TEXT BY DOUG JEFFREY & DWAYNE UNGER,
Heroes. For years, mine were the professional athletes who ran faster, threw harder, and jumped higher. They scored more touchdowns, hit more home runs, and scored more baskets than anyone else. And they did this inning after inning, game after game, season after season. Pretending to be them, I played sports outside until it was so dark I could not see my hands in front of my face. I absolutely idolized them.
But that was then. My new heroes also wear uniforms. They are also athletic, driven, mentally tough, and consistent. Regardless of the “game,” they also bring it every time. But their rules are different. In their “games,” there are no standings and no real personal statistics. Instead, they play a game of life-and-death … for you and me. Who are these new heroes? The brave men and women of the U.S. military. I have always admired them, as I grew up wanting to be a U.S. Marine. But it was in the aftermath of 9/11 when my classification of heroes officially changed