Your heroes

We all have people we admire and look up to with respect and honor. Some of these are family members, some are political celebrities and some are military people.

I have lived a long life and now looking toward a better place but look back into history and ancestery with more interest than at any time in my life.

In reflection, I find myself having four heroes and have studied them through the teachings of history extensively. Each is for a different reason but they all have my respect, admiration and I feel with good reason.

The first is Sgt Alvin York. This was a man among men. He endured danger, hardships and stared death in the face while being concerned only about the others around him.

The next is John Moses Browning. He not only designed the best gun ever but the other weapons he designed saved more lives in combat than any other person I can think of.

Then there is John Wayne. He carried himself well and set an example through his movies that a lot of youngsters followed in life.

The last is Tom Bodet. His views on education and his quotes has been an inspiration to me and he taught by example. While I never met the man, from what I have read about him, he is a simple person that never sought fame but played the hands that life dealt him. I would one day love to be able to meet Mr Bodet in person. My favorite quote by him is, " The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."

Who are your heroes?

I put a very high standard to the term "Hero". My Father meets it.

LTC

Oldman45:

I would agree with your picks except for one, John Wayne.

He was an ACTOR (and a bad one at that), a "draft dodger", and in my personal opinion, a coward. He always played the big hero, but in real life he was the opposite. Alvin York was a TRUE BRAVE HERO! During WWll Wayne's friends and producers begged him to join the Military (photography and film division) where he would be relatively safe and away from the front lines, but he would still have the status of being in uniform. He was begged to do this more than a few times but still would not do it. When his draft notices came, they were swept under the rug by his Hollywood connections, (dodging the draft).

I am not purposely trying to tick you off, just surprised that someone who has himself served in the Armed Forces ( as you did ) would idolize such a man. I think his whole billing as "John Wayne - True American" is a kind of a made up myth, and as some of his fans are quickly finding out by reading, he was not the "great" American hero people have made him out to be.

Just my opinion I realize, and I am sure there are more fans here on this Forum than people such as I, but I have actually done some research on Marion Morrison (his real name) and know some information that is not publicly touted. Do some internet research on him and you will see what I am talking about.

My hero was and still is my departed dad. He was a good and honest man. He was a simple man without a fancy education but he knew more about life than many people with years of book learning. From him, I learned about nature and the ways of farming, hunting, fishing plus so much more; like a man’s word should be as good as any written contract.

He was a friend as well as a father. Sure, we had our disagreements but he taught me that while all of us have personal views it’s best to keep an open mind because you just might learn something.

My dad’s favorite saying, the one that he infused into me, was; “You can only expect to get what your work for.”

The ONE who said "I am who I am".

Heros don't have to be old.

Can we have young heros.

My Grandduaghter plays basketball. She currently has water on the knee and it's quite painful. It breaks my heart to watch her. You can see the pain and tears as she plays.

It's a small school, because of grades and such, sometimes her team shows up wiht only 5 players.

The coach tells me he will pull her if I requested. My Granddaughter tells me. "grandpa, you're an old soldier, you tell me about soldiers, though hurt and wounded, they refuse to leave their comrades. You tell me of those at Walter Reed begging to go back to their friends. It's the same way" she says, "Grandpa, I can't let my team down, please don't let them pull me."

I let her make the decission, secretly praying she would step down, but pride in knowing she wont.

Most of my Heros are listed on the "Wall", but I have a new hero too.

My Hero?... Theodore Roosevelt, all-the-way!

Pete

I have been fortunate in being able to meet some of the men I looked up to as a kid: Paul Tibbets, Robin Olds, Bud Mahurin, Joe Foss, Bob Hoover, and others. I've come to realize that there are others among us who quietly live what I consider to be heroic lives. Watching my ailing father spend countless nights at my dying mother's bedside...without complaint, taught me that lesson as a young man.

The American soldier.

ChattanoogaPhil said:

The American soldier.

