In company of heroes

In case you missed it, Superman just turned 80. The Man of Steel first appeared within the pages of the June 1938 issue of Action Comics. The cover shows him lifting a green 1930s automobile above his head. A pristine copy of this issue sold for over $3 million on eBay. Superheroes are fun, but how about we remember some real heroes as we celebrate our independence? My top five military heroes are as follows.

1. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, commander of the 20th Maine Regiment, prevented the rebels from capturing Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg by leading a bayonet charge that probably turned the tide of battle.

2. Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle led the “Doolittle Raiders” consisting of 79 other volunteers manning 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers on April 18, 1943, to bomb the Japanese mainland. They did minimal damage to Japanese infrastructure but provided a huge morale boost to Americans.

3. Lt. Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated Marine in Marine Corps history. Awarded five Navy Crosses. Led Marines in taking Guadalcanal in World War II and again at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. Noted for leading his men from the front rather than the rear.

4. Major Richard “Dick” Winters, 101st Airborne Division. Featured in the book and TV production Band of Brothers. Jumped behind the lines on D-Day and Operation Market Garden and helped to defend the Belgian city of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. In his words, “I served in the company of heroes.”

5. Major Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander, Allied forces. Two reasons to include “Ike” on my list: Bernard Montgomery and George Patton. Brilliant field generals, huge egos. Ike knew how to use them.

JOHN A. McPHERSON Searcy