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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Beyond Glory by Larry Smith


Extraordinary Stories of Courage from WWII to Vietnam
Medal of Honor Heroes In Their Own Words

With an introduction by General H. Norman Schwartkopf, this book tells the story of 23 Medal of Honor recipients. General Shcwartzkopf opens with the exact words from the Medal citation. "For conspicuous gallantry an intrepidity, at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty." It sets the tone for the entire book. The General goes on to quote Robert E. Lee on duty. "Duty is the sublimest word of them all."

General Shcwartzkopf says, "Over the years I've met many people who were heroes, and the interesting thing I've found about every single one of them, bar none, was that they do not think of themselves as heroes."

It is a recurring statement throughout the book. These men who were awarded our nations highest award for valor are all very humble. They all talk about their comrades and the heroism they showed. Most consider themselves as stewards of the Medal, holding it for the men that fought and died along their sides.

They say that they were doing their duty. They will say they did not think, they just did their job or that anybody else would have done the same thing. Each and every man in this book is a shining example of the best that America is.

"Duty, Honor, Country." This is the motto of the US Military Academy at West Point. It is a motto that some people in this country ridicule, but this book celebrates the men that live that motto. Their lives, their words, their stories printed here in black and white.

Although this book is about 23 heroes who went above and beyond, it is also a homage to all the men and women who have served our nation. When I read it, I was impressed with the class and character of all of them.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read "Stormin' Norman's" biography several years ago and he often mentioned that the heroes were just "doing their job." It seems to go with the territory.
Sounds like a good book.

Sarge Charlie said...

good post ron, I looked back through my e-mail and could not find the one you sent, please try again