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Heroism
By Norman Fulkerson
American soldiers face the prospect of serious injury
and death with unflinching courage. Their existence within
a nation dominated by a self centered “me culture”
is yet another paradox which can be found “only in
America.”
When Todd Beamer boarded Flight 93 on
September 11, he never dreamed that terrorists intended
to fly that very plane into the Capitol or the White House.
Such an act would have been an even greater psychological
blow to an already devastated nation. He could have sat
quietly in his seat and done nothing, but instead courageously
chose to lead fellow passengers against hardened terrorists
with the words, “lets roll.” His actions have
earned him the title of hero and are considered by some
to be the first strike against terrorism.
Heroes seem to be a rare commodity in what
could be called the “me culture” of modern day
America. Everything seems to be centered on self. Issues
like homosexual marriage, abortion and stem cell research
are debated on the basis of individual rights and the idea
of a higher law or the common good are cast aside.
Yet from the day Todd Beamer fought the
terrorists aboard flight 93 until now, American soldiers
have continued to roll. They risk their lives fighting for
a higher cause, alongside others who are concerned solely
about themselves. The existence of such heroes in the midst
of the modern day “me culture” is yet another
paradox which can be found Only in America.
Such a thesis would appear questionable
since we hardly ever hear about such men. Pat Tillman, the
former professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals,
changed all that. Neither the glow of stardom nor the comforts
of a million-dollar bank account were obstacles in his quest
to serve a higher ideal. His death in Afghanistan in April
of 2004 captured the imagination of a nation and the enthusiasm
for such a man continues, even with the emphasis that his
death was the result of friendly fire.
The reason for this is simple, heroism
is contagious. Regardless of where and when it takes place,
those who witness it are mesmerized. Those who hear about
it are compelled to follow. No one forgets. The heroic early
Christians, killed by the Romans, were ignorant of this
fact and did not realize the blood they shed was the seed
of new faith. Likewise the heroism of our American soldiers
should inspire the nation which produced such brave men.
Equally important is the fact that heroism
is timeless. When a person does something truly heroic he
becomes mythical or larger than life. Once a person earns
such a status it remains forever as a testimony to that
individual’s accomplishment. To forget MacArthur’s
promise to the Filipino people “I shall return”
therefore is as hard as overlooking Churchill’s capacity
of rallying a nation with the counsel to “never give
up.” Such men looked towards a higher ideal, faced
the odds and will forever be remembered for doing so.
Catching bullets rather than footballs
This was the very reason that Jeremy Staat,
a former defensive lineman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, decided
to join the military. He was a personal friend of Pat Tillman
at Arizona State University and like the rest of the nation
he grieved his death. His mother, Janet Staat, of Bakersfield
California, was not surprised by her son’s decision.
“At first it takes your breath away,”
she said. “I watched him make a decision to go from
being an elite [in the NFL] to possibly not having a blanket
to sleep with.”
He had everything money could buy”
she continued, “but was not happy.” He played
a sport he loved and was paid dearly to do so, yet like
Tillman, he yearned for more.
With his graduation from the Marine Corp
in March satellite trucks from major news networks descended
upon the Staat home. They all wanted an interview with the
man whose life was a carbon copy of Pat Tillman. “It
didn’t seem right that we pay entertainers millions
to catch a football,” the fresh new Marine was quoted
as saying, “when we pay our Marines pennies to catch
a bullet.”
Duty, Honor, Country
The desire to serve a higher cause is
by no means a monopoly enjoyed by football players. Months
after Tillman’s death, Patrick Daley of Chicago chose
the same path. The son of Mayor Richard Daley had spent
a year at West Point as an impressionable 18 year-old before
finishing college at the University of Illinois. He later
earned a masters degree in business from the University
of Chicago and could easily expect the lucrative career
that his education and family name would bring.
In November of 2004, he surprised those
who knew him with the decision to enlist in the Army and
later reported to the airborne infantry. Although he spent
only a year at West Point he always remembered their uplifting
motto “Duty, Honor and Country.” He admitted
that back then he was too young to really understand what
it meant. Now he knows and at the time of his enlistment
faced the prospect of a trip to Iraq with an almost childlike
candor. “Think of it” he said, “It's amazing.
I get to serve my country."
