The Moon Is Down

Since the beginning of man, war has been a part of life. Millions of people have

lost their lives. Uncountable  countries have been ravaged. In each battle fought, there are

people that lose their lives. There are always persons that are named as heroes and

heroines. Actions of bravery and courage are displayed. Are these heroes only located on

the battlefield?  If they aren't just found on the battlefield, can we become one? The

anwers to these questions are "Yes". These brave people can be found anywhere.

What does it mean to be "brave"?  According to the The American Heritage®

Dictionarythe definition of "brave" the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables

one to face danger."

We often associate heroes with bravery. Who are these heroes? What have

they done to have that title placed upon themselves? Does someone have to put

their life on the line to he one of those "heroes"? I think not. Think to ourselves about

who might our heroes be? Those "heroes" might still be alive today or they might

already have died.

What made them heroes to us? They might have preserved our freedom in

war. They could might also may have done something as minor as lending help to

yourself when you are in need. It takes a special person to be so selfless, that to put

the needs of others above  their own personal needs or desires would not be

unusual.

Who are these people? They might be someone that put their own life on the

line for the good of others. It could be your neighbor or it could be yourself. They

come from all walks of life they could be your family doctor,  or  an architect or even

a politician.

On May 28th we celebrated  Memorial Day which is a national holiday set

aside to the memory of the members of the military that have lost their lives in the

service of our country.  This weekend is often used not just as a day for

remembering the dead, but for a opportunity for families to spend together. During

this same weekend, was broadcast on all of the major television networks,  was

televised documentaries surrounding the largest  attack upon a U.S. naval base. On

a quiet Sunday morning of December 7, 1941 hundreds of Japanese airplanes

armed with torpedoes and other ammunition attacked Pearl Harbor with such a

horrendous fury. It was so fierce that in just a few minutes five battleships were

destroyed and hundreds of airplanes were destroyed. There were a total of three

waves of attacking enemy airplanes.

The most damaged boat in this attack was the USS Arizona. This battleship was

attacked with two direct torpedoes as well as having two torpedo near misses.Out

of the 1,731 men on board during the attack, there were only 554 survivors. It was

during and in the aftermath of this attack that some of the most brave actions that

have ever been witnessed occured. These mililtary servicemen were no longer

individuals, they were all brothers. No one put their own well-being  more important

to their neighbor's. Many gave their life so that their fellow serviceman could make it

out of danger. These men were selfless in every sense of the word. This is one

example of "bravery".

Someone does not have to be attacked my enemy airplanes to be

considered a "brave man". Nor does one have to be a "super hero" like figure.  It

could be a good deed as helping someone who had a flat tire on the side of the

road.

If there were more "selfless" and "brave" people, this world would be a much

better and happier place to live. By thinking about the happiness of others first

and not our own, we can help to bring about an improvement in society.  As the

motto of a popular youth organization goes as saying "Do a good deed daily". Let

us be a cheerful and selfless people.