[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 »
[March 5, 2019] The Vietnam War was one of the least understood conflicts of the 20th Century. Like other wars, it also brought out the best and the worst of men. Today I will highlight the heroism of South Vietnamese Marine Colonel Le Ba Binh (Trung Tá LÊ BÁ BÌNH). His courage under fire and moral standing in… Read More »
[November 18, 2018] There are many photographs from World War II that tell a story if you look at them and understand a little about the war. Below is one of my favorites. It shows British soldier Horace Greasley looking through a barbed-wire defense at Nazi Heinrich Himmler1 (wearing spectacles). Horace Greasley was a Prisoner of War in… Read More »
[August 29, 2018] I noted this before but it is worth saying again; I don’t highlight the deeds of heroes as much as I should. When we compare ourselves to their lives, we often come out lacking in some way. Today, I’ll be drawing attention to U.S. Airman Tech Sergeant John Chapman whose deeds in Afghanistan posthumously won… Read More »
[June 10, 2018] I don’t highlight heroes enough on my leadership blog. What we can learn from them is beyond the value I could ever state but I wanted to draw attention to U.S. Navy Boatswain’s Mate First Class James E. Williams who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam. James E. Williams is… Read More »
[October 18, 2017] In these pages at theLeaderMaker.com I occasionally highlight a hero; usually an individual who has shown great physical or moral courage. These men and women were willing to stand up and put themselves in harm’s way to risk everything. One group that I consider my heroes for the past several years is the Patriot Guard… Read More »