It could be argued that the examples given
represent naïve individuals ignorant of what is involved
in the service of one’s country. The idea of sacrifice
and personal risk would appear a romantic dream of young
men who are unaware of the reality of armed conflict.
“I was just doing my job”
No one would know of such a reality better
than Capt. Brian Chontosh of Rochester, N. York. In March
of 2003, he found himself in a life threatening situation
when the platoon he was leading came under attack from a
“coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades
and automatic weapons fire.”
Caught in a kill zone, with tanks blocking
the road ahead, he did the unthinkable and ordered his driver
to advance directly towards a .50 caliber machine gun. He
then exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with
his rifle and pistol. Running out of ammunition, he grabbed
discarded weapons from stunned Iraqis and continued his
virtual one-man-assault. Spotting an abandoned enemy RPG
launcher close by, he used it to inflict yet more damage.
When the sand settled, he had cleared 200 yards of trench
and killed 20 enemy soldiers in the process.
After receiving the Navy Cross –the
second highest military honor—he downplayed his exploits;
“I was just doing my job.” Although he came
away virtually unscathed that day, others are not so fortunate.
"300 holes in his body, courage
in his heart”
In July 2004, a Humvee in Sgt. Paul Brondhaver’s
convoy broke down in a city north of Baghdad. He ordered
a box formation around the vehicle while mechanics went
to work. Moments later a rocket propelled grenade struck
nearby sending him 12 feet in the air and killing his friend
Pfc. Samuel Bowen who was standing next to him.
What happened next defies belief. Although
suffering over 300 wounds, inflicted by hot pieces of shrapnel,
he refused help and ordered medics to look after those more
“seriously wounded.” Weakened by the loss of
blood yet full of determination, he crawled to a nearby
Humvee where he radioed for a helicopter to evacuate the
wounded and dead. Leaning out the window he then fired upon
enemy soldiers and ordered a machine gunner to lay down
more suppressive fire.
Sgt. Brondhaver survived that harrowing
day yet admitted “My heart is still there with my
men. I need to get back to Iraq” he said, “and
finish what I
started.”
“Wounded Warriors”
Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, a 20-year veteran
in the Marine Corps also knows what war is like. While stationed
in central Iraq in October 2004, he laid down for what he
hoped would be a ten minute nap. His brief respite from
battle was rudely interrupted when a mortar round exploded
nearby and knocked him unconscious. He would later wake
up in Bethesda Naval Hospital with tunnel vision, broken
bones and severe brain damage. As an officer who for years
had led men in battle with a compass, he would now have
to re-learn what one is.
Learning to read again with children’s
books was difficult but thanks to military discipline and
the help of a speech pathologist he improved rapidly. The
effort however was so grueling that he ended some sessions
drenched in perspiration.
One of his biggest struggles was overcoming
depression caused not from the rigors of war but the separation
from fellow heroes still fighting in Iraq. Like Sgt. Brondhaver,
he would like to return but his injuries will not allow
it. He now devotes his time to helping fellow Marines through
a pilot program called “Wounded Warriors.”
The most notable recipient of Col. Maxwell’s
kindness is Sgt. James Sturla, a 26 year old tank commander,
who was “de-gloved” during an attack in western
Iraq. Although he had the skin and muscle ripped right off
his hand he is now preparing for redeployment. Col. Maxwell’s
wounded warriors are not the only injured soldiers wishing
to return to combat.
David Rozelle of Fort Carson, Colorado
lost his right leg in June 2003 when the humvee he was riding
in detonated an anti tank mine. Rehabilitation was difficult
but with the help of a prosthetic he was soon running a
ten minute mile on a treadmill. In November of 2004 he completed
the 26 mile New York City Marathon and is now back in Iraq.
He recounts his moving story in his memoirs, Back in
Action: An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith, and
Fortitude.
Re-enlistments are up
It has been five years since Todd Beamer’s
“lets roll.” What began with flag waving and
yellow ribbons however, some have reduced to body bag counts
and prison abuse scandals.
In the midst of negative news however there
is one striking piece of information which goes unreported.
In the last six months, the Army has recorded a 15% increase
in re-enlistments; an upward trend which began in 2001.
More significant still is the fact that 69% of those killed
in Iraq come from this branch of the Armed Forces.
Why do so many soldiers reenlist? It is
because heroism is truly timeless, contagious and another
Only in America paradox.
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