Celebrating American Heroes

South Dakota has produced its fair share of heroes. Joe Foss and Cecil Harris come to mind. So do Marcella LeBeau and the Sioux Code Talkers of World War II. Like many South Dakotans, I count a number of family members who served among my personal heroes: my dad who was a Navy pilot in World War II, as well as my uncles Les and Gil. Earlier this year, Americans learned about another hero from South Dakota: Royce Williams, a native of Wilmot who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in February. During the Korean War, Williams single-handedly took on multiple Soviet MiGs for more than 30 minutes and shot down four of them, a feat achieved by no other pilot. For decades, because his mission was classified, Williams did not get the recognition he deserved. That changed this year when Americans learned about Williams’ heroism as he was awarded the Medal of Honor during the State of the Union. Whether their missions were classified or not, it’s common to find veterans who don’t talk much about their own service record. If it weren’t for my mom, I’m not sure I’d ever have known about my dad’s record in World War II. Even when I interviewed him for the Veterans History Project many years ago, my dad kept bringing the conversation back to the achievements of the men he served with rather than to his own actions. But we don’t have to know a veteran’s story to know that we’re indebted to him or her. Every person who serves our country in uniform makes sacrifices to keep us safe and to protect the freedoms we hold dear. This year, as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, Veterans Day has perhaps an even greater significance. An anniversary like this brings to mind the generations of Americans who have fought for something greater than themselves: to ensure that America will endure long beyond their own lives. Celebrating 250 years of American independence would be incomplete without acknowledging that this nation endures because Americans have answered and continue to answer the call to serve. Former South Dakota governor and Medal of Honor recipient Joe Foss said of veterans, “Those of us who live have to represent those who didn’t make it.” We all have a similar duty. We owe it to those who have served – and to those who gave their lives – to be worthy of their sacrifice and to uphold the freedoms for which they fought.