Heroes
Heroes** HEROES **
"I Venture to suggest that patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime!"
--Adlai Stevenson
Daniel Webster defines:
*Hero:
�� one renowned for exceptional courage and fortitude; a champion; an idol
A thesaurus goes a little further when it says:
�� valiant; brave; gallant
I like to think of a "hero" as one to whom I can look up.
It is said that there are no heroes left in the world. In all due respect to the cynics and the pessimists of the day, I only have only one thing to say: open your eyes!
Today, I would like to introduce you to a "real life hero." To make this introduction, it will be necessary to go back a few years to the late 1960's. The place is Southeast Asia, and the man is one Lieutenant/Colonel, United States Navy, Robinson "Robbie" Risner. Shot down during a mission over Vietnam, Colonel Risner is taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese, and placed in a cell in downtown Hanoi. As he parades down the street as a prize for the patriots to see and jeer at, he is struck in the head by rocks, lashed out at with sticks, and he was spat upon. At the end of the procession, Colonel Risner arrived at what was to be his home for the next five, grueling years. He had all of the comforts home: a bed to sleep in, meals, and medical care. Well, not exactly the way we think of home, however.
His bed consisted of a concrete slab with a one-half inch bamboo mat for a mattress. The stocks on one end of the mat are used regularly. Every night, to be exact! His meals consisted mainly a soup made from a boiled pumpkin type vegetable called manyok, with only the liquid portion given to him, most times, only once a day! He estimates, in The Passing of the Night, his account of his time while in prison, the amount of each feeding at 8-12 ounces of this delicious gourmet's delight. His medical care: making sure he did not "expire" while going through the torture inflicted by his captors. If he died, there would be heck to pay! He was a bargaining tool as a prisoner, worth absolutely nothing dead! His body would have simply disappeared.
He was released with most of our prisoners. I say most because documentation exists showing photos of American POW's spotted even as late as last year "in country", as they say. He came home with a severe limp, and unending pain due to an untreated broken left leg suffered when he ejected from his F-4 Phantom jet, and multiple other fractures from the beatings he received....
To view the complete essay, you be registered.