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After 911 and the multiple ISIS attacks that have been occurring in the recent years the American population has wrongly been discriminating against this religion. These Muslim Americans are pushing the rest of america and the higher up officials to accept and promote tolerance for all Muslims. They are educating hundreds of people on their religion and clarifying the misconceptions such as all Muslims are dangerous and murders when in reality they do not associate with those extremists. Muslims are just as American as Christians. These leaders are helping to grow the lives of not only Muslim Americans but also the lives of the citizens in the U.S. We need everyone we can to help grow our country in politics and economics and many other areas and we are stronger united so by creating tolerance and love and allowing the Muslims to have more rights and improve America in many ways they are sacrificing themselves for America and this shows they really are true Americans.

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More Muslims must seek public office as Donald Trump "fans the flames of Islamophobia", according to André Carson, who is one of just two Muslim members of the US Congress.

The congressman from Indiana spoke as Muslim communities across the US voice fears of a growing climate of Islamophobia under the US president.

Carson criticised Trump in an interview with the Guardian, adding that while there is "no easy answer", misconceptions over the Islamic faith perpetuated by the administration should serve as motivation for more Muslims to engage in the political process.

"I think they're concerned about [Trump] really encouraging the darker elements of our society to become more pronounced in their intolerance and their bigotry," Carson, a Democrat, said of the feeling among the Muslim communities he represents.

"I think that's disappointing, but I think there's a silver lining," he added, "and that silver lining suggests there's an increase in interest in American political life."

Carson made the comments as Guardian Films publishes a film examining community relations in Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to the biggest mosque in North America. The film features five citizens from different backgrounds, from Muslims to Christians, citizen militias and young university graduates, and explores how they see American identity, and grapple with questions of religion, race and class.

While there is not comprehensive data to provide a number of Muslims who currently hold elected office in local and state bodies around the US, religious discrimination and an increase in hate crimes has spurred more Muslims to explore politics, according to some groups that focus on representing Muslims in the government.

Informal surveys indicate New Jersey leading the way, with at least 14 Muslim Americans currently in public office.

After Trump signed an executive order seeking to ban immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries, one advocacy group, Jetpac, launched a formal campaign designed to encourage more Muslims to run for local office and adopt a more active role in community organizing.

American Muslims in Michigan have gained significant success in running for elected office, and Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit health commissioner, recently announced a run for governor in 2018.

El-Sayed, who would become America's first Muslim governor if elected, said: "The vote for the current president was not a vote of inspiration. It was a vote of fear and cynicism. We have to believe in the unifying idea of us - the people."

Deedra Abboud, US Senate candidate for Arizona

In Arizona, Deedra Abboud, an attorney and community leader, recently announced a run for the US senate in the 2018 midterm elections. Abboud, a Democrat who was subjected to a torrent of online Islamophobic abuse after announcing her candidacy, echoed Carson's call for more Muslims to run for office.

In a comment for the Guardian, Abboud wrote: "It is true that Muslims in America are facing a tidal wave of discrimination, flowing forth from the policies of the current administration and affecting every corner of American society. Clearly, it is more important than ever that we confront the insidiousness that is Islamophobia.

"But how? While Muslims pride themselves on being up to date on national politics, as well as being well versed in world events, when it comes to local politics Muslims are mostly absent. Many Muslims only vote in the presidential elections, if they vote at all.

"We're all busy. We all have families and responsibilities that need our attention. But the time for sitting back and letting others take the lead and do the heavy lifting is over. We have to stop looking around for the perfect leader, and start standing up and being leaders.

"Because knowing what is going on, and even being upset about it, is not enough. We must engage. We must reach out and help others who are struggling, even when we are struggling too. We must form real relationships where we each know we can depend on each other in times of need.

"This means intersectionality. Supporting local causes outside of our Muslim communities. Propping up others being marginalized in today's America. Because while Muslims are the flavor of the month, we aren't the only flavor on the menu.

"We need to start volunteering, running for city councils, for school boards, for state assemblies. United, we rise above the hate. It may seem like Islamophobia is everywhere, but the solution is local. That's where we need to focus."

