1Mathew Charles Lamb's Troubled Enlistment
Following his release from the hospital on his psychiatrist's advice, Mathew Charles Lamb, a Canadian spree killer found not guilty by reason of insanity, enlisted in the Rhodesian Army and later died in combat.
2. During World War II, the U.S. government exposed 60,000 enlisted men to mustard gas to test for racial differences in chemical sensitivity.
3. In World War I, the British Army had special units called Bantams for men under 5'3" who would otherwise be too short to enlist.
4. Curtis King, the oldest known soldier to serve during the American Civil War, enlisted in the Union Army at 80 years old and served his country honorably.
5. The recruiting guidelines of the US Army, Air Force, and Marines expressly forbid enlisting in the military to avoid jail time, but not the Navy.
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6Jack Kerouac's Drunken Enlistment
Popular American novelist Jack Kerouac once got so drunk that he enlisted in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard all on the same day.
7. During the Vietnam War, enlisted troops protested against the war through underground newspapers, which included bounties on officers, illegal political articles, cartoons, and information about illicit drugs.
8. The Japanese Military uses the anime "Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri" ("Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There")-which depicts the Japanese Self-Defense Forces fighting monsters in another universe-to encourage people to enlist in the military.
9. During World War I, the UK had a program where men from the same town could enlist together and fight side by side.
10. The U.S. military uses a 'context-based' learning technique from the Mormon Church to teach new languages to recruits in as little as five weeks, even enlisting former missionaries for the Army's Intelligence Brigade.
11Hitler's Nephew's Enlistment
When Hitler's nephew enlisted in the US Navy, the recruiting officer supposedly remarked, "Glad to see you, Hitler. My name's Hess."
12. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle attempted to enlist when World War I broke out at the age of 55, stating, "I am 55, but I am very strong and hardy, and I can make my voice audible at great distances."
13. The U.S. Marshals still possess the common law-based power to enlist any willing civilians as deputies, a practice also known in the Old West as forming a posse.
14. Harry Truman attempted to enlist in the Army before becoming president, but an eye chart test revealed he had 20/400 vision in his left eye, exceeding the legal blindness standard. After memorizing the eye chart, he took the test a second time and successfully enlisted.
15. During World War I, California's schoolchildren were enlisted in a campaign against squirrels, resulting in over 100,000 ground squirrel casualties.
16Civil War Drummer Boy's Heroism
During the American Civil War, 14-year-old William Horsfall enlisted in the Union Army as a drummer boy. During a battle, he ran into the battlefield amidst gunfire to save his wounded captain. He received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
17. During World War II, thousands of second-generation Japanese-Americans enlisted in the Army and attended the Military Intelligence Service Language School to study Japanese. They learned specific military terms and trained to become interpreters, interrogators, and intelligence officers.
18. During World War I, Mom?ilo Gavri?, at age 8, lost his entire family to a war crime. He then enlisted in a nearby artillery unit, identified the location of the enemy soldiers who had killed his family, and participated in the bombardment that wiped out the entire enemy unit.
19. During the Civil War, 250 Union soldiers surrendered to the Confederates, enlisted in the Confederate Army while held as POWs, were recaptured by the Union Army, and then re-enlisted as Union soldiers. They were called Galvanized Yankees.
20. In 1861, Sarah Seelye, at age 17, enlisted in the Civil War disguised as a man to escape an unwanted marriage. Ironically, her duties involved penetrating Confederate lines while "disguised" as a woman. In 1863, after contracting malaria, she deserted the Army and resumed life as a female.
21Reginald Francis Cheese's Name Change
When Reginald Francis Cheese enlisted in the British Army during World War I, he used the surname "Cleese" because he found his real surname embarrassing. In 1923, he officially changed his surname to Cleese, and he became the father of the famous comedian John Cleese.
22. During the Battle of the Bulge, suspicious American guards asked David Niven, the only British star in Hollywood to enlist during World War II, who had won the World Series in 1943. He responded, "Haven't the foggiest idea... but I did co-star with Ginger Rogers in 'Bachelor Mother'!"
23. Yoshio Nakamura, an American citizen of Japanese descent, was sent to an internment camp during World War II but later enlisted in the Army and fought in Italy to break the German line. He used his GI Bill to earn a degree to become a teacher, but school districts refused to hire him due to his heritage.
24. Ernest "Boots" Thomas, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, managed to enlist despite being color-blind by memorizing another man's test results.
25. Upon enlisting in World War II, the US Army hired comic book legend Stan Lee as one of nine "playwrights." Among the other playwrights were Dr. Seuss and director Frank Capra.
