--- title: "The shortest soldier in American history was a Green Beret who fought in Vietnam" description: "This would-be Captain America was just 4’9”, three inches too short for Army service. It was the result of his mother’s rare blood type." date: "2022-03-04" modified: "2026-02-25" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/featured/the-shortest-soldier-to-fight-in-vietnam-was-a-green-beret/" categories: - "Heroes" - "History" - "Special Operations" - "Tactical" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" tags: - "America250" - "Army" - "Famous Veterans" - "Special Operations" - "Vietnam War" --- # The shortest soldier in American history was a Green Beret who fought in Vietnam ![giant killer richard flaherty vietnam green beret]() *The "Giant Killer" Richard Flaherty (center) served with the U.S. Army's Special Forces in Vietnam. ("The Giant Killer")* Many American men were trying to avoid [serving the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s](), but at least one American man was trying anything to get in—and it wasn't Steve Rogers. Captain Richard Flaherty had to get a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War. He wasn’t flat-footed, he had no debilitating conditions, and he was an otherwise perfectly healthy young man. His only problem was that he stood four feet, nine inches tall. **Also Read: [How US soldiers transformed cargo vehicles into fighting machines in Vietnam]()** Some 385,000 [American troops were sent to Vietnam]() in 1966, the year Flaherty graduated from high school. U.S. involvement in the Southeast Asian country had more than doubled since 1965. Meanwhile, network television news was filled with the stories of young men dying in combat to stem the spread of communism to South Vietnam. That didn't deter Flaherty from trying to serve. With the draft in full swing, many American males of a certain age did what they could to avoid being drafted or otherwise qualifying for military service. Some even fled to Canada to escape conscription. The young man from Stamford, Connecticut, was not one of them. This would-be Captain America was just three inches too short for Army service, a condition resulting from his mother’s rare blood type that left him vulnerable to oxygen deprivation as an infant. It stunted his growth as a teen, so when it came time to weigh in, Flaherty barely tipped the scale at 100 pounds. ![]() *The original Short King.* Though there was nothing he could do to grow three inches in less than a year (or any other time frame, likely), what he *could* do was gain weight. So he began to eat and stay in fighting shape, as he was an avid sportsman in high school, and was especially good at martial arts. When he finally got past the 100-pound mark, he petitioned his congressman to obtain a waiver for the Army’s height restrictions. There is, it turns out, a waiver for everything. Even during wartime. In September of 1966, Rep. Donald J. Irwin of Connecticut got in touch with the U.S. Army Surgeon General, who recommended a waiver for Flaherty’s height. Flaherty enlisted that same year, finishing basic training, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and deploying to South Vietnam as a fresh-faced second lieutenant. He first deployed to Southeast Asia in 1968 as a [member of the 101st Airborne Division](). But 1968 was a tumultuous year for service members in Vietnam. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, when U.S. troop numbers peaked at more than half a million. It was also the most expensive and deadliest year of the war. ![Seven soldiers in military uniforms and helmets are standing and walking in a dry, sparse wooded area with patches of grass and dirt. They are carrying rifles and wearing backpacks and gear, appearing to be on patrol or in a field operation. The scene has a muted, natural color palette.]() *Flaherty on a patrol. (From "The Giant Killer") Flaherty on a patrol.* Flaherty and his men did not escape that violence. His unit in the 101st was ambushed as it passed a hidden North Vietnamese bunker, hitting the Americans hard with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. But Flaherty soon located the bunker, rallied his soldiers, and led a charge under heavy fire that cleared the area of enemy troops. For his leadership and heroism, he was awarded the Silver Star. He returned to the U.S. that same year [to attend the Army Special Warfare School]() at Fort Bragg, where he earned the coveted green beret. Flaherty would return to Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed there until 1971. During this deployment, he was promoted to captain, earned two Bronze Stars, and was wounded in combat twice, receiving a Purple Heart for each time. Flaherty left the Army in 1971 and attended the University of Miami in Florida. After his girlfriend died in a tragic car accident, his life also took a sharp turn. He had a few run-ins with the law before becoming a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. By 1990, he was homeless and living on the streets of Aventura, Florida. Sadly, Richard Flaherty was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2015. The only reason anything is known about his past is that he shared it with an Aventura cop before he died, and the two maintained a long, if unexpected friendship. Today, Flaherty is buried in an unmarked grave in Milton, West Virginia. Flaherty's close friend, David Yuzuk, used his own money to launch a crowdfunding campaign to produce a documentary about his complicated but fascinating life. That film, “[The Giant Killer](),” is available on Amazon Prime and iTunes. Yuzuk [told the West Virginia ]()[Gazette]() that he hopes the documentary will make people think twice about judging the homeless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutsThmKGL8 ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty **• [The real story of Jane Fonda and the Vietnam vets who hate her]()** **• [17 wild facts about the Vietnam War]()** **• [Here’s how much Captain America would have made in back pay]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()