Every generation has its heroes, unfortunately only a few of these heroes are remembered for very long. One of these courageous people is Wild Bill Donovan. Although few modern Americans have heard of this man, other than his past comments, he had a tremendous impact on our country that still influences our lives today. Donovan has proven time and again his unwavering dedication to the United States and its people and we should be eternally grateful to him. Our hero was born on New Year's Day 1883, he was a second generation American as his grandparents had all emigrated from Ireland. They initially moved to Canada, but decided to move to Buffalo, New York after a short time. Known as the O'Donovans in their home country, they became known as the Donovans after moving to America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Young Bill had a fairly normal childhood, his father, Timothy P. Donovan, was a middle-class man known for Being hardworking and determined, he worked for a railroad and eventually attempted to pursue a more political career, but was unsuccessful. Anna Letitia Tish, Bill Donovan's mother, did not have a career but was known for her good etiquette and big dreams. Only five of his children survived to adulthood, Bill Donovan being the eldest. He attended two schools, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and Niagara University, before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending college, Donovan became very popular. He was on the varsity rowing team and was a star football player. It was during his football years that he is said to have first earned the title of "savage" for his playing tactics. In 1905, his senior year, he was also voted one of the most "savage" boys. modest” and “handsome” of his class. These early achievements are a testament to his later determination and people skills that helped him achieve success in his life. . However, not to be discouraged by his father's earlier failure to become more politically involved, Donovan decided to pursue a career in law and studied at Columbia Law School for two years. After graduating, Donovan worked for a respected law firm for two more years before successfully starting a private law practice and becoming a well-known attorney. Nonetheless, Donovan wanted to do more than just be a lawyer and began studying military and combat strategies as well as taking acting lessons from a famous old actress named Eleanor Robson. In 1912, he helped create a troop called the New York National Guard that helped police the U.S.-Mexico border. Shortly after, in 1914, he married Ruth Rumsey, a native of his hometown of Buffalo. They had two children, David, born in 1915 and Patricia in 1917, but Patricia later had an accident and died at the age of 23. Donovan's worldwide travels and influence began in 1916 when he tried to convince Britain and Germany to allow shipments to several other European countries. . The same year, he was promoted to major and returned to Buffalo to join the 69th Regiment. Because most of the soldiers in this regiment were of Irish descent, they were known as the "Fighting Irish". Their regiment was later renamed the 165th and several years later a film was made about them. Already high international tensions had actually erupted in 1914, when World War I began, but the United States did notofficially joined the war only in 1917. This war was particularly brutal due to the trench fighting techniques and Donovan was wounded several times but continued to be a powerful defender. example to his men. During the battle, many high-ranking soldiers chose to hide their insignia, but he chose to keep his exposed, telling his soldiers, "They can't hit me and they won't hit you!" » His bravery and unfailing courage in combat made his old university nickname of “Wild Bill” resurface and solidify. By the end of the war in 1918, Donovan had been promoted to colonel and received the Congressional Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, and two Purple Hearts, making him one of the most decorated heroes of the war. Although he had certainly played a role in our country before the war, he was now recognized as a man of loyalty and integrity and, slowly but surely, he began to rise through the ranks. His status continued to grow between the wars as he continued his career in law and became a very successful lawyer on Wall Street. In 1922, he became the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York and gained a reputation as an ardent fighter against crime and alcohol. A year after he got his new job, his agents discovered and confiscated large quantities of illegal alcohol. These drinks belonged to the upper classes of society who had decided to be exempt from alcohol restrictions. This was a particularly difficult time for Donovan, as he faced threats to his life and home, as well as domestic turmoil with his wife and lawyer due to his unyielding stance on illegal liquor issues. He became known for his inspiring arguments before the Supreme Court, but when he decided to run for governor of New York in 1932, he was unsuccessful. The personal charm that had gotten him this far didn't extend directly into the spotlight, and his disorganized campaign collapsed around him. By the time World War II broke out, Donovan was deeply entrenched in the U.S. government. Although he did not win the previous elections, he was very popular with the people and government officials. He was known as a hardworking, passionate and caring person with high moral standards. His hard work between the wars began to bear fruit as he became deeply involved in international affairs. Although he made it clear that he was no friend of Hitler, Mussolini or Stalin, he was allowed to travel to the Italian front and speak with several figures in Nazi Germany . Roosevelt also forgave him for the brutality of his campaign because of his foreign connections and his political popularity which had increased significantly thanks to the film The Fighting 69th which told the story of his regiments during World War I. As Donovan and Roosevelt grew closer, he was given increasingly important missions. One of the most notable assignments he received was to become an emissary to Britain. During this period he became acquainted with several high-ranking officials, including Winston Churchill and King George VI. Over time, he gained unlimited access to all British classified information and became so popular with the British that he was asked to become the new United States ambassador, although this request was refused. In addition to the British, Donovan was invited to examine the U.S. Navy in the Pacific and attempted to convince several countries in the Middle East and Mediterranean to stand up to..