Can we talk HEROES ?…the ones we honor here today, who gave what Abraham Lincoln called their “last full measure of devotion” , the ones who–as we sing in “America the Beautiful”–“more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life,” as well as those whose heroism has been of a quieter, less tragic but equally significant nature in the history of our national narrative.
George Washington is recognized as a hero in the conduct of the American Revolutionary War, but did you know that a contingent of military officers suggested that he might be well-positioned to assume the title of “king” for the new nation? He replied that …”no occurrence in the course of the War has given me more painful sensations than your information of there being such ideas in the Army as you have expressed…” Heroism of an entirely different nature. He had no desire to have fought the forces of King George III only to become King George I.
Consider too the signers of the Declaration of Independence, fifty-six men, representing all of the colonies, who signed the founding document of our nation,becoming traitors to the crown, liable for punishment or death, risking all, signing, in the closing phrases, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Heroes of a stripe seldom seen in our lives today.
“America ! America ! God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.” Let us see more of the “sacred honor”, more self control, more of our fortunes in support of each other and the wider world. JFK once said, “Americans may not only pay tribute to our honored dead but also unite in prayer for success in our search for a just and lasting peace.”
Where are our heroes today? Where will they come from tomorrow? Look around you.
A recently published book bears the title : We Are the Heroes We’ve Been Waiting For. We can do this !
A woman asked Benjamin Franklin after the issuance of the United States Constitution, “Well, doctor, What have we got, a republic or a Monarchy?” He replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” We can keep it. We must keep it.
Think about this when you pause for the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 (instituted in 2000 by Congress). Think about this when you follow election news and when you vote for candidates who can be respected at home and abroad. Think about this if you are asked to run for office or perform some community service. The heroes already here in this place call you to be a hero too.
We are the heroes we’ve been waiting for. Let the wait be over.
