When we picture war heroes, we often think of tough soldiers in uniform, decorated with medals and battle scars. But war requires more than just frontline fighters. It needs strategists, leaders, logistics experts, and medical teams, all playing crucial roles behind the scenes. These are the unsung heroes, whose contributions are just as vital.
Here are ten heroes of war who aren’t famous for fighting, but whose actions changed the course of history.
The Navajo Code Talkers
In war, secure communication is key. The ability to keep instructions, tactics, and plans secret can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The Marine Corps recruited 29 Navajo men for this vital task. These Native Americans created a secret code based on their unwritten language, assigning Navajo words to key military terms. This allowed them to encode and decode messages in seconds.
The first code contained 26 Navajo terms, and the second expanded to 211 (later 411) terms. Their work was essential; Major Howard Connor stated that the Marines “would not have taken Iwo Jima” without them.[1]
Andreé de Jongh
Countess Andrée Eugénie Adrienne de Jongh, born in Belgium in 1916, was a remarkable resistance heroine. Inspired by Edith Cavell, who helped soldiers escape during WW1, she became a nurse. De Jongh started helping Allied soldiers escape the Nazi-occupied Netherlands and France, emulating Cavell’s bravery.
She secured support from the British consulate and created the Comet Line, an escape route from Brussels through France to Gibraltar. This line helped rescue around 400 soldiers, with de Jongh personally escorting 118 of them. Captured later, she survived a Nazi concentration camp and lived to the age of 90.[2]
The Monuments Men
During WWII, the Nazis stole art from museums and churches across Europe. To counter this, the U.S. created the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, known as the Monuments Men.
In 1944, Walker Hancock and five others left their lives behind to track down six million pieces of art, aiming to restore them to their rightful owners. They searched storage units, bunkers, and homes to recover the stolen art. The ancient salt mine at Altaussee in the Austrian Alps proved to be the most significant find.
Racing against time and the threat of destruction, the Monuments Men documented and rescued thousands of artworks, ensuring their place in cultural history was preserved.[3]
John Rabe
John Rabe, a German businessman and Nazi party leader in Nanking, China, became known as the living Buddha of Nanking. When the Japanese army advanced, he chose to stay to protect his employees and friends, considering Nanking his home.
After being questioned by the Japanese, Rabe proposed creating a Safety Zone, a neutral area free from fighting. When the Japanese weren’t interested, Rabe contacted Hitler, and with Japan part of the Axis powers, they agreed to Germany’s terms, saving many lives.
Despite being unable to prevent widespread atrocities, Rabe worked to contain the violence, saving countless citizens.[4]
The Ghost Army
The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, was the first mobile deception unit in U.S. history. Consisting of 82 officers and 1,023 units, they aimed to deceive the German army using visual, sonic, and radio techniques.
During the final year of the war, the Ghost Army carried out over 20 deception operations. They used artistic talents and tech skills to create inflatable tanks and artillery, broadcast pre-recorded troop sounds, and send fake radio dispatches, confusing and misleading the enemy.
It’s estimated that the 23rd’s antics saved between 15,000 and 30,000 lives.[5]
Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish businessman and diplomat, is renowned for his efforts to save Hungarian Jews from persecution. After convincing the Swedish Foreign Ministry to send him to Budapest with a diplomatic passport, he began his work.
Wallenberg provided certificates of protection to Jews facing deportation to Auschwitz and established hospitals, nurseries, and soup kitchens. He also set up 30 safe houses for Jewish families with protection certificates from neutral countries.
When the Soviets liberated Budapest, about 100,000 Jews remained in the city, largely due to Wallenberg and his colleagues’ efforts.[6]
Desmond Doss
Desmond Doss faced ridicule for being a conscientious objector, against violence, but he joined his squad in the Pacific without a gun. He felt it was his mission to save as many of his friends as possible, which he did.
After proving himself in previous battles, he earned the Medal of Honor at the Maeda Escarpment, known as Hacksaw Ridge. During a fierce counter-attack after the Americans claimed the cliff, Doss defied orders and rescued wounded soldiers, saving at least 75 men.
Severely wounded days later, his war ended, but he received numerous awards for his valor and courage.[7]
Virginia Hall
Virginia Hall was one of the most decorated American spies, yet her story remained largely unknown until recently. Born into a wealthy family, she sought adventure and fell in love with France. After losing her foot in an accident, she felt drawn into espionage after Germany invaded France.
Hall organized local resistance against the occupiers, providing intelligence to the British Security Service while risking her life. In a time when women weren’t frontline agents, she earned the nickname the “Limping Lady of Lyon.”
One of her significant achievements was rescuing 12 men from a prison camp in the Mauzac Escape, influencing American campaigns even in recent times.[8]
Freddie and Truus Oversteegen
The Oversteegen sisters fought throughout the war, targeting Nazi sympathizers and allies. They distributed the banned publication, Trouw and participated in the Dutch resistance.
With their friend Hannie Schaft, they formed a squad that carried out drive-by shootings from bicycles and lured soldiers from bars to nearby woods, where resistance fighters executed them (sometimes killing them themselves). They also sheltered political dissidents, gay people, and Jews.
Freddie and Truus lived into their 90s, though Schaft was captured and executed just 18 days before the Netherlands’ liberation.[9]
William Martin
William Martin never existed. His fake existence was part of Operation Mincemeat, one of the greatest military deceptions. The British Army created a false identity and backstory for an unidentified corpse, complete with wedding photos and theater stubs, and dropped the body off the coast of Spain, hoping it would be found.
The body carried a briefcase with top-secret documents suggesting the Allies would invade Sardinia, which wasn’t the plan. Knowing Nazi sympathizers existed within the Spanish ranks, the British successfully deceived the German army, leading them to send troops to Greece and the Balkans, leaving Sicily vulnerable for an easy assault.
William Martin, the non-existent man, changed the course of WWII.[10]
These ten individuals and groups exemplify that heroism in war extends beyond combat. Their intelligence, courage, and selflessness significantly influenced the outcomes of major conflicts. We should remember their stories and honor their contributions.
Who inspires you the most from this list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