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The only true heros. Or any soldier of any country.
Others are merely honorable, courageous and venerable people that we look up to, but not heros. The word gets bandied around too much.

I have many heroes. My Dad and Robert E. Lee, in that order, are my favorites.

There were some guys that I thought were my heroes when I was a kid. But now I know better...

I think that those that go into harm's way KNOWING that there's an excellent chance that they won't come back are THE real thing. The men of the 8th Air Force come to mind immediately, and there were many before them and since.

Some guys react to a situation and become *heroes*. Others just plod into the maw because it's their DUTY - no matter that they're scared half to death before the action even starts. Those guys are my heroes.

Warren Spaun and Ted Williams. The best pitcher and the best hitter. Both served in the military by enlisting not getting drafted. Williams had a deferment but enlisted in WWII and Korea both as a fighter pilot. Spaun enlisted in the army in WWII and was awarded both the purple heart and the bronze star. Spaun was a better man off the field than Williams but I looked up to both as a boy and still now at 63.

My heroes are not movie stars, athletic figures, politicians, rock stars, these people are way over compensated for their 15 minutes of fame. My heroes are those who show up everyday, strap on a gun, pin on a badge then stand in front of the public to protect them from bad people and at times from themselves. Those who care about the job and try to do their very best at being a public servant even though the hours they put in are very dangerous and costly to their family lives. To put in a shift that might very well include holidays, birthdays and anniversary days, weekends, graveyard and swing shifts for months at a time and not complain because it has to be done. Ok, they do complain some. I think you get my point. Where else (besides our armed forces) are you going to find a group of people who routinely stand up for strangers and place their welfare before their own even at the risk of their own lives?

By the way did I mention my Dad?

I have long said you can tell where someone is comeing from by finding out who their heros are. A lot of younger people today idolise weird rock stars and movie stars that are proven druggers, sex deviates etc.
Many idolise overpaid sports stars that wouldnt last a hour, or would bulk at working in the fields or other bull work most of us older people did when we were young for next to no wages.
At this time I am not going to bother listing my heros. I might later. Personaly, I RESPECT many and disrespect many others. I have never IODLOLISED any man in my later years.
That is because I have met a lot of so called heros to many people. Remember, I was around movie stars as a studio guard. I personnaly knew many of the jet jocks and test pilots that have been active since the 1960s as a lockheed guard. I liked many or most. I also have been around them when they let their guard down and seen normal flaws every one of us have.
For me it`s easier to point out many no good skunks, they are all around us. Many of the visable people that are noteworthy and known as hero`s to some like to tell fans, aw shux, I was just their at the right time and/or lucky. Many people have been labeled heros because they are takeing a long time dieing from cancer or something else. I never have been able to figure that one out! I think the term "hero" is used far too loosely.
To me a "hero" is a person that works, pays his dues, helps others when really needed, stays out of trouble and jail, isnt a druggie or alcholic, stays off any type welfare, (If healthy), doesnt push his weight around or be overbearing, research`s politics and votes.
Now that all sounds pretty damn boreing doesnt it? Heros are all around us!-----So are skunks.

may sound arrogant out of the gate ....
Me ...
Most jams ive gotten into, ive gotten myself out of.
when it comes to saving this but ... myself leads in the stats.

never sell yourself short ... your still here.

I have a list of a number of Heroes which include Iggy, Keith44spl, and Feralmerril

