[November 28, 2020] The hero’s journey is a common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed.1 Hugh O’Flaherty, a Roman Catholic monsignor, fits that mold. Monsignor O’Flaherty is a hero for saving the lives of thousands of Allied POWs and Jews… Read More »
[November 2, 2020] Can dogs be heroes? Some people think so, and I agree with them. A year ago, a daring raid was conducted by U.S. Special Forces targeting ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The hero dog Conan chased al-Baghdadi into a tunnel, resulting in the terrorist leader blowing himself up.1 This highly-classified, dramatic operation took place… Read More »
[May 25, 2020] Memorial Day has always been the most sacred day of the year for Americans. Honoring those heroes who have fallen in the line of duty seems built into our DNA. Our victories in war may be important, but we still humble ourselves through our actions. The only land we claim as our own are the… Read More »
[April 16, 2020] It has been simply too long since I wrote an article about a hero. It goes without saying that we still need heroes, especially in our modern world. We need heroes precisely because they define the limits of our ideals, hopes. and dreams. That is precisely what U.S. Army Private Desmond Doss has done for… Read More »
[January 1, 2020] Welcome to the New Year 2020, where we will surely see an increase in violence, crime, drug use, and yet great hope. I say “great hope” because there are men like Jack Wilson who gives us hope that there are good people who will adopt responsibility and do what is right, at the right time… Read More »
[December 5, 2019] In Part 1 of this two-part series, I asked the question, “What is a hero?” and gave what I thought was a meaningful answer. In today’s article, I’ll address a more fundamental question that is germane to our understanding of human nature and of the character of leaders. “Why do we have heroes?” Growing up… Read More »
[December 4, 2019] As young boys in the 1950s, we listened intently to returning Korean War veterans to get some idea of what war was like. We asked stupid questions of these veterans. Who were the best fighters? Did you kill any Communists? Were you a hero? There was something that drove us to understand what it took… Read More »
[December 1, 2019] Unlike many heroes that I’ve highlighted here at my leadership blog, Sir William Wallace continues to be a highly controversial hero.1 The popular film, Braveheart (1995) starring actor Mel Gibson, helped alert us to the exploits of Wallace. Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First… Read More »
[August 22, 2019] The mythic traditions of our ancestors continue to reverberate in our society today. The classic hero is the knight that kills the dragon, rescues the maiden, and lives happily ever after. The idea that the hero slays the dragon is symbolic of what all humans’ value; to be free from the destructive chaos of the… Read More »
[July 1, 2019] Yesterday, I was watching the movie, To Hell and Back (1955) when I remembered that I’d not written a “Hero” blog post in a long time. The movie, starring Audie Murphy (playing himself) has been one of my favorites since I can remember.1 “I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to… Read More »