Island of heroes

For the last few days, the islands of Saipan and Tinian have been visited by returning veterans from World War II. Their welcome is in stark contrast to the reception they received on the beaches of Chalan Kanoa 60 years ago.

When Enola Gay pilot, Paul Tibbets, was asked at an open discussion at NMC what he expected to see prior to his recent arrival on Saipan, he said he hoped to see smiling faces—and he wasn’t disappointed. People are smiling because these men who risked their lives are real heroes in our midst. Their bravery and the sacrifice of their comrades allowed the world to smile again after experiencing the oppression and bloodshed that comes from war.

Keith Renstorm, a Marine gunnery who waded onto the beaches of Saipan, and later was shot in the leg during the assault on Tinian, expressed that his return to the islands is one of the highlights of his life. He is one of the many men and women during the war effort who contributed in some way to benefit the lives of the people of the islands and ultimately the world.

A hero is someone who is greatly admired because of brave deeds and noble qualities. The ancient Greeks memorialized greatness by setting aside the top of Mount Olympus as a home for their national heroes. They used their heroes as a pattern after which to model their own lives.

The veterans we honor during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of World War II Battles of Saipan and Tinian are worthy of the title “hero.” Their selfless acts are honored at American Memorial Park, and their short visit has enriched our lives and given us a model to pattern our own lives.

Thomas Carlyle said in his book, Heroes and Hero Worship, “You cannot look upon a great man without gaining something from him.” If this is true, we have benefited from the presence of these great Americans who have graced the shores of these islands once again. Their generation lived in a time when patriotism, honor, duty, and sacrifice had different connotations than they do today. During their era, a man’s word was his bond and many heroes came from the common folks who did what they felt needed to be done. It was a time when sports figures and movie stars put their fame and fortune on hold to join the military and make a contribution to the war effort.

Unfortunately, heroes of many youth today are singers convicted on drug possession, overpaid sports stars accused of rape, and movies stars with the morals of a degenerate. Increasing crime, pornography, skyrocketing divorce rates, and illicit sex have all lowered the standards whereby we judge a moral society. We call good evil, and evil good. That’s why, in all the confusion of our time, it is refreshing to step back 60 years and celebrate with yesterday’s real heroes and contemplate who our heroes are today.

It is easy to find heroes in the military personnel fighting in Iraq and other parts of the world. They can also be found in local police officers who put their lives on the line everyday, and the firefighters who place themselves in harm’s way to save others.

We believe that today’s real heroes also come from the common folk who may not sacrifice their life in the service of others, but live simple lives serving others by making selfless sacrifices. These heroes are individuals who witness a crime or find someone in need and take some action rather than stand back and wait for someone else to do something. They are the teachers who know they could be earning more money in another profession, but feel their job is making a greater contribution to our children.

Everyday heroes are those parents who give up a higher paying job or two incomes, so they can spend more time raising their children—knowing that no other success will ever compensate for failure in the home. They recognize the sacrifice they make for their children will be paid back by the contribution their children make to society.

Within everyone lies the ability to become a hero in someone else’s life. Just living a good life and serving others can become an example to others and provide a role model to live by.

These last few days we have benefited from the presence of a great generation of heroes who have given us a reason to smile. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of us. It has taught us that real success, lasting value, and enduring memories are reserved for those who live their life to enrich others, rather than those who seek only to enrich themselves. Godspeed to all our visiting veterans.

(Rik is a business instructor at NMC and Janel is the owner of Positively Outrageous Results. They have consulted with over 400 businesses in 40 different industries. For better business results go to BizResults.biz to read previous articles.)