Honor the Fallen and Remember the Forgotten

Earlier this year, I was at Deseret Industries with some family, and of course I had to take a look through their book section. There, I found a few books about U.S. history. I've been on sort of a non-fiction adventure roll lately, and I've always loved learning about history, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with these books -- plus, they were only a couple of dollars each :)

On November, 11, I picked up one of these books. It didn't even hit me until later in the day that I had chosen to begin reading Unlikely Heroes on Veteran's Day. That sort of amplified the whole experience for me as I reflected on family and friends who previously served and are currently serving in the military or law enforcement. Too often I think we get caught up in our own worlds (myself included) to the point that we forget about those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe, and who protect our rights and freedoms, as wells as that of other countries.

When we do hear stories, we often hear of brave soldiers whose split-second decision making saved hundreds or prevented catastrophe. Or, we hear of those who died in the line of duty, protecting others. But such stories only tell us of a select few. What about the hundreds and thousands of others who are in the background, who did seemingly small things that ended up changing the course of action or the results? We don't usually hear their stories.

Unlikely Heroes: Ordinary Men and Women Whose Courage Won The Revolution is just as it says -- a collection of stories about the 'ordinary' people whose courage and bravery made it possible for the United States of America to become its own nation and keep its freedom.

The Logistics 
Unlikely Heroes is an easy read, and it is full of short but powerful stories. Some stores are only a page or two while others are about 10. But, most stories I could read during my break, or sit down and enjoy fairly quickly before going to bed. The author, Ron Carter, tells the stories in an easy-to-follow and engaging manner. I imagine he took some liberty in describing situations or character feelings, as we can't always know exactly how these people felt in every situation. Nonetheless, the events recorded and retold in these stories are pretty incredible.

The Stories 
As I read through the various stories in Unlikely Heroes, I felt a powerful sense of awe and respect for the people who made up our early nation. These people were fighting for rights they believed to be self-evident, and many were willing to do whatever it took to get those rights and keep them. For some, that mean eavesdropping on British plans and risking everything to deliver the news to the American army. It meant taking a stand in your own home and opposing British soldiers when they pressed you for food or lodging. It meant standing firm with your band of only a few hundred men against the thousands of British in an effort to give General Washington more time to gather the rest of his men. It meant running across the battlefield as an unsuspecting woman to get more gunpowder so that the fort didn't fall into enemy hands. It meant financing practically the entire American army and war efforts. It meant continuing to fight during harsh winter months even when there was no money left.

Many times as I read these stories, I tried to put myself in the situation I was reading. Would I have had the courage to risk everything for such a cause? Would I have stood my ground and kept fighting even when everything pointed to defeat? I like to think that I would, but I can't say. One thing is for sure: I am extremely grateful for those who lived in American in the 1770s and 1780s who did risk everything and did stand their ground.

The people in these stories probably aren't in textbooks or part of your typical recaps of the American Revolution. But truly, without the help of these ordinary people, the young U.S. nation would never have been able to pull off the extraordinary task of receiving aid from the French and defeating the British. Unlikely Heroes is a simple yet powerful way to honor those who have fallen in the fight for freedom, and to remember those who have been forgotten.