Being a hero is tough – if not, then we would all be heroes. Many heroes go unrecognized, and of those who are, the recognition seldom lasts for long before their deeds are forgotten. From a heroic World War I nurse, to a heroic WWII spy, following are thirty-five things about heroes whose deeds are little known today.
35. The WWI Heroine Who Saved Hundreds of Lives, and Paid for it With Her Own
Unlike in the movies and comics, the hero in real life seldom wears a cape and tight-fitting leotards. In the case of real-life heroine Edith Cavell (1865 – 1915), she wore a nurse’s smock and cap. As a middle-aged woman, Cavell saved hundreds of lives during WWI. She was not armed with a gun when she did that. Instead, she was armed and armored by faith and a sense of basic decency that compelled her to help those in need.
Also, unlike the movies and comics, her story did not have a happy ending. Because it happened in real life, and in real life, the hero comes to grief more often than not, Edith Cavell’s heroism got her executed by a firing squad.