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Abdul El-Sayed. Photograph: Handout

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for Michigan governor and former health commissioner for Detroit

El-Sayed wrote: "I'm a son of Michigan. My father and mother immigrated to Michigan from Egypt. I was raised by my father and my stepmother, Jackie, a native of Gratiot County, Michigan. This is where I was born and where I was raised. I love Michigan. But we've fallen on hard times. Our politicians seem to have forgotten that government should be for people, by people. Instead, they've bent over backward to accommodate corporate greed.

"Government has to provide a very basic set of goods and services to people who need them, and it has failed to so. Part of that is because corporate politicians like our current president are too busy dividing us rather than uniting us around our common goals.

"Our campaign is about coming together around the idea that the 10 million strong Michiganders can solve our shared challenges because of our shared future. We can unlock our economy, fix our failing public schools, break our dependence on oil, save our Great Lakes and provide everyone with quality healthcare. The vote for the current president was not a vote of inspiration. It was a vote of fear and cynicism. We have to believe in the unifying idea of us - the people.

"I saw the worst of this 'government by spreadsheet' when I was the health commissioner of Detroit. I was rebuilding a health department in Detroit after the city shuttered its 185-year old health department when it was facing state takeover.

"Under the same governor, the state poisoned 9,000 kids in Flint. I realized that, in that moment, our state needed real leadership. I get it - I'm relatively young, relatively brown, and yes, relatively Muslim. But I'm also a physician in a state that has poisoned 9,000 kids, an educator in a state with a failing public school system, and a public servant in a state that is among the least transparent in the nation. And so I decided to stand up."

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Congressman André Carson of Indiana speaks during a press conference about Islamophobia in May 2016 in Washington DC. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

André Carson, US Representative for Indiana's seventh congressional district

Carson said: "There's a great drive for people to become more engaged politically, and we have a responsibility to maintain, preserve and improve our democracy.

"I serve with the directive and drive to be the best representative of the seventh congressional district of Indiana - putting Hoosiers first and thinking about Americans. As a Muslim, my role has been to inform, refute any perceptions or misconceptions about the religion, though I don't purport to be a scholar. But I still think it comes with responsibility to motivate and encourage other Muslims to participate in the political process.

"I think [Muslims] are concerned about Trump fanning the flames of Islamophobia, the anti-immigrant sentiment, and really encouraging the darker elements of our society to become more pronounced in their intolerance and their bigotry. I think that's disappointing, but I think there's a silver lining, and that silver lining suggests there's an increase in interest in American political life. There's a great drive for people to become more engaged politically, and we have a responsibility to maintain, preserve and improve our democracy.

"One of the things that I do when I go across the country, I'll ask how many Muslims are in this particular city or how many Muslims are in the entire state? And even though the Muslim community is not a monolith, there is a mutual interest, even though there are different schools of thought. Usually when there's a sizable enough number ... [I tell them] to focus on building a PAC or even supporting a non-Muslim candidate who is focused on standing up the rights of Muslims.

"The reality is Muslims have been in this country since the inception of this country. We have just as much a right to it as any other citizen in the United States. Embrace the fact that this country is ours and let's engage in the political process. If you're interested in running for political office, don't just step out there, learn, do the research. Identify a campaign that shares your values, some part of it, go door to door, phone bank, help develop policy papers, find your niche and go for it."

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The Muslim Americans leading the push to 'stand up and be leaders' in politics

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More Muslims must seek public office as Donald Trump "fans the flames of Islamophobia", according to André Carson, who is one of just two Muslim members of the US Congress. The congressman from Indiana spoke as Muslim communities across the US voice fears of a growing climate of Islamophobia under the US president.

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Current Civil Rights Activist- Shaun King's Blog 

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Current Civil Rights Activist- Shaun King's Blog 

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Shaun king is the definition of a true American. He fights hard daily for the rights and respect of African Americans living in America. Many people recognize that African American's need to be more respected and given equality in America after discrimination has been institutionalized for so long but not everyone will be willing to fight for it and sacrifice for it. He faces a lot of opposition and criticism daily but in spite of all the hardships he wakes up every morning to fight to improve all people apart of his race and all people in the united states. Equality squalls strength and by Sean King promoting equality he is strengthening and growing the whole country therefore he is an example of a true American.

