A Man of Virtue

They say there are no more heroes, that the age of heroes is long dead. They are wrong. I grew up surrounded by heroes, real heroes, men who you not only could trust with, as one of my heroes sometimes says ‘with your wallet or your wife,’ but men who had lived their lives for great causes, for their families and their friends and their nation, and not for themselves.

Paul, Robert, Bill, Red, John, Reed, Robert, Ted, Roger

And then I ran into more as I grew up – Fr. John, Fr. Joe, Jan – men who lived their lives for others, and with honor, who didn’t expect to make money off their efforts, or have fame, who valued doing the right thing, who really never worried about cost. As I grew older the list got longer.

Vulcan, Bulldog, Indian, Careless, Fast Eddie, Spine-Ripper, Rooster, Heater, Bob, Agent, Snail, Sid

Many, actually all, of them helped me, whether in making me a better officer or man, or getting me out of trouble – some mundane (like carrying me out of bar), some more serious. Never did I see any of them stop and wonder what the cost would be to them, they just did what needed to be done.

Jabber, Bud, BB, Moose, Rocko, Snake, Groper, Scooter, Wizard, Benny, Gary, Harry

I’ve learned to thank God that I was born in the US, that I was graced with a wonderful family, that I have been given health, and that I have traveled with men of real virtue.

Turkey, PD, Booseman, Mike, Mike, Pete, Pete, Mike, Brian, Hawk, Joe, Vince, Jim, J.R., Flex, Vito

I saw some die, go away and not come back

Dave, Mike, Frank, Skates, Bull, Jet, Bug, Scott, and recently Boomer

Many I failed to keep in touch, forgetting to answer letters or e-mails, losing addresses and phone-numbers. Yet, when we would meet serendipitously, passing through an airport or, as was often the case, in some spot on the far side of the planet, we would stop and catch up, whether it had been 10 days or 10 years since we last spoke to each other.

John, John jr., Mike, Harry, Chuck, Tony, John, Pete, Mark, Kent, Duane, Matt, Al, Keith, Jim, Bryan

Two days ago, on the 6th, Lex died, in a training crash out in Nevada. Lex was another one, another one of the men of real virtue that I have been lucky enough - blessed – with knowing. Like every man mentioned here, and many that I have not mentioned, though they are all on my list, Lex was a good man, in the real sense of that word. He believed in doing the right thing, of standing by his family and friends, his shipmates and his nation. He did it without concern about cost, and he did it with joy, with a twinkle in his eye. He lived a life of courage and virtue. We should all strive to do the same.

God Speed, Lex. RIP