Golly jimmy! Thanks anyway. I have been rejected so many times from joining the armed services and about 4 or 5 LEO jobs I have lost count of the actual number! I can only say I tried. In those days it was weighing far too much and high blood pressure. The strange thing is in 1970 I was in a very bad motorcycle wreck. As I was convelesing the nurse took my BP. I said, "off the charts, huh?" Oh no, sir. you have perfect blood pressure! Now I had always heard once you have high blood pressure you will always have high blood pressure. It kept me out of the service and vietnam. Its the only thing "right" with me today! Truth is I cant remember doing one heroic thing in my life! I did a lot of dumb things though!
I used to really like jimmy swaggert. I got the let down of my life when he fell. I think that incident slowed me down more than any other on idoliseing anybody else.
I told this story before. Everyone concerned is dead now, but let me tell it again, but not his right name.
"Jake" was in the navy prior to world war two. Got out, married and had a couple kids. The war started up and jake reenlisted. He was a friend of a uncle of mine. My uncle got drafted into the all american outfit before they were made into the 82nd AB. Uncle stayed with the glider end of it. Both guys came home on furloug the same time before shipping out. They partyed together. Jake had to leave first. Uncle had a little more time. Uncle got to messing with jakes wife. Uncle jilited another girl friend. Ex girl friend knows of uncles transgression. She writes to jake and rats off uncle. Then she writes uncle that she ratted him off to jake. Letter catchs up with uncle overseas. Although drafted, hateing the service and especialy hateing officers, uncle does a few "heroic" things to stay alive when he had to. He is eventualy pretty well decorated.
Now his outfit is getting the worse of it, I think in sicily. They are drove right out to the beach by the germans. That famous volcanno is going off. The navy is off shore picking them up. Uncle climbs the net and guess who helps him in! Yup, Jake! Uncle later tells me he considered jumping back in and swimming towards the krauts!
Uncle knows jake knows! Jake asks uncle how his wife and kids are, and uncle plays dumb, blows smoke and says, geeze, dunno jake, left right after you did.
:Now I understand from my folks that they also were best friends to jake and family through the years and that jake was a very strong christian, even back then, plus jake always was super patriotic, retired navy and after that a vfw commander later etc. Dad was also friends with jake prior to the war and also said jake was a hell of a fighter when they used to run around together in the 30s etc.:
Let me say here that I heard versions of this story from first my dad, then my uncle and then jake.
Jake fed my uncle and took him on a tour of the ship etc.
My uncle never married, ran a super nice junk yard as a hobby besides his day job. He was like a 2nd dad to me as he lived with us after the war for awhile. Then he lived nearby and he would take me with him getting junk cars, hunting and fishing etc. He spent a winter with me in the 70s just before he died, (well commited suicide). He was a rough old boy, but I was all he had and the end of the line for him.
Uncle was never "right" after the war. He could be vicious with some and give the shirt off his back with others.
Uncles path and jakes crossed a few times at my folks house when I was a kid. I even then noticed they would be cordgel and then uncle would leave. Dad later told me why. Then uncle went in detail shortly before he died. I went home for the funneral. Jake took my mother and me aside and asked if we were going to have a military funneral for uncle. We didnt know how that worked. He just said I will take care of it. We had a regular funneral, then jake took over. He had the honner guard, guns fireing, taps etc. Then he handed me the flag!
This guy forgave my uncle and seen to the funneral! It really chocked me up! That man became my biggest hero!
That night he said butch, did your uncle ever tell you about meeting me overseas? Then he told me how it was just like hell. The volcanno was going off, they were being shelled, the 82nd swimming towards them to be rescued and then helping uncle on the ship. His story was exactly like uncles but left his wife out of it of course! Now thats my hero!

I have to agree with chief 38. John Wayne was no hero. He was simply an actor playing parts. He could never stand up in the same group with the likes of Audie Murphy, or Carlos Hathcock. As far as that goes he is not even in the same catagory with any of our service men or women who are even now in harms way. They are the true heros.

coldmold said:

I have to agree with chief 38. John Wayne was no hero. He was simply an actor playing parts. He could never stand up in the same group with the likes of Audie Murphy, or Carlos Hathcock. As far as that goes he is not even in the same catagory with any of our service men or women who are even now in harms way. They are the true heros.

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In 1978, John Wayne won the Independence Bowl award. He was the second to receive the award, following Omar Bradley. It would be his last public appearence.

While he was not a hero in fact, he inspired a lot of youth through his acting. Just as John Browning may not have been a hero in person, it was the lives he saved and those he touched that made him a great man.