm's way to save his fellow soldiers.

Researchers at the National Archives have found evidence that at least 250 women dressed as men to fight in the Civil War, some motivated by ideology, some by a taste for adventure and some by the need for a job.

Don't Ask Don't Tell. This controversial policy was repealed to allow LGBTQ people to openly serve in the US military. But well before this historic moment, one soldier fought for his right to serve.

The War Department considered coffee an essential element of the troops' diet. In 1942, coffee became so critical to the war efforts that Americans back home rationed coffee to preserve stocks for the soldiers.

St. Patrick's Day in 1776 was more than just an Irish-American celebration... it was also a step towards freedom.