Have you ever heard the story of Calvin Graham? If you haven’t, this is fair warning: it’s going to make you feel like an old geezer.

Not because he’s young now (he actually passed away in 1992) but he once was, at the start of World War II, when he enlisted in the United States Navy in Houston following the attack on Pearl Harbor on August 15, 1942 …

… at the age of 12.

No your eyes aren’t bleary. You don’t need to get a new eyeglass prescription. Or a fresh cup of coffee. Graham wasn’t even a teenager when he became a sailor in the military. He was born in 1930 — and you know when Pearl Harbor happened, so it’s easy to do the math.

After joining he soon saw action, in the Battle of Santa Cruz, and was wounded during the Battle of Guadalcanal when he was hit by shrapnel while relaying a note to his commander. The ship he was on, the South Dakota, was eventually sailed on back to the U.S. where it received much-needed repairs. It was at this point that Graham’s age was revealed when he attended a family funeral without permission from the military, and he was discharged.

His story from there is winding, sad, but ultimately redemptive (his long but victorious fight to be recognized as a veteran, possess the medals he earned and receive full benefits is legendary).

It even includes a later stint in the Marine Corps, that abruptly ended in 1951 when he fell from a pier and severely damaged his back.

To see how it looked on the big screen back in 1988, check out the following footage, which is a movie based on his life titled Too Young The Hero:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVSMncKEFF4