Recently, a man was awarded the distinguished Medal of Honor for only the 3rd time since Vietnam. Sgt. Smith joins 3,458 other recipients of the Medal of Honor in the one common thread that links almost all of them: They were perfectly ordinary people who responded to terrible danger with extraordinary heroism.
The demands of valor in war often come without warning. Ambushed by Iraqi forces shortly after arriving in Bagdad, Sgt. Smith took control of a mounted machine gun and virtually single-handedly beat back the opposition until finally taking a shot to the head, killing the veteran of two Gulf wars, and leaving behind a wife and two children.
Smith became the first soldier of the Iraq war to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for battlefield valor above and beyond the call of duty. More than half of the 843 recipients named since the beginning of World War II have been honored, like Smith, posthumously. 🙁
The governor of Arizona said "All one has to do is read the citations describing the heroism Congressional Medal of Honor recipients have shown to feel in awe of the selfless bravery and devotion to our great nation." Absolutely. To learn more about Medal of Honor recipients, go to the U.S. Army's Center of Military History Web site at www.army.mil/cmh and click on "Medal of Honor."
Along these lines, I'd like to make a belated observation of a man who died in Aghanistan whom I believe to be in the same class as Sgt. Smith. This is a salute to a man named Pat Tillman. Rarely in today's world of misplaced priorities do we have the opportunity bear witness to an act of true moral courage and heroism. This is a person who gave up money and fame to serve his fellow man when he joined the US Army Rangers after 9/11, serving proudly and giving up the ultimate sacrifice- his life... and he did it all while intentionally avoiding the public spotlight.
He was an outstanding student at my Alma Mater Arizona State University. He was a champion academically and on the school's football team. He earned a reputation for being a person of rare integrity and character. Some of my friends knew him a little, and I saw him occasionally on campus. He was always cheerful and courteous as people passed him and said hi. He was full of life.
He played in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals, becoming one of their best and most popular players He was offered a $9 million deal from the Rams, who had just won the Super Bowl... but choose to get payed less and stay on a losing team out of loyalty. But it was no suprise- everyone that knew him understood that Pat marched to the beat of a very different drummer.
After 9/11, Tillman heard a new calling and saw another, more important mountain to conquer. With eyes wide open, he sacrificed a $3 million salary and a comfortable life to stand at the front line for you and me. He was a true patriot, albeit a quite one. He was a hero of legendary proportions... the adjectives are to numerous to list: honest, true and sincere. Grace, humility, and honor.
As we make moan about our trivial problems and go on with our daily routines I hope we can recognize people like Pat who are out there doing what they do. There is a war going on. He should be a lesson to us all about what it means to be an American and a hero. I hope his sacrifice will serve as a reminder to all that freedom is worth fighting for, war truly is hell, and sometimes good men and women will have to die so that the rest of us can sleep well at night.
You can be sure that Pat's name will be mentioned to my future children as they grow up in Arizona. God bless you Pat... we need more people like you. You will be missed, but not forgotten. He served his country as all men should. His family has lost a man of integrity, a man of the highest honor. May he rest in peace and may his family stay proud.
There are many fine young men and women who have sacrificed, and given their lives. This is not meant to minimize those people at all... in fact, I hope this gives a public face to all of them. I am talking about Tillman because I do know of him well, and because he gave up more than most.
I'm sure many people could do the same with other fallen soldiers because they know them. I knew a lot about Pat Tillman. I always had total respect for the man- he was a straightfoward, deep-thinking person who always gave every ounce of 100% in everything he did, and always kept his word. As everyone who came into contact with him knew -and as a 100 stories I could share about him would demonstrate- he was a rare breed.
That's why it came as no suprise to those who knew him that his love of country and intense principles of right and wrong would have a profound impact on him when 9/11 occurred... and take him from the luxuries of professional sports to the front line on the War. Because of his modest, humble nature, he asked for no special favors and sought no extra attention to himself as he joined.
So let me just say I hope people can catch some of the appreciation I have for Pat's service, and hopefully acknowledge the brave professionals who are waging a battle to preserve our way of life. To me, he represents the best America has to offer... the best in man.
The demands of valor in war often come without warning. Ambushed by Iraqi forces shortly after arriving in Bagdad, Sgt. Smith took control of a mounted machine gun and virtually single-handedly beat back the opposition until finally taking a shot to the head, killing the veteran of two Gulf wars, and leaving behind a wife and two children.
Smith became the first soldier of the Iraq war to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for battlefield valor above and beyond the call of duty. More than half of the 843 recipients named since the beginning of World War II have been honored, like Smith, posthumously. 🙁
The governor of Arizona said "All one has to do is read the citations describing the heroism Congressional Medal of Honor recipients have shown to feel in awe of the selfless bravery and devotion to our great nation." Absolutely. To learn more about Medal of Honor recipients, go to the U.S. Army's Center of Military History Web site at www.army.mil/cmh and click on "Medal of Honor."
Along these lines, I'd like to make a belated observation of a man who died in Aghanistan whom I believe to be in the same class as Sgt. Smith. This is a salute to a man named Pat Tillman. Rarely in today's world of misplaced priorities do we have the opportunity bear witness to an act of true moral courage and heroism. This is a person who gave up money and fame to serve his fellow man when he joined the US Army Rangers after 9/11, serving proudly and giving up the ultimate sacrifice- his life... and he did it all while intentionally avoiding the public spotlight.
He was an outstanding student at my Alma Mater Arizona State University. He was a champion academically and on the school's football team. He earned a reputation for being a person of rare integrity and character. Some of my friends knew him a little, and I saw him occasionally on campus. He was always cheerful and courteous as people passed him and said hi. He was full of life.
He played in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals, becoming one of their best and most popular players He was offered a $9 million deal from the Rams, who had just won the Super Bowl... but choose to get payed less and stay on a losing team out of loyalty. But it was no suprise- everyone that knew him understood that Pat marched to the beat of a very different drummer.
After 9/11, Tillman heard a new calling and saw another, more important mountain to conquer. With eyes wide open, he sacrificed a $3 million salary and a comfortable life to stand at the front line for you and me. He was a true patriot, albeit a quite one. He was a hero of legendary proportions... the adjectives are to numerous to list: honest, true and sincere. Grace, humility, and honor.
As we make moan about our trivial problems and go on with our daily routines I hope we can recognize people like Pat who are out there doing what they do. There is a war going on. He should be a lesson to us all about what it means to be an American and a hero. I hope his sacrifice will serve as a reminder to all that freedom is worth fighting for, war truly is hell, and sometimes good men and women will have to die so that the rest of us can sleep well at night.
You can be sure that Pat's name will be mentioned to my future children as they grow up in Arizona. God bless you Pat... we need more people like you. You will be missed, but not forgotten. He served his country as all men should. His family has lost a man of integrity, a man of the highest honor. May he rest in peace and may his family stay proud.
There are many fine young men and women who have sacrificed, and given their lives. This is not meant to minimize those people at all... in fact, I hope this gives a public face to all of them. I am talking about Tillman because I do know of him well, and because he gave up more than most.
I'm sure many people could do the same with other fallen soldiers because they know them. I knew a lot about Pat Tillman. I always had total respect for the man- he was a straightfoward, deep-thinking person who always gave every ounce of 100% in everything he did, and always kept his word. As everyone who came into contact with him knew -and as a 100 stories I could share about him would demonstrate- he was a rare breed.
That's why it came as no suprise to those who knew him that his love of country and intense principles of right and wrong would have a profound impact on him when 9/11 occurred... and take him from the luxuries of professional sports to the front line on the War. Because of his modest, humble nature, he asked for no special favors and sought no extra attention to himself as he joined.
So let me just say I hope people can catch some of the appreciation I have for Pat's service, and hopefully acknowledge the brave professionals who are waging a battle to preserve our way of life. To me, he represents the best America has to offer... the best in man.
