Hero

On occasion, I research and read about Medal of Honor recipients. I consider this a civic duty. More often than not, they were ordinary men who did extraordinary deeds and many of them didn't live long enough to find out they were heroes. I suspect many of them weren't trying to be heroes but rather felt they were just doing what anyone else in the same situation would have done. I ran across a Marine named Robert Miller McTureous, Jr. I linked to his accounts
here.

This young man, classified 4F (meaning unfit to serve), went out and worked harder in order to pay for an operation to fix whatever ailment he had so he could serve. His desire to serve vanquished any obstacle that came his way. His battlefield initiative was simply amazing. I can't even imagine being shot in the stomach then crawling over some island terrain (rocky? sandy? muddy? bloody?) for 200 yards; all while being under fire in a combat zone.

I can't help but think of people who think they are entitled to everything without having to put forth any effort. I wonder how they would handle being in Private McTureous' shoes, shoes he put on by choice.