10 War Heroes Who Were Abandoned By Their Home Countries

The drinking age was 18 back then.

It seems the real hero's are not recognized because of their skin color disgusting how cowards try to hide the truth

I'm surprised that there was no mention of Alan Turing - although he was a civilian, he did just as much for Allied victory during World War 2 as anyone fighting on the frontline! He was a codebreaker based at Station X - Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. And a he built a machine called "Colossus" - a massive computer designed to decode the "Lorenz" cypher used by the German high command, from which all modern computers can trace their ancestory.

However, Turing was effectively rejected by the British Government after the War due his homosexuality (something that was only decriminalised in the UK in 1967!), and was forced to undergo Chemical Castration after being convicted of homosexual acts under the 1885 Labouchere Amendment instead of a prison sentence in 1952.

Turing died of cyanide poisoning in 1954 (supposedly from eating a poisoned apple) - this was ruled as suicide at his inquest, although it may have been accidental.

In 2009, the then British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, made an official public apology on behalf of the British Government for the appaling way in which he was treated, and in 2013, the Queen granted Turing a posthumous pardon.

The 2014 film "The Imitation Game" looks at his life and work.

read Hackworths ABOUT FACE.......that guy should have been running the show

I wouldn't use The Mail Online as a reliable source

4 - Brian ‘Woody’ Wood, was a Corporal at The Battle of Danny Boy and he served with PWRR, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, also known as the Tigers, he was famed for leading the first bayonet charge by The British army in 25 Years, he has an amazing book out called ‘Double Crossed’ his story is also coming to the big screen, although he left the regiment some years ago as a Colour Sergeant, he still does plenty to support the veterans community and his old regiment

Gurkhas only join for the great pension, british army pension in nepal, loaded for rest of life, its not an honor to be a brit solider, ye are the scorn of the earth and the world would be better of with out england, but not you simone your the best.

There is a very apt military acronym: BOHICA. It stands for "Bend Over Here It Comes Again" usually used when your superior officers are about screw you over - again. (My parents are both retired US Navy, and I learned more than just my cursing prowess from them LOL. I'm still traumatized from finding out what a "dingleberry" is - if you don't know, you don't want to . . . trust me)

Sgt. Tommy Prince, Canada's highest decorated Indigenous soldier, was abandoned by Canada after his service

Great list thank you! If I was going to get a tattoo, (I have none) it would be a simple list of names like these men largely forgotten by history because of bigotry. I am not worthy to carry such a list but at least when people asked about the names I could relate the story of these heroic men abused in their time due to minority and colored status.

One name you missed is IRA HAYES. Johnny cash wrote a song about him. He is immortalized in famous statue but died of alcoholism on a reservation, face down in an irrigation ditch, way too early, in his 30s I believe. Say his name.

LMAO. Na Va Ho? It's Navajo. geez

Sam Manekshaw is an Indian and the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal

Many ex soldiers are homeless on the streets of the UK. It’s very sad!

Shout out Edward Carter and Henry Jackson ✊

I'm surprised to see Polish badass WW2 hero Witold Pilecki couldn't make the list. Karel Janoušek, rather forgotten by many is another hero from former Czechoslovakia deserves a mention too.

erm... you said Henry Johnson died aged 32, but the American national Biography page you showed put his birth and death 38 years apart (1891 - 1929). Not saying that dying at 38 is much better than 32 of course. This story is a sad reflection on the way the American public have treated their veterans for many years. Poor Henry, of course, had the double misfortune of not only being a veteran but also being black. Thankfully it seems, from over here at least, that whole swathe's of the American public are at last giving their veterans the respect that they deserve. Now if only the same were true in the UK.

Is it just me or were a lot of them black.

Roy benavidez steps on a land mine: “tis but a scratch!”

Cpt. Richard J. Flaherty Special Forces Vietnam. 4'9'' feet tall, (the shortest man to ever serve at that time)a decorated veteran, homeless and penniless, killed by a hit and run driver while crossing the street. He did have a 'checkered past' but guess what? Who doesn't? And he died after being abused by the system that should have held him in higher regard.

The word Navajo seems to be the same for you as Cumberbatch's word Penguin...but still super grateful for the perspective. well done :-)

I'm really happy that you included the Navajo code talkers but you didn't mention Ira Hayes and he's a badass worth learning about

i live in a small town of jefferson oregon and at the edge of town up on a hill by the cemetary is massive statues and monuments called the all nations monuments and a large portion of it is dedicated to the ww2 navajo code talkers and other ignored achievments of native americans

I knew a couple of the Code Talkers and still wear a cap one daughter beaded as we were listening to him speak.