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Today, there are crucial conversations rippling across North America-conversations happening on social media, on campuses, i n the streets and around dinner tables. In greater numbers, people are talking about real empowerment and liberation for historically disadvantaged groups. When it comes to t

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Justin Dart
In America our constitution, which we all live by states that everyone has the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness but do they all? There is a constant theme that only those who are able and those with good opportunities can get ahead. Justin Dart fights daily for all people with disabilities to be able to have lives just as amazing as the people without disabilities. By sacrificing him self, fighting for the U.S citizens, improving America and most importantly upholding the constitutions that our founding fathers sacrificed everything they had to create, he is the definition of a true American citizen.

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Oprah and all the women who walked the carpet in their black dresses to stand out against sexual assault and rape are he definition of true Americans. They are standing up for change and really following through in promoting it. They are making a difference for all of the rape victims in America and sacrificing their jobs, reputations and emotional well being for the lives of all women in America. Because of their contributions and sacrifices for American citizens they really are true Americans.

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'Me Too' movement takes center stage at Golden Globes

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These Americans realized their rights and duties and this changed the way Americans acted for years to come. Before this generation, they didn't protest or even question the government. These people showed every future generation that they needed to question the government and not blindly follow them. Now American citizens are not afraid to fight for what they believe in. Because of all the sacrifices they made and they way they led future generations and taught them how to be Americans and protest for our country they really are true Americans.

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Lady Gaga is an activist for the LGBTQ community. She is aware of the many struggles they face daily because she herself is bisexual and has experienced so much discrimination because of it. With Trump as our president there are many more officials that oppose the LGBTQ community but Lady Gaga and her millions of followers will not give in and let their rights be taken away. She leads many people to stand up for what they believe in and inspires all to work hard at what they want to accomplish. She has sacrificed so much for all Americans and continues to push all people from all walks of life to fight for what they believe in and never give in. She also continues to earn more rights for hundreds of thousands of people in the LGBTQ community and because of these reasons and many more she is the definition of a true American.

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Lady Gaga - Million Reasons (Live At Royal Variety Performance)

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African American Leader- Harriet Tubman 

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African American Leader- Harriet Tubman 

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Harriet Tubman helped thousands of Americans and her legacy will live on for hundreds of years to come. She saved many African Americans from the horrors of slavery and gave others hope that they will someday be freed. She was the beginning of a huge revolution in supporting the rights of Americans. Like women, African Americans contribute immensely to today's society but sadly they are able to because of the millions of struggles the African Americans faced that came before them. Harriet Tubman contributed to the growth of America because had she not done what she did it is unsure if African Americans would have as many rights as they do today. She sacrificed everything to help them and because of these reasons and many more she is a true American.

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Susan B. Anthony is the definition of a true American by the way she achieved woman's suffrage and improved the whole country. Today in politics and every other area women improve the lives of all American citizens and overall the whole country. Women are able to have such a large impact because of the women who came before them such as Susan B. Anthony. She risked her reputation, well being, happiness and relationships for this cause and used her strength to win and influence others to follow her. Because of her great contributions and the way she helped so many Americans shows that she is a true American.

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President Franklin Delano Roosevelt epitomizes a true American. When our country was in shambles and many people were hungry and 25% of Americans were unemployed FDR swooped in and saved the American economy and all American citizens. He sacrificed so much to be the president including his physical health. In addition when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the whole country was so fearful and hopeless he gave them reassurance and put them at ease. He was loved immensely by all of America. Because of his many contributions, the sacrifices he made for America, the way he improved America and everything in this documentary he is the embodiment of a true American.

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FDR (1982 ABC documentary on president Franklin D. Roosevelt)

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These students went through a horrible tragedy that no American should have to go through. Our officials and government is supposed to protect the youth of America from these atrocities yet in many ways they failed to. Though these children will never forget the day that some of their friends and teachers were killed and their lives were threatened they are standing up to make a change and improve the safety for all American citizens and students. They are sacrificing their time, emotional well being and even their reputations in order to protect the country they love so dearly and everyone in it. Rather than going home and doing their best to forget this horrific day and move on they decided to move forward and promote what they believe in and promote safety in America and because of this and many other things they really are true American's.

