Heroes have timeless lesson for students – character matters
Have you ever wondered how you would act in a moment that required you to be a hero? Would you act courageously, be selfless or demonstrate the compassion needed in the moment when it mattered?
Each year, students of Catholic Memorial reflect on these questions. Through a directed curriculum, our students identify the values and the virtues that they aspire to embody. By engaging in important conversations and having the opportunity to hear directly from real-life heroes, we strive to form, inform and transform the lives of our students.
The CM community has hosted Alison Crowther, who spoke about her son Welles, the man in the red bandanna. On Sept. 11, 2001, Welles sacrificed himself to save others. When the moment arrived, Welles stepped out of his role as an equity trader and became a volunteer firefighter. He rushed into danger with his red bandanna, his courage and a desire to save others. Because of Welles’s heroic actions, he rescued at least 10 people that morning. Like so many New York City firefighters, Welles sacrificed his life helping to save as many people as possible before the Twin Towers
fell.
As a school, CM students have also conducted research on the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for valor in action. Guided by Adam Makos’ book “Devotion,” CM students learned about the friendship and heroism of Korean War pilot Capt. Thomas Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, the first African American Navy fighter pilot. A Massachusetts native, Capt. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in trying to save his friend Ensign Brown, who crash-landed in the snowy mountains of Korea. Catholic Memorial was the first school to tour the USS Thomas Hudner, a Navy destroyer built in New England.
To start the 2021 school year, CM hosted 1st Lt. Brian Thacker, a Vietnam veteran, one of the 67 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. Inspired by a deep love of country and a desire to always do what is right, Medal of Honor recipients display the highest values and virtues in the moments that mattered most — bravery, courage, sacrifice and integrity.
Lt. Thacker shared his story of gallantry and selflessness. He reminded us that small actions and decisions made by ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact on the lives of many. Lt. Thacker acted with grace under pressure. Fifty years ago, he directed the withdrawal of his force from a fire base in Vietnam. To guarantee his men could escape, Lt. Thacker remained alone to provide covering fire before altruistically calling for U.S. artillery to fire on his position. Wounded yet sustained by faith, Lt. Thacker successfully eluded the enemy forces for eight days until he was rescued.
There is a hero that lives within all of us. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they make a conscious choice. It starts with ordering our lives around the virtues of courage, humility, sacrifice, integrity, compassion, forgiveness, perseverance and faith. We must never forget that it is our responsibility to pass on these virtues to the next generation.
The path to character is a lifelong journey that requires small acts and definitive choices. Lt. Thacker, Capt. Hudner and Welles Crowther provide incredible examples for all of us to aspire towards and remind us that character does matter.