When doing top 10 lists, someone will always be left behind. If you ever do this again, maybe you would do 15 and include Ira Hays, one of the 3 Marines who raised the American Flag in Iwo Jima. He had difficulty returning to the US and invisibility once again. He is held in high regard with many of the Native Tribes and Johnny Cash did a song about him called Ira Hays

Simon - come on man! A little more outrage needed. You tend to be awfully soft on your own government - especially since most of their wrongdoing continues to this day and nothing is being done to remedy the situation.

Nothing but love and support for our armed forces!

So much racism 😢

“Tragically, the number of veterans is dwindling” Their treatment has been tragic; however, dying of old age is not tragic. Tragic implies we can do something about it.

Most soldiers are treated like trash by the governments of the counties they protect discrimination or not

Add to this list the thousands of Afghani translators we will probably leave behind.

Thank you

Dané, Navajo is a slur... Fyi

Ira Hayes, the US just used him for war bond drives, than after WW2, forgot about him

Sadly, this trend continues. Trump’s administration deported quite a few veterans to Mexico, many of which had never been to the country in their lives. They’re still fighting to get back into the US.

Thank you for including Henry Johnson! ❤️ this channel

It's depressing how much this list of heroes is dominated by racism. Being retired Army myself, I can unfortunately say that not a lot has changed, at least not socially, regardless of changes in the laws.

Nav·a·jo
/ˈnävəˌhō,ˈnavəˌhō/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1.
a member of a North American people of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
2.
the Athabaskan language of the Navajo.
adjective
relating to the Navajo or their language.

The Missisipi Delta was once named a third world standart by an UN official.

There were at least 14 other Native nations, including the Cherokee and Comanche, that served as code talkers in both the Pacific and Europe during WWII

On the Navajo code talkers, there was another military code that had never been broken: Italy's use of Sardinian code talkers during World War I, based on the fact only Sardinians and a few Corsicans can understand Sardinian languae.

Because of the cold war, navajo code talkers could not talk or share any information regarding the navajo language as a code. It wasn't until the late 80s that the US gave them public recognition.

Many of these British soldiers from Africa were kidnapped from their homelands and forced to serve the empire that was stealing their farmland and resources. That itself is the crime. It was not just that they were abadoned later.

There are hundreds of Americans still stuck in Afghanistan

How about TopTenz shows some RESPECT for their fallen heroes, the title 10 War Heroes who were abandoned by their home countries.
TopTenz just abandoned Edward A. Carter who received his MoH in 1997 because NordVPN is more important than Edward Carter
Thats why TopTenz gets a thumbsdown/dislike from me. Here's a tip, don't advertise when showing war heroe's, show some RESPECT

Vaguely remember a classmate in high school who was obsessed with Rommel. He could easily recite the man’s life and exploits; a fanboy, so to speak.

As far as the code talkers, yes the Navajo got it all started but in the end there were many, many different tribes that became code talkers. The U.S. Mint sums my point up best; "As part of the U.S. Armed Services during World War I and World War II, Native American code talkers were used to relay secret communications in their tribal language. Since 2008, the Code Talkers Recognition Act has enabled the Secretary of the Treasury to Strike Congressional Medals in gold honoring each Native American tribe that had a member who served as a code talker. Beautiful replicas of those medals are available in bronze from the United States Mint."

Hackworth did not resign. Officially he was retired and received a pension.

Most people don’t know Medal of Honor winners are entitled to a tax-free pension of $1,400/ month regardless of other income, at 65.

I read that 40% of native Americans in America dont have running water or electricity. Can we at least get them that for gods sake? This is America, no one should live ljke that here. Sad and ridiculous

I'm personally appalled by these governments neglect and ignorance of these true war heroes. Also, it was never appropriate for obama to award the US medal of honor, because he NEVER served a second in any US military uniform, and I personally believe that his birth to his American, (Marxist leaning) mother,(100% Caucasian), and his low level British protectorate of Kenyan, namesake ,father Barack H. Obama Sr., NEGATES his eligibility to be potus, and therefore puts his ability to present the US CMH, dubious to say the least!