People say what he did was almost impossible!
Here’s a photo of 18-year-old Richard J. Flaherty in high school (top middle). After finishing school, Richard spent years writing letters, asking different parts of the military to give him a chance to join — even though he was much smaller than most.
At last, Connecticut State Senator Thomas Dodd stepped in to help. Thanks to his support, Richard — who was only 4’9″ tall and weighed just 97 pounds — got a medical waiver to join the Army, even though the rule said you had to be at least 5 feet tall.
Richard didn’t just join — he became a Green Beret Captain and earned some of the military’s highest honors during the Vietnam War: The Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.