The Heroes Among Us

Today, if you ask someone about "Heroes" you're as likely to get a comment about how great a television show it is as to actually engage in a dialogue about those men and women among us who ARE heroes. I live in southern California and have watched the fires burn around me, leaving many hundreds of thousands of people homeless or living in an NFL stadium in San Diego. The news coverage inevitably slants toward the sensational which is necessary, yes, but also a bit unfortunate because in the midst of such unspeakable tragedy if we look closely enough we see a glimmer of hope. We see something so special and it helps to crystallize how unique America is in this world. We see heroes among us.

If you look around the world you will not find another place where fellow citizens so willingly lay down their lives for their friends, their neighbors, their countrymen. We saw it in the terrible hours and days after September 11th brought Islamic terrorism to our shores when New York's police and fire fighters ran into burning buildings and risked and often gave their lives to save others. We see it when wildfires burn our beautiful environment to the ground and put homes at risk, and our first-responders risk and often give their lives to save others and their homes. We see it all around the world when our nation's finest put on the uniform of the United States of America and defend our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by engaging Islamic terrorists in every corner of the world so that we don't have to watch our buildings burn and our friends and neighbors die at the hands of unspeakable evil.

This morning, Oliver North wrote the following: "Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith was 33 when he was mortally wounded on April 4, 2003 near Baghdad International Airport. “In total disregard for his own life,” SFC Smith braved “withering enemy fire” to repel an attack by more than 100 heavily armed foreign Fedayeen fighters and saved the lives of scores of his soldiers.
Cpl. Jason Dunham was a 22-year-old squad leader in Karabilah, Iraq on April 14, 2004. While grappling with a suspected insurgent after an ambush, the terrorist released a hand grenade. “Without hesitation, Cpl. Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body.” His ultimate and selfless act of bravery “saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines.”
Lt. Michael Murphy was 29, a Navy SEAL, leading a four-man team in the mountains of Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. When they were surrounded and engaged by more than 30 Taliban terrorists, every man was gravely wounded during a two-hour-long gunfight. Yet, “in the face of almost certain death,” Lt. Murphy fought his way to an exposed position to radio for help and then fought on until he was mortally wounded."

I am astounded and almost moved to tears that there are men and women among us like Sgt. Smith, Cpl. Dunham and Lt. Murphy who willingly give up their lives to save others, and who protect the Constitutional rights that most of us take for granted. We are blessed to live in a country that produces men and women like these three and we should spend more time reflecting on that fact. And we would be blessed also if those who report the news would share stories like these instead of sensationalizing the news out of Iraq. We would be blessed if we shared more stories about the heroes among us.