This MARINE Killed Zeros, Sank Ships… and Went Down Actually Swinging!

#usa #military #usmc In the opening days of WWII, Hammerin Hank Elrod went toe-to-toe with Japan’s air armada over Wake Island — gunning down bombers and Zeroes in a beat-up Wildcat. When he ran out of ammo, he didn’t quit. He loaded one last 100-pound bomb, dove through a wall of flak, and sank a Japanese destroyer all by himself. When his plane was finally destroyed, he grabbed a rifle and kept fighting on the ground. As Japanese landing craft hit the beach, he charged straight into the fire — hurling grenades, wiping out a machine-gun crew, and turning their own gun back on them until he was cut down defending his Marines. That’s not just bravery — that’s American legend. If you believe heroes like Hammerin’ Hank deserve to be remembered, please help me fight back. Watch, like, comment, and share — keep his name alive.. 🔗 SOURCES & FURTHER READING: 📖 Congressional Medal of Honor Citation – Captain Henry T. Elrod https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/henry-t-elrod 📖 National Museum of the Marine Corps – Wake Island Defenders https://www.usmcmuseum.com/uploads/6/0/3/6/60364049/henry_elrod.pdf 📖 National World War 2 Museum – The Defense of Wake Island https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-of-wake-island-1941 📖 Military Times Hall of Valor – Capt. Henry T. Elrod https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-1327/#:~:text=When%20his%20plane%20was%20disabled,to%20provide%20covering%20fire%20for 📚 RECOMMENDED READS: Wake Island: The Heroic Gallant Fight – Duane Schultz 📺 CHAPTERS 00:00 – 01:41 The Devil Dog Who Could 01:42 – 03:59 The Japanese War Machine 04:00 – 05:33 Before Wake 05:34 – 07:18 The Japanese Attack Wake Island 07:19 – 10:25 Hammerin’ Hank 10:26 – 12:58 Elrod's Last Stand 12:59 – 16:17 Semper Fidelis @AmericanMilitaryNetwork