Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Chuck Yeager died last year. And with him, the end of an era.

If you're reading this, you already knew. There was a time when this guy was a household name. He was the war hero, the test pilot, the guy who didn't turn into jello when he broke the sound barrier. He flew amazing mission after amazing mission, broke one record after another.

There are other names. A big one from the USAF/F-15 community was (and still is) Cesar Rodriguez- an Eagle pilot who is one of the handful of modern day fighter jocks to have 3 official kills under their belt. Jeffrey Hwang who shot down 2 MiGs simultaneously. Garry Dean (a favorite of mine) who was the first African-American pilot, squadron commander, and wing commander in the 142nd Fighter Wing. Man, I could go on.

But great as these men are, and so many others like them, no one knows their names anymore. No one knows what they've done. There are no more household names. Well, there's General Schwarzkopf, I think everyone remembers- no, he died, too.

Is it the Fat, American Syndrome? Are we so out of touch with the World that we don't care? Or, have aviation and heroism become blase?

Or, finally, has the "Everybody wins so nobody gets their feelings hurt" teaching forced an abandonment of heroes, excellence and achievement?

It's hard to tell... combination of the above, maybe. But one thing's sure... the upper crust of the United States Military still pushes and strives for excellence. You still must be trained and ready to kill. Top Gun is still the best of the best of the best. And I hope we can all continue to live that spirit, and pass it on to our kids. Because that's what makes America great- opportunity abounding, and taking full advantage of opportunity by striving to be the best. And by being a hero through those efforts.

And I feel great knowing whenever I hear jet fighters ripping the sky up over my head, that those guys are hard workers, focused and dedicated to doing their best- that even their failures excel most others' dreams. That they strive for excellence par none, glory and ... my Freedom.

So, Thank you Chuck Yeager. And Jeff Hwang and Cesar Rodriguez, and Garry Dean, and all you other heroes. Act as humble as you want to. I, along with any other readers of this blog, celebrate and thank you for, your heriosm.

And thank you God, the Mightiest Hero of All.