Teach the Stories of True Heroism

Tiger Woods Sports Hero

June 22nd, 2008

Tiger Woods has been receiving a lot of press lately for doing the impossible – played with a torn ligament and a leg fracture. Sure, Tiger played through pain. A true sports hero – we will tell his story over and over again. Future generations will talk about Tiger Woods and what he was able to accomplish. I know I will, I was excited to watch him win – I pulled for him and felt the pain every time he grimaced. I know my future grandchildren (well, there is always hope ) will be sitting on my lap someday hearing me tell the tale of how Tiger won the U.S. Open on one leg – but unlike most I will also be telling my grandchildren the tales of our true American heroes like (taken from their citations);

HM3 Caron, Wayne M. “…HM3 Caron was hit in the arm by enemy fire. Although knocked to the ground, he regained his feet and continued to the injured marines. He rendered medical assistance to the first marine he reached, who was grievously wounded, and undoubtedly was instrumental in saving the man’s life. HM3. Caron then ran toward the second wounded marine, but was again hit by enemy fire, this time in the leg. Nonetheless, he crawled the remaining distance and provided medical aid for this severely wounded man. HM3. Caron started to make his way to yet another injured comrade, when he was again struck by enemy small-arms fire. Courageously and with unbelievable determination, HM3. Caron continued his attempt to reach the third marine until he was killed by an enemy rocket round.”

and

Hospitalman Richard De Wert, “…HC Dewert rushed to the assistance of 1 of the more seriously wounded and, despite a painful leg wound sustained while dragging the stricken marine to safety, steadfastly refused medical treatment for himself and immediately dashed back through the fireswept area to carry a second wounded man out of the line of fire. Undaunted by the mounting hail of devastating enemy fire, he bravely moved forward a third time and received another serious wound in the shoulder after discovering that a wounded marine had already died. Still persistent in his refusal to submit to first aid, he resolutely answered the call of a fourth stricken comrade and, while rendering medical assistance, was himself mortally wounded by a burst of enemy fire…”

and

HM3 Robert R. Ingram “…crawled across the bullet spattered terrain to reach a downed Marine. As he administered aid, a bullet went through the palm of his hand. Calls for “CORPSMAN” echoed across the ridge. Bleeding, he edged across the fire swept landscape, collecting ammunition from the dead and administering aid to the wounded. Receiving two more wounds before realizing the third wound was life-threatening, he looked for a way off the face of the ridge, but again he heard the call for corpsman and again, he resolutely answered. Though severely wounded three times, he rendered aid to those incapable until he finally reached the right flank of the platoon. While dressing the head wound of another corpsman, he sustained his fourth bullet wound. From sixteen hundred hours until just prior to sunset, Petty Officer Ingram pushed, pulled, cajoled, and doctored his Marines. Enduring the pain from his many wounds and disregarding the probability of his demise, Petty Officer Ingram’s intrepid actions saved many lives that day…”

and the many other Medal of Honor Recipients of our nation. Let us not forget.

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