Monday, November 19, 2007

There are Heroes

"U.S. Soldier Re-Enlists Hours After Being Seriously Wounded in Iraq IED Attack" tells about Specialist Christopher Hoyt, an infantryman who decided to re-enlist for another four years, after two of his fellow-soldiers were killed in the IED explosion that left cuts on his legs and body.

The top non-commissioned officer of Hoyt's brigade, Command Sergeant Major John Troxell, said: "It takes a person of very strong character to go through an incident where another soldier five feet away was killed, and he was severally wounded, and still say 'I believe in what we are doing and I want to stay on the team. I want to support the United States Army and my country,' "

I was in college in the seventies, so I'm aware of the sort of psychobabble about survivor's guilt, at least, that can be invoked to explain Hoyt's decision. I'm inclined to agree with Sergeant Major Troxell, though.

Like the Iraqi shieks whose determination to save their country became stronger when fanatics killed one of them, I believe that Specialist Hoyt made a rational choice, based on good sense and bravery.

I'm not "conservative," in the American political sense, but I am one of those people who believe that courage exists, and that there still are heroes. And that the soldiers like Specialist Christopher Hoyt, who decide to make sacrifices for their country and fellow-citizens, are heroes.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

2 comments:

Ottavio (Otto) Marasco said...

It's almost that time, I am making the rounds to say Happy Thanksgiving!

Brian H. Gill said...

American Interests,

Thanks! My family did just that.

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.