Modern War Heroes

Sometimes being a hero means knowing when to act – and when not to act. Such is the case with little known hero Stanislav Petrov. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Union’s military, and he was in charge of monitoring satellites orbiting over the U.S. These satellites were watching for any signs of unauthorized military action – pretty much watching to make sure the U.S. wasn’t attacking.

One evening Petrov was working a double shift, since a fellow officer was ill and couldn’t stand his watch, when suddenly his screens went red and alarms began sounding.

“An alarm went off. It was piercing, loud enough to raise a dead man from his grave.”

The monitors indicated that America had launched five missiles towards Russia. Petrov was charged with the duty of pressing the big red button that would initiate retaliation – and full-scale nuclear war. But he hesitated. Taking a moment to analyze the situation, he realized something didn’t add up. Radar didn’t indicate any incoming missiles, and he wondered why the U.S. would even bother with launching only five missiles.

He still couldn’t say for sure what was going on, but “I had a funny feeling in my gut,” he told The Post. “I didn’t want to make a mistake. I made a decision, and that was it.”

Stanislav Petrov didn’t push the button. Later investigation showed a malfunction in the warning system. By taking his time and analyzing the situation, Petrov avoided starting nuclear war, and most certainly saved thousands of lives by his thoughtful action (or lack of action, if I may).

Unfortunately, the Soviet military didn’t reward him for his prudence. Instead, embarrassed by their faulty equipment and wanting to keep the incident quiet, they discharged Petrov and put him on a measley $200 a month pension. It wasn’t until a fellow officer published a book in 1998 that Petrov was finally given the distinction he deserves.

We all today owe this man. The world would certainly be a different place if he hadn’t been able to keep his head in an intense situation.

Source Article.

Joseph “Jumpin’ Joe” Beyrle was an amazing man, to say the least. His exploits in the Second World War bordered on unbelievable. He was also the only WWII soldier to fight for both the Soviets and Americans. Beyrle was captured by the Germans on D-Day and declared dead in the attack due to a body being discovered wearing his dog tags. While his family back home in Muskegon, MI mourned his death, Beyrle was being passed through seven Nazi prison camps and along the way tortured and interrogated.  After four months he was finally able to get a postcard out to his family declaring himself a POW and that he was “fine”. I suppose after all those months of torture, being “fine” could only constitute being alive.

Quote from Beyrle regarding his time in the prison camps:

“I told him that he was an S.O.B., and I woke up in a German hospital with the German nurses working on me,” Beyrle recounted in an interview in May. “And I knew I wasn’t dead, because angels don’t speak German.”

After two previous attempts, third time was a charm for Beyrle and he escaped the POW camp. Alone in hostile territory, Beyrle realized that his best hope was to find Soviet troops.

“I knew two words of Russian, ‘Americanski tovarish’” — American comrade. With his hands in the air, Beyrle called out to the Soviet troops. He won their trust by using his demolition skills to blow up trees hindering the advance of the Soviet tank brigade.

Beyrle fought with the Soviets for approximately three weeks before being injured and sent to a hospital in Moscow. There he contacted the U.S. Embassy, but there was debate over whether is was actually him. Records still showed Joseph Beyrle as “deceased”. However, his identity was confirmed and Beyrle was sent home.

Joseph Beyrle passed away in 2004 at the age of 81. NBC posted this article showcasing this amazing man.