You might be familiar with the record of David’s “mighty men” found in 2 Samuel 23. This chapter summarizes the brave men who defied giants, slew lions, and fought single-handedly against hundreds of the enemy. Such men are in their own class—a class rarely seen throughout history. When such individuals do emerge, oftentimes it is in the context of war.

From the bloodshed of World War ii emerged a number of mighty men. Tony Stein was one such man.

Stein enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 20, soon after the U.S. entered the war. Joining the elite, newly formed Paramarines (Marine paratroopers), he served with them in a number of campaigns. During one Bougainville campaign, Stein shot five snipers in a single day. Stein used his experience in toolmaking to his advantage during the war—turning a salvaged, high-powered aircraft machine gun into a personal hand-held weapon he called the Stinger, which he used with great success. After the Paramarines were disbanded in 1944, Stein was promoted to corporal and became an assistant squad leader in the newly formed 5th Marine Division.

February 19, 1945, is his day of honor in the history books. Corporal Stein’s division was part of an amphibious assault on Iwo Jima. Japanese pillboxes were strafing the Americans, pinning his unit down as it attempted to make its way inland. Standing up, Stein exposed himself to enemy fire, drawing it away from his comrades and allowing him time to observe where the fire was coming from. Armed with his Stinger, Stein charged the pillboxes. While his improvised weapon was capable of delivering an immense amount of firepower—it was designed to take down other aircraft—its drawback was that it quickly ran out of ammunition. Emptying his weapon, Stein ran back down the beach to retrieve more bullets, helping back a wounded soldier along the way. Storming back, Stein assaulted another pillbox, again exhausted his ammunition supply, and assisted another wounded soldier back to the beach. Bravely, Stein removed his helmet and shoes to expedite his movement across the sand, grabbed more ammunition, and again stormed the Japanese pillboxes. And again helped a wounded soldier back. And again stormed the pillboxes. And again helped a wounded soldier back.

Unbelievably, Stein repeated these actions a total of eight times, each time single-handedly storming the Japanese pillboxes, each time returning to the beachhead for more ammunition while assisting a wounded soldier, bullets whizzing all around. His gallant and selfless actions succeeded in killing 20 enemy troops, sparing untold American lives.

Corporal Stein’s heroics did not stop there. Even though his Stinger was twice shot out of his hands, he still personally provided cover fire during a later withdrawal of his platoon to its company position.

For his actions that day, Corporal Stein received the Medal of Honor after the war.

Sadly, he would never receive it in person. As the Marines fought to take the island’s Mount Suribachi, Stein was wounded and evacuated to a hospital ship. Upon hearing that his fellow soldiers were sustaining heavy casualties while attacking Hill 362A, Stein left the ship and returned to his unit to give them aid. On March 1, as he led a patrol to examine a stubborn enemy machine gun post, Corporal Stein was gunned down by a sniper.

Thus ended the life of the small-town hero Tony Stein. But his legend would live on. His young widow was there to receive his Medal of Honor, the citation of which concluded:

“Stouthearted and indomitable, Corporal Stein, by his aggressive initiative, sound judgment, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of terrific odds, contributed materially to the fulfillment of his mission, and his outstanding valor throughout the bitter hours of conflict sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.”

Hopefully you will never find yourself storming Japanese bunkers with an improvised weapon. But you don’t have to do that to have the same “stouthearted and indomitable” spirit as Stein. Because even before the war, he exhibited that very same spirit.

Stein’s history before the war is less well known. He dropped out of his North Dayton high school in order to get a job to help support his widowed mother and two younger sisters. At 19, he saved the life of a boy drowning in the Mad River. And though his mother tried to stop him from enlisting in the war, Tony stated that he felt it his duty—that he owed it to his country.

You don’t have to be put into situations of extreme danger in order to be a hero. Being a hero starts out in the home. It starts out with the smallest of responsibilities. How you act in the smallest of ways shows how you will act under intense pressure. Christ said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10).

Work to exemplify the qualities shown by Corporal Stein, in even the smallest of ways. See a need? Fill it. That was the spirit Stein had in providing for his fatherless family. Is there a job to do? Don’t stop until you get it done. That was the spirit Stein showed in running back and forth eight times to destroy the Japanese pillboxes. See others struggling? Work to help them out, even if it is not convenient for you. That was the spirit Stein had in leaving the hospital ship upon hearing that his fellow soldiers were sustaining heavy casualties. That was the spirit Stein had when he was killed leading a patrol to relieve machine gun fire from his comrades.

Exemplify that spirit in the smallest of ways, and when the big trials come, you will be prepared as a mighty man of valor.