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The shooting massacre of 17 people this month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., not only reignited the debate over gun control but also launched a group of teenage activists.

Students from the school have given dozens of interviews, gained hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and visited the White House and the Florida state Capitol. They've challenged senators and congressional representatives on live television and gone viral in videos of their pleas to prevent another slaughter.

Here are some key figures in the #NeverAgain movement.

Emma Gonzalez, 18

Gonzalez, a senior, gave an impassioned speech Saturday at a Ft. Lauderdale rally for gun control.

"Every single person up here today, all these people should be home grieving," Gonzalez said. "But instead we are up here standing together because if all our government and president can do is send 'thoughts and prayers,' then it's time for victims to be the change that we need to see."

"They say no laws could have prevented the hundreds of senseless tragedies that have occurred," Gonzalez later added. "We call b.s."

At a CNN town hall Wednesday, Gonzalez pressed National Rifle Assn. spokeswoman Dana Loesch on whether she believed it should be harder to obtain semiautomatic weapons and modifications, like "bump stocks," that make them fully automatic.

"I don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm, ever," Loesch responded. "I do not think that he should have gotten his hands on any kind of weapon."

Kelsey Friend and David Hogg. Mark Wilson / Getty Images

David Hogg, 17

Hogg, a senior who directs the school's television station, interviewed other students about the shooting while they were under lockdown.

In a widely seen interview on CNN the day after the shooting, Hogg implored lawmakers and the president to take action.

"We're children. You guys are the adults," he said. "You need to take some action and play a role. Work together, come over your politics and get something done."

Hogg, who now has more than 140,00 followers on Twitter, has become a leading face of the student activist movement. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, he criticized President Trump for asking why Democrats hadn't passed gun control legislation when they controlled both houses of Congress under President Obama.

"You're the president," he said. 'You're supposed to bring this nation together, not divide us. How dare you."

During the shooting, Zeif, a senior, exchanged text messages with his 14-year-old brother, Matthew, who was in a classroom one floor up. Matthew's teacher, Scott Beigel, was shot dead after ushering students to safety. Sam later shared the exchange on Twitter, where it was "liked" more than 150,000 times.

"I didn't plan for them to go viral," Zeif said at the White House meeting with Trump. "I just wanted to share with the world because no brothers, or sisters, or family members or anyone should ever have to share those texts with anyone."

Zeif lost Joaquin Oliver, a friend he described as "practically a brother."

"I turned 18 the day after" the shooting, Zeif told Trump. "Woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. And I don't understand why I could still go in a store and buy a weapon of war."

Julia Cordover, 18

Cordover, the senior class president, told Trump at the White House meeting that she hoped a compromise could be reached to prevent further mass shootings.

"I was lucky enough to come home from school, unlike some of my other classmates and teachers. And it's very scary," she said.

Cordover called Trump's move to ban bump stocks "a step in the right direction," but said there was more work ahead.

"I'm confident that you'll do the right thing," she told the president.

Cameron Kasky, 17

Kasky, a junior, was part of a group text that began after the shooting and became a way for friends to support one another and discuss how to respond to the violence.

Those students went on to start the "Never Again" movement. Kasky has said the name was his suggestion.

He also started a GoFundMe page that has raised nearly $2 million for the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., on March 24 and for sister marches across the country.

"Angry, scared, confused, grieving, and sick of the NRA fostering and promoting this gun culture," says Kasky's Twitter profile, which has grown to have more than 150,000 followers.

Cameron Kasky, who survived the school shooting: "Sen. Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?"
Rubio: "People buy into my agenda, and I do support the Second Amendment" #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/ucmVB74g1C
- CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2018

On Wednesday, Kasky got into a heated exchange with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at the CNN town hall, where he repeatedly asked the Republican if he would refuse donations from the National Rifle Assn.

"So, Sen. Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA in the future?" Kasky asked.

"The answer to the question is that people buy into my agenda," Rubio replied. "And I do support the 2nd Amendment. And I also support the right of you and everyone here to be able to go to school and be safe."

Jaclyn Corin, 17

Corin, a junior, hid in a classroom during the shooting. Afterward, she helped organize a bus trip for dozens of classmates to the state Capitol in Tallahassee to rally for gun restrictions.

