Equal Time

There is no doubt that dreadful things happen in war. Ground combat is the most horrific experience a human being can endure. When bad things happen—as they always do in war—they should be reported. But those who persevere, who do the right thing in the midst of shocking violence, who give up personal comfort and safety for what is necessary—these are heroes. They deserve—at the very least—equal time.

Letting their stories be known is important—not just to them, but to all of us. Through self-sacrifice, fortitude, and action—whether they succeed or fail—heroes provide us with an ethical framework for the life of our nation. The deeds of heroes are waypoints on our moral journey, and they encourage us to be better than we otherwise might be.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jonathan Holsey is such a hero. A nine-year Army veteran, SSG Holsey was serving in the 1st Battalion (Bn) of the 503rd Infantry Regiment—one of the units I’ve been privileged to cover in Iraq for FOX News. A roadside bomb placed by a terrorist—not an insurgent, not a “bomber,” a terrorist—so severely wounded him that his left leg had to be removed below the knee at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He now wears a prosthetic leg, yet he plans to stay in the Army. When I asked him why, he replied, “Because my soldiers need me. We have a war to win—and my country needs me.”

from the book American Heroes by Oliver North Copyright ©2008. All RIghts Reserved.
Published by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee.