“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill While many have compared Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to England’s Winston Churchill– England’s wartime prime minister who inspired the British people in their darkest hour–another man became a different kind of hero in the face of overwhelming odds. Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest...

In it’s February 28th edition, TIME magazine highlighted “19 Kids Changing the World.” On the cover, Kid of the Year, eleven-year-old Orion Jean, “Ambassador for Kindness.” Academy Award-winning actor and special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees recently interviewed Jean. Here are some highlights from the conversation. “When the pandemic began,” Orion began, “I saw a lot of...

“Courage shows up all the time in this world and often without any fanfare.”—Michael Keaton, in a 2018 speech honoring the centennial celebration of the founding of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission by Andrew Carnegie. On July 20, 2012 the horrific shooting an Aurora, Colorado movie theater left 12 dead, and 70 wounded. Heroism arrived on the scene when first...

That’s what Harry Truman said of Gen. George C. Marshall–a characterization that easily applies to Gen. Colin L. Powell. You won’t find a picture of Colin Powell next to Leadership in the dictionary, but you should. You also won’t find him alongside Merriam-Webster’s definition of a Statesman, but no one can deny that Powell was “a wise, skillful, and respected...

Remembering 9/11, we tend to remember the whole event rather than the personal stories. More than 2,753 individuals died in New York City, Shanksville, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon that day. New York suffered the loss of 343 firefighters. One of them was 42-year veteran First Deputy Fire Commissioner William Feehan. It was reported that Feehan was so knowledgeable that he...

“If it’s naïve to want peace instead of war, let ‘em make sure they say, I’m naïve. Because I want peace instead of war.” — Benjamin Ferencz Right now, I can’t think of a more important time in the country and the world where we need heroes , ethical heroes, men and women of principle. Ben Ferencz is one of...

Last Friday, Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony. “I’m incredibly proud,” President Biden said, “to give Col. Ralph Puckett’s act of valor the full recognition that he always deserved. Colonel, I’m humbled to have you here today.” The White House statement reads, in part: “Then-First Lieutenant Ralph Puckett, Jr. distinguished himself...

With the lack of courage and duty in Washington, it’s more important than ever to take a moment to remember some of the heroes who acted above and beyond 79 years ago, today. As memorialized by the History Channel, here are four stories that show what courage and duty look like. “Missouri-born Samuel Fuqua had a front row seat to...

Updates at the end of this commentary. Military heroes are known for their immediate courage on the battlefield, but for some, ethical courage can be just as urgent. Just ask Captain Brett Crozier. As the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with a crew of 4,000 sailors, Capt. Crozier faced a challenge he never expected when he reported to...

Heroes come in all forms: fire, police, paramedics, even everyday citizens. During this worldwide pandemic afflicting millions, we need heroes more than ever. As the top expert on infectious disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been praised as the most trusted man in the country due to his straight talk about the spread of the coronavirus which has now infected more...