"I knew that I wanted to change something," Corin told the Naples Daily News. "I'm the type of person, when something bad happens to me, I can't just sit back and cry and go in a ball. I like to speak out and I like to act and distract myself from pain."

Students teared up as they watched the Florida House of Representatives vote down a motion to consider a bill to ban assault rifles. The vote in the Republican-dominated House was 36 to 71.

Kyle Kashuv, 16

A self-described Republican and Trump supporter, Kashuv told CNN after the shooting that he still supported gun rights but believed there should be some restrictions.

"We have such a limited government that should not be totally reliant on ... the police. We should be able to defend ourselves as citizens. I still totally believe that, but I think that there should be a limit to who could acquire such weaponry," he said. "If you're not of the right mind-set, you're not mentally stable, then you should not be able to acquire that."

Kashuv traveled to Tallahassee with his classmates. "Something has to be enacted to make sure this never happens again," he said in an interview on the bus.

He created his Twitter account, @KyleKashuv, during the trip with a one-word bio that reads "#MDSstrong."

Ariana Klein

Klein, a junior, called Trump "a great leader" at the White House meeting on Wednesday and urged ideological enemies to talk more with one another.

"I just want to say that everybody right now is so stuck on what they believe, that they're not even listening to what other people believe. We need to listen to the other points of views," she said. "We all need to realize that we all have different points of views and that we need - this solution is not going to be a singular thing. It's going to be multifaceted and it's going to be created by a collection of different people working together."

"And we all have to realize that we all have our opinions, and together we're going to be able to work to a solution. And this is not just Parkland anymore; this is America. This is every student in every city, everywhere. It's everybody. It's not small. It's everything."

Alfonso Calderon, 16

Calderon made headlines after giving an impassioned speech during a televised news conference as students rallied in Tallahassee. He defended students against critics who said they were too young to understand politics.

"We will not be silenced. It has gone on long enough," he said. "Just because we are kids we are not allowed to understand but, trust me, I understand. I was in a closet, locked for four hours with people who I would consider almost family crying and weeping on me begging for their lives."

"I understand what it's like to text my parents, 'Goodbye, I might never ever get to see you again. I love you.' I understand what it's like to fear for your life. And I don't think we should ever be discredited because of that. I don't think we should ever be silenced because we are just children."

Lorenzo Prado, 17

Prado, a junior, was near tears as he spoke at the same Tallahassee news conference and described hiding in his school's auditorium sound booth and getting pinned down after a SWAT team mistook him for the shooter.

"SWAT comes in, and I thought they were here to rescue me. But then as I go down the stairs, I find out that I was wrong," he said. "I found out that they thought it was me that killed the 17 people. I go down the stairs, they tell me to put my hands up. I, being the fool that I was, tried putting my phone back in my pocket. They demanded again, and I, not trying to be one of those news stories of someone dying wrongfully because they refused to put their hands up, I just dropped my phone at that moment and kept going.

"When I went out those doors, I had six SWAT members pointing their guns at me. I was tossed to the ground. I was unjustly cuffed and held at gunpoint for the degrading and depreciating action of the disturbed individual Nikolas Cruz. I was then put in a corner with a policewoman guarding me. I knew any move I made would be the end of my life. Throughout the entire event, I only felt two things: I felt fear, as I did not know my future. I did not know if I was going to be let go. I did not know where the terrorist was.... The second thing was guilt."

Lane Murdock, 15

Murdock doesn't attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but she said the violence there prompted her to call for a national high school walkout on April 20 that has gained hundreds of thousands of followers and supporters on social media and through a Change.org petition. The date marks the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado that left 13 people dead.

A sophomore at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, a 20-minute drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School, Murdock hopes teenagers around the country will take part in the walkout to honor those who have died in school shootings.

"We're neutral. Some people who are trying to help and support us naturally assume we're politically aligned. We want April 20 to be a day of solidarity for the lives lost. It's about paying our respects," Murdock told the Hartford Courant. "But we also want it to be a day of discourse. Adults fight on the internet, in the press, in politics. A lot of kids don't, and it's because we're open to listening."

A youth movement of the Women's March called EMPOWER is also pushing for a national school walkout at 10 a.m. March 14 among "students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies." The group is suggesting those who walk out stand in silence for 17 minutes, one for each person who died in the Florida massacre.

