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When Sergeant William Carter was wounded in Burma, the jungle was 40 miles to Allied lines. His unit was ordered to retreat - no casualties could be carried. The Japanese were close enough to hear.
Private George Bradford said "I'm not leaving him." Three men volunteered to help. For 8 days, they carried Carter through jungle so thick they chopped paths with bayonets.
They ate berries, drank from streams, slept 2 hours a night. Bradford lost 30 pounds. Carter's wound festered, smelled, attracted insects. They never complained.
On day 8, they heard English voices - a British patrol. When carried to safety, Carter grabbed Bradford's hand: "You stupid bastard. You could have died." Bradford smiled: "Would have been easier than explaining to your wife why I left you."
Carter lived to 89. Every birthday, he called Bradford. "That's the day I was reborn," Carter said, "and George delivered me."
Heartfelt WWII Stories
True accounts of courage, sacrifice, and the enduring human spirit during humanity's darkest hour
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The Soldier Who Carried His Sergeant 40 Miles
"40 miles through hell, carried by friendship"