In his book, "I'll Be Damned," Eric Braeden opened up about the challenges he faced very early on. Born during the height of World War II, his family struggled during the Nazi-led occupation of Germany. By the time he was 12, his father had died of a heart attack, leaving his mother to raise her four sons on her own. Braeden also said that he is a survivor of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff sinking in 1945; he and his family were on the ship with other Germans fleeing the Russian army, as detailed by Soap Hub. Over 9,000 people lost their lives in the tragedy, which is regarded as one of the deadliest disasters at sea in history.

Thankfully, Braeden grew up to become a very talented athlete and managed to win a partial scholarship for his track and field talents at Montana State University in 1959. "The great thing about America, what I've loved about it, is how sports-friendly it is," the actor told ESPN in 2012. "In America, sports are respected and loved."

However, all of those years of running, playing soccer, and even boxing forced Braeden to have knee surgery in early 2023, which led to another shocking discovery and turn in his life.