Richard J. Flaherty, Mighty Mouse / The Giant Killer

This guy was the smallest US soldier on record. Richard J Flaherty enlisted into the vietnam-war out of stamford connecticut. Despite being below the height requirement of 5 feet at only 4 foot 9, he received a waiver to join the US army. He would become a member of the famous one hundred and first airborne where he was deployed as a platoon leader in vietnam in december 1967. Company C faced increasingly intense altercations, but his leadership was outstanding. at one point he even dawned enemy clothing and went solo behind enemy lines to find lost American soldiers and bring them back to Company C. After his tour, he became a Green Beret, having to obtain yet another height waiver, and he was sent back to vietnam to engage in special operations behind enemy lines. however, he was sent home in 1971 due to a downsizing in the armed forces. he was troubled in trying to acclimate to normal life, and his fiance died in 1975. he went to work for the CIA, DEA, and private contractors. while living in a homeless shelter in miami, on may 9th 2015, flaherty was killed by a hit and run driver.