I have read and reread the definitions in the Merriam Webster dictionary of the words hero and heroic.Both words refer to one who displays extraordinary courage, nobleness of character, and selfless bravery. These are words that are automatically attributed to police, fire and emergency personnel, to those in the military, whose jobs require acts of courage and selflessness. These words are sometimes conferred upon ordinary people, not wearing any uniform, who commit extraordinary acts of virtue.
According to Joseph Campbell, renowned and celebrated author and professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College, “a hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
Another definition holds that “a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
It is my not-so-humble opinion that the word hero has been grossly overused in recent years to the point that I always take time to consider any story that cavalierly tosses in the word hero.
But current events have allowed me, and all Americans, to witness firsthand and without reservation, the life and death of a man who personified the word hero.
John McCain was never an ordinary individual. He was born into a military family of distinction, in which it was difficult to compete with the reputations of those who came before him. But he found himself in the position “to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” when he was shot down, badly injured, captured, tortured, and imprisoned for five and a half years in Vietnam’s Hanoi Hilton. By becoming a Navy pilot he had already given his life to something bigger than himself. And during the years in prison he grew even more in character and fortitude, to become a man bigger than life when he returned to civilian service to serve in the United States Senate, primarily representing the people of Arizona, but coming to be a champion of all his country’s citizens.
John McCain was a decent man. He so much loved freedom that he defended it as a soldier and as a civilian. He was honest, even to the point that he recognized and admitted to his own imperfections. He was courageous to the point that he put his country above his political party to say and do what he perceived to be correct and honorable. McCain respected the dignity inherent in all of God’s children, which can be dicey in a border state.
And McCain loathed the abuse of power. He would not suffer bigots or despots. Sometimes McCain’s temper would get the better of him. He was not above apology for his transgressions. e spoke truth to those reluctant to hear it in spite of the consequences. He had a contagious sense of humor, and a deep love and commitment to his family.
John McCain’s legacy was beautifully written within the eulogies of two former presidents on Saturday.
The words of Barack Obama on the day of McCain’s funeral:
“That’s perhaps how we honor him best, by recognizing that there are some things bigger than party or ambition or money or fame or power. That there are some things that are worth risking everything for: principles that are eternal, truths that are abiding. At his best, John showed us what that means. For that, we are all deeply in his debt.”
The words of George W. Bush on the same day:
“Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant and distinctive, it is hard to think of them stilled. A man who seldom rested is laid to rest. And his absence is tangible, like the silence after a mighty roar.
The thing about John’s life was the amazing sweep of it. From a tiny prison cell in Vietnam to the floor of the United States Senate. From troublemaking plebe to presidential candidate. Wherever John passed throughout the world, people immediately knew there was a leader in their midst. In one epic life was written the courage and greatness of our country.”
There are lots of ways to encapsulate in a few, truly deserved words a man like John McCain. In Yiddish he would be called a “mensch.” Translated from the Sioux language, he would be called a human being. In urban slang he would be “a no-sh*t guy.”
We, all of us Americans, call him “Hero.”
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