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These are the Florida students behind the movement to end gun violence

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The shooting massacre of 17 people this month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., not only reignited the debate over gun control but also launched a group of teenage activists. Students from the school have given dozens of interviews, gained hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and visited the White House and the Florida state Capitol.

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These men are definitions of Americans. They sacrificed everything for America and remained loyal no matter what. They really contributed to the safety of American citizens and the prosperity of America. Because of these reasons and everything in the article each one of them is the definition of an American.

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U.S. troops only spent a little over a year and a half in World War I and saw relatively little combat compared to their French and British counterparts. Nevertheless, American "doughboys" played a pivotal role in the offensives that overpowered the beleaguered German army in late-1918. Forced to contend with the horrors of industrialized combat, these troops produced some of the war's most humbling and often tragic stories of heroism. From a balloon-busting fighter ace and a Navy escape artist to one of the most Marine Corps' most legendary sergeants, meet six servicemen who distinguished themselves on the battlefields of World War I.

Alvin York

Sergeant Alvin York was once described as World War I's "greatest civilian soldier," yet he began the conflict as a conscientious objector. A deeply devout man from the small mountain town of Pall Mall, Tennessee, York initially resisted serving on the grounds that violence was against his religion. His request was denied, however, and in May 1918 he arrived in France along with the 82nd Division of the U.S. Army.

York would make his name on October 8, 1918 in a famous incident during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He and around 17 other Americans had just captured troops from a German regiment when they found themselves under heavy fire from enemy machine guns. Nine of the Americans were quickly wounded or killed, but York-a crack shot from his days as a turkey hunter-escaped unscathed and began picking off the German gunners with his rifle. When six of the enemy tried to charge York with bayonets, he drew his .45 pistol and shot them all. He had soon forced the remaining Germans to surrender, and later claimed even more prisoners on his way back to the American lines. All told, York and his men captured 132 enemy soldiers, and he may have singlehandedly killed around 20 German troops. For his efforts, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and several other citations for bravery. Shunning the spotlight, the reluctant soldier returned to his home in Tennessee after the war and took up farming. He later worked to introduce new schools to his mountain community.

Frank Luke

Renegade pilot Frank Luke was America's greatest "balloon buster," the nickname assigned to the brash aviators who attacked German observation balloons used to sight artillery. Luke joined the 27th Aero Squadron in France in July 1918, and wasted little time in aggravating his fellow pilots with his cocky attitude and reckless flying style. Nevertheless, the Arizona-born aviator proved an expert at downing the reconnaissance balloons-dangerous targets that were often guarded by anti-aircraft guns, cannons and enemy fighters. He scored his first kill on September 12, and by September 28 he had claimed 15 victories, including one day in which he shot down two balloons and three enemy planes.

Despite his obvious skill, the headstrong Luke often flouted military regulations and disobeyed orders. His commanding officer tried to ground him on September 29, but Luke ignored the command and took off on a daring solo balloon-busting mission near Murvaux, France. He proceeded to destroy three balloons in quick succession, but was seriously wounded by machine gun fire and forced to ditch his plane near a creek. After climbing from the wreckage, Luke drew his pistol and may have exchanged a few shots with German troops before succumbing to his injuries. By then, the 21-year-old had claimed a remarkable 18 aerial victories in the span of only 18 days. He later became the first ever pilot to receive the Medal of Honor.

Henry Johnson

Henry Johnson was the most famous member of the "Harlem Hellfighters," an all-black National Guard unit that was among the first American forces to arrive in Europe during World War I. Johnson and his fellow African American soldiers spent their early days in the war performing unskilled manual labor before being sent to reinforce the depleted ranks of the French army.

