Looking for a hero

Looking for a hero?

I recently read an article asking the question, “Where have all the heroes gone?” I recall asking the same question to my brother and he quickly replied, “Easy, they are all serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. His reply echoed my own feelings, I just did not want to state that, afraid of putting it in his mind before his answer.

Over the past months I have followed a few of our troops in service to their country. Their blogs were enlightening, thought provoking and at times caused me to shed a tear right along with them. Their comments on loosing a fellow soldier or marine would place me in another time and place, another war, another life and I would sit back reflecting on this while reading their blogs. I must confess that I would become totally wrapped up in their thoughts and would become very emotional. Brotherhood and I miss it.

I see kids at bus stops showing book covers displaying images of rappers to each other, these are their heroes and that is sad, very sad. Look to Iraq, look to Afghanistan, these men and women are the heroes of today. Not the rappers hashing out their lives in song and verse in an attempt to show the world how bad they are. Not the actor’s in the movies, for that is acting, not life. Ask Bruce Willis who his heroes are, he will show you the photo presented to him from The Deuce Four, a returning unit from Iraq. Read the story on Michael Yon: Online Magazine, The Punisher’s Ball. This article is packed with heroes, each and every person from the unit is one, but don’t ask them if they are, they were only doing their job. Ask Danjel Bout, an officer serving as Commander of A Co, 1-184 IN, 3ID in Southern Baghdad. He will tell you of the men he has lost, they are his heroes. Read his blog, 365 and a wakeup and you will agree.

Most dictionaries describe a hero as a person performing an extraordinary and praiseworthy deed. The Greeks loved their heroes and Homer immortalized them in his epic poem, The Iliad. They were always flawed though, as Achilles searching for his immortality through battle. Their heroes had these flaws to make them more human, relating to a God or Demigod was a harder thing to do.

The heroes of today can be found in many uniforms, many braches of service and in both sexes. They look death squarely in the face and return reborn with new insights into life. They have lost friends, they have sacrificed and in return they ask nothing. Most don’t even like the attention they receive when a medal is bestowed upon them. Ask most honored by a Silver Star or Navy Cross if they earned it. Most will tell you it was the other person, the one who lost their life, always someone else except them. When you ask them remember this, medals are not won, they are awarded.

If you or your children are looking for a personal hero I suggest you go to Milblogging.com, most military blogs are listed here. Find one of the many blogs of active duty military serving in harm’s way. Read their story. I’ll bet you will find a hero. In fact I know it.