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Show The Challenge Of Heroism By KITH TAVLOR February Is the month of heroes, he-roes, the month in which we do honor both to Washington and to Linccln-to the lir-t Pre.sid nt and to the Great Emancipator. But what mates an American hero? It id not class our heroes riiife'e from Washington, the landed land-ed aristocrat, to Lincoln, the rail-splitter. rail-splitter. It is not nationality-there nationality-there was Columbus, the Italian; Von Steupben, the German; Roch-ambeau, Roch-ambeau, the Frenchman; Kocci-usko, Kocci-usko, the Pole. It is not religion-William religion-William Bradford was a Protestant; Protes-tant; William Penn, a Quaker; Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a Catholic; and Haym Solomon, a Jew. It is not race the Negro mess boy who set a standard of bravery at Pearl Harbor was but carrying on a tradition that started with Crispus Attucks, the fust to fall in the Revolution. The challenge of heroism lies before each and every one of us. A hero is ANYONE displaying great valor or fortitude. Heroism is a height to which ?.ny of us may climb, a path on which there are no barriers of discrimination. A brave heart, a valiant spirit and a sincere desire to serve others are all that is needed. The heroes of today 'are the best we have to offer. They come form all ranks of society, from all faiths, from all national backgrounds back-grounds Thompson, Kelly, Goldberg Gold-berg and Giardina. They are not the hard-boiler, hard-living adventurers ad-venturers of the swash-buckling tales of the past but are fine, clean living youth with high ideals, firm faith and a great desire to act boldly for the right. 'Today we are face to face with destiny. The need for heroes has never been greater. Across the pages of the past echo again Lincoln's Lin-coln's words with added significance signifi-cance and import in this fateful hour: "Fellow ciitzens we cannot escape history The fiery trial through which we pass will light lis down in honor or dishonor to the latest, generation. We shall nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth." Courage is contagious. We can translate the inspiration of the bravery of both new and storied Ampriffin Vtprops into Tvisitive ac- tion. No repining no complaints, just a determination to win this war and to win it so thoroughly that this time there will be no Armistice, no mere cessation of hostilities, but Peace on a firm foundation! This is the least we can do for our honored dead. |