How a 12-Year-Old Conned His Way Into the US Navy During World War II
By Sophie Weiner
Jan 12, 2018
In 1942, Calvin Graham, a Texas native, enlisted in the U.S. Navy to fight in World War II. He was only 11 years old. Graham had run away from his abusive father and spent time on the street selling newspapers, but when the war began, he sensed an opportunity to get even further away, as is detailed in this video from Today I Found Out.
In the 1940s, faking your identity was a whole lot easier than it is today. All Graham had to do was fake his mother's signature and steal a notary stamp. He made it through the physical examination to get into the army, probably in part because he was big for his age, at 5'2" and 125 pounds.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a15073478/youngest-world-war-ii-soldier/
