We begin with the Unknown Soldier in "I'll Never Die," which is written and drawn by Joe Kubert. An unnamed man and his brother named Harry enlist in the United States Army two months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They are assigned to the Philippines when the Pacific War breaks out. The Japanese soon invaded the Philippines where the brothers fight off wave after wave of invading Japanese soldiers.
In their foxhole, Harry tells his brother not to lose hope even though they are outnumbered, because "one guy can affect the outcome of a whole war! One guy in the right place… at the right time…" Eventually, a grenade lands near their foxhole and Harry throws himself on it and is killed instantly. But the explosion also injured Harry's brother's face. Deeply distraught and enraged by the loss of his brother, the man single-handedly beats the remaining Japanese soldiers. Two G.I. medics soon find the man and take him to a First Aid station. However, the doctors are unable to restore his face.
The soldier is flown back to America on the last aircraft leaving the Philippines before it falls to the Japanese. He recovers in a veterans hospital outside of Washington until being discharged, and soon he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions. But the man declines the medal and, inspired by Harry's words, wants to become that "one man in the right place." His previous identity is erased and he undergoes intensive training to become an intelligence operative code-named "The Unknown Soldier." This story depicts him with his trademark bandaged face for the first time and was reprinted in Showcase Presents the Unknown Soldier Vol. 1 TPB (2007).
Our backup story is Enemy Ace in "Killer of the Skies" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and is reprinted from Showcase #57 (1965). While returning from a mission low on fuel, Enemy Ace is attacked by a French plane. He manages to escape the enemy's sights, then returns fire. He downs the French fighter and a bomber, but he is wounded in the encounter.
After returning to base, Von Hammer witnesses two German pilots fleeing from a Canadian ace called the Hunter. Enemy Ace forces the pilots to meet the Hunter's challenge. They are both shot down by the Canadian's superior flying skills. Enemy Ace vows to meet the Hunter in the skies at a later time.
Von Hammer recovers from his wounds and takes to the air to meet the Hunter. Both pilots are skilled and manage to damage their opponent's plane. Both pilots bring their planes in for crash landings. Von Hammer is uninjured, but the Hunter soon dies from the injuries sustained in the crash. Though a reprint, this story has been heavily reworked, including two new half-page panels.
Edited by Joe Kubert.
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