Good Boys from Bad Homes
Before we get into the story, it’s worth noting that Graham wasn’t the only kid who lied about his age to fight the war. A lot of young boys at the time couldn’t wait for their 17th birthday (the minimum age for enlistees). And it wasn’t necessarily out of patriotism, but because they came from broken homes and troubled families.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
But still, you have to appreciate the guts they had to enlist themselves in an ordeal that could end their lives. The Underage Veterans Association reported that over 200,000 youthful patriots sneaked their way into the war. But according to national commander Allan Stover, “Calvin was by far the youngest.”