Posted on 08/16/2007 5:49:06 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson
Edited on 08/16/2007 7:29:32 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Nine years of shoe-leather reporting, nine years of doggedness, nine years of bucking an unhelpful bureaucracy took J. Robert Lunney to the deck of an aircraft carrier off the coast of Croatia.
This is a Memorial Day tale, though the events occurred before the observance yesterday. It is a Memorial Day tale because it is about remembrance. And honor. And duty.
As an avid student of the Pacific Theater of WW2, I have often read about Chief Tomich, but there was never more than the bare essentials about how he ordered his men out of the engine room and manned them on his own, working desperately to keep them from exploding and killing more of his crewmates.
Six years ago, just after 9-11, the news was full of people talking about the redefinition of "hero", but America has always had heroes, you just have to look hard enough. Three thousand four hundred forty-three men and one woman displayed extraordinary courage in extraordinary times and were thus awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions. These are the true American Heroes.
I thought you might find this interesting.
Bump
Good story about a TRUE hero!
Ping for a Naval Hero
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.