On May 14, 1918, Johnson and another "Hellfighter" named Needham Roberts were serving sentry duty in the Argonne Forest. Just after 2 a.m. the duo was attacked by a detachment of some 20 German troops. Both men had soon been wounded-Roberts so severely that he was unable to stand or shoot-but Johnson held fast and fought back with hand grenades and his rifle. Despite being shot several times, he returned fire until his weapon jammed, and then used it as a club and fought hand to hand until it broke into pieces. When Johnson saw that the Germans were trying to take Roberts prisoner, he drew his one remaining weapon-a bolo knife-and slashed and stabbed several men until the raiding party finally fell back. When the dust cleared, Johnson had inflicted at least a dozen casualties on the Germans and suffered 21 wounds from gunfire and bayonets. Both he and Roberts were later given the Croix de Guerre-one of France's highest military honors-but Johnson's heroic stand went unrewarded in the United States until 1996, when he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. He later received the Distinguished Service Cross in 2003.

Charles Whittlesey

An attorney by trade, Major Charles Whittlesey later made his name as the uncompromising commander of the so-called "Lost Battalion," an American unit that became stuck behind German lines. On October 2, 1918, the bookish and bespectacled Whittlesey led his men into hostile territory as part of a coordinated offensive in the Argonne Forest. But due to poor communication, his unit crossed the rough terrain too swiftly and was soon cut off and enveloped by German forces.

Whittlesey's nearly 600-strong force dug in and established a makeshift defensive line. Despite being low on food, water and ammunition, they spent the next five days dodging sniper fire and repelling wave after wave of German attacks. At one point, their own troops began accidentally shelling their position, but Whittlesey launched a carrier pigeon and managed to stop the barrage of friendly fire. The Americans were later offered a chance to surrender, but Whittlesey held his ground and fought on against increasingly grim odds. Allied reinforcements finally arrived and forced the enemy to retreat on October 8. By then, only 194 of the Americans were still standing, among them Whittlesey, who was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his extreme bravery and coolness under fire. Sadly, Whittlesey remained haunted by the war for the rest of his life, and later committed suicide in 1921 by throwing himself off a ship as it sailed toward Cuba.

Edouard Izac

Navy officer Edouard Izac's remarkable odyssey began on May 31, 1918, when a German submarine torpedoed his ship, the USS President Lincoln, as it sailed near the coast of France. Most of the crew managed to escape, but Izac was captured and taken aboard the U-boat for the journey back to Germany. Unbeknownst to his captors, Izac was the son of German-speaking immigrants, and he used his knowledge of the language to collect vital information on German submarine operations.

Determined to get this intelligence to the Allies, Izac later made several failed escape attempts, including once diving out the window of a moving train. He finally pulled off a successful jailbreak in October 1918, when he scaled the barbed wire fence of his prison camp, stopping along the way to draw fire from the guards to allow other prisoners to flee. Izac spent the next several days sneaking through hostile territory and living off the land before swimming the Rhine River into the safety of neutral Switzerland. Though his information ultimately proved of little use so late in the war, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1920, and went on to serve several years in Congress. At the time of his death in 1990, he was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War I.

Dan Daly

Marine Sergeant Dan Daly entered World War I as one of the United States' most famous Marines, having already won the Medal of Honor on two separate occasions for his service during the Boxer Rebellion and the U.S. occupation of Haiti. The 44-year-old continued to write his name into the history books during June 1918's Battle of Belleau Wood, a month-long offensive that was one of the first major World War I battles fought by U.S. troops. On June 5, Daly bravely extinguished a fire on the verge of igniting a cache of explosive ammunition. Two days later, as his Marines were being shredded by enemy machine gun fire, Daly urged them to leave their cover and counterattack by supposedly screaming the famous words, "Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?!"

Daly's near-suicidal courage was put on display once again on June 10, when he singlehandedly charged a German machine gun nest, killing its commander and taking 14 prisoners. That same day, he made several trips into "no man's land" to drag wounded troops to safety. Daley was wounded later that month during a second solo rescue mission, and suffered two more injuries during the Meuse-Argonne offensive in October 1918. While he was again recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions at Belleau Wood, the military balked at the prospect of any soldier receiving the award three times, and he was instead given the Distinguished Service Cross and the French Medaille Militaire. General Smedley Butler-himself a double Medal of Honor winner-would later describe Daly as, "the fightingest Marine I ever knew."

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U.S. troops only spent a little over a year and a half in World War I and saw relatively little combat compared to their French and British counterparts. Nevertheless, American "doughboys" played a pivotal role in the offensives that overpowered the beleaguered German army in late-1918.

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First KWL chart