Riveting real-life accounts of heroism from Medal of Honor recipients,
including Clinton Romesha (author of Red Platoon: A True Story of
American Valor) and exceptional civilians like schoolteacher Jencie
Fagan
How does an ordinary person become a hero? It happens in a split second,
a moment of focus and clarity, when a choice is made. Here are the
gripping accounts of Medal of Honor recipients who demonstrated guts and
selflessness on the battlefield and confronted life-threatening danger
to make a difference. There are the stories of George Sakato and Vernon
Baker--both of whom overcame racial discrimination to enlist in the army
during World War II (Sakato was a second-generation Japanese American,
Baker an African American) and went on to prove that heroes come in all
colors--and Clint Romesha, who led his outnumbered fellow soldiers
against a determined enemy to prevent the Taliban from taking over a
remote U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan.
Also included are civilians who have been honored by the Congressional
Medal of Honor Foundation for outstanding acts of bravery in crisis
situations, from a school shooting to the 9/11 attacks on the World
Trade Center. Adding depth and context are illuminating essays on the
combat experience and its aftermath, covering topics such as overcoming
fear; a mother mourning the loss of her son; and "surviving hell" as a
prisoner of war.