Say a man is going about his normal routine and somewhere along his path he is presented with a situation that has a good chance of being a life or death situation and he is the only chance for a good outcome. The situation is that if he does act he could very well end up dead. Here is his hero moment. He didn’t plan it. He didn’t volunteer for it. He didn’t even think about it…. but he ACTED!! What did he show at that moment? That he was brave? Well he was, but no not that. That he wasn’t scared? No he was most likely scared yitless, but he not only overcame it….. he never even considered not acting because of it. No……… he didn’t show bravery. What he did show was, “what he was made of”!! He is a man that does what he knows is right without basing his actions on the possible consequences to himself, without even thinking about it. He is the kind of a man that is willing to take the chance knowing that he might die. He would rather die doing what is right than live knowing that he didn’t act . He is a good honorable man. Do you think that that kind of a man is a rarity? I do not. I think there are a lot of good men out there. Most of these men are never called on to be tested. The life and death instances are rare enough that few men are called on to step up, but most of the time that life threatening disasters do crop up some HERO steps into the breech without hesitation. These people (some are women) are not like the trained professionals such as firefighters and police. For the pros it is a “career choice” not an unexpected occurrence. These people are trained for disasters. Trained in procedures for the various possibilities, and although their ranks are filled with brave people they are in a different category. They have taken on a profession. They have chosen to be put in a situation where danger can be a part of a days work. Sometimes they work their whole career without having to answer the hero’s call. Sometimes they are called on more than once to answer the call. These professionals put themselves in harms way in the course of their daily duties, and sometimes they do heroic things doing these duties. Duties that have inherent risk, but there is no question “do I take this risk or not?” Training has reduced the risk as much as possible, but risk is always there. Still they are going to answer the call. These professions too have special recognition for acts of bravery above and beyond the normal scope of their job.

Now when you talk about bravery in the military it is a whole different ballgame. A lot of billets have very little chance of putting men in any danger at all (I was a machinist on a destroyer tender almost as safe as shore duty). Day to day combat is the other end of the spectrum. That can present situations that could “qualify” as acts considered MOH worthy, but they sometimes aren’t even reported. If you consider the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, (this countries highest award for selfless acts of bravery) almost to a man they were men stepping up to do all that they could to do what is right with no consideration for their own safety. Some of these men acted because there was no other choice. All the recipients that I have listened to were humble men praising their brothers in arms not themselves. I knew one of these men in the 1980’s while living in Montana. This man (I don’t have permission to use his name), was a sheep herder and spent a lot of his time alone. It was the Korean war, he was a battlefield commissioned officer in charge of a group of men on a ridge that I don’t know the name of. What I do know is that it took quite a few beers before he would start talking about IT. “He was on a ridge with a squad or more of men and they were dug in a fierce fire fight. The ammo was running low and his troops were being killed one at a time. Then his fox hole was overrun. He said that he would have been killed too had he not been the officer. He and one other man were all that remained, they were the only ones still alive. The enemy wanted him for interrogation (he never did tell me what that entailed). The one man that was still with him (he said he was a black man but I don’t know if that had any significance) also lived to report the action that day. All of these people are brave just to assume the responsibilities of their positions, but………. one that is willing to risk his life and limb for a stranger in a situation that they themselves may not survive……….. THEY are HERO’S!!! INDEED……. they are miles above what is classified as a “hero” today. Doctors, nurses, truck drivers, store clerks, and just about any profession that worked through our recent pandemic have been called “hero’s” for working through difficult times, (I was there with them). Everyone that worked and answered the calling of their “chosen” profession through the pandemic should be appreciated, BUT…………. HERO’S they are NOT!!!!! God bless every dedicated worker and a special thank you for the few who have been called to be a “HERO” and for those that will be called on to stand up in the future. Dave of The Woods

As a P.S. to this thought. I was looking at youtube posts last night and I came across this video of a TRUE HERO !! This is amazing video! Most heroic acts are related to others by witnesses because of their spontaneity, but thanks to dash cam you can see a great example of a “HERO”