Alexey Maresyev

Russian fighter pilot Alexey Maresyev’s plane was shot down by the Germans in 1942 and he crash landed in enemy territory. Both his legs were severely mangled, but he managed to get himself to the friendly turf after crawling for 18 days in the snow. His legs had to be amputated below the knee. He got himself on crutches and prosthetics and within a year danced in front of a judge to prove he was battle ready. He then went on to fly 86 combat missions and took out 11 enemy warplanes.