Modern Heroism

What does a hero look like? Reporter Lisa Donovan of the Pioneer Press lets us know, with her story on the appearance of Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson at the Taste of Minnesota yesterday:

On Sunday, she sported straight black hair with red highlights, strappy heels and a blue polka-dot dress with a plunging neckline. Asked about those shoes (she was shot in both ankles during the Iraq ambush), she said she's getting around just fine in them and hopes to return to the stilettos she wore before.

Too bad the Internet didn't exist in the 40's, otherwise I'd be able to Google the reports of what Audie Murphy was wearing when he got on the speaking circuit after World War II. At least we do know what Audie did to earn the moniker of hero.

2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods.

2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back.

For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50.

2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Army Specialst Johnson's claim to the title? According to the Pioneer Press:

The first African-American woman to become a prisoner of war, Johnson said Sunday afternoon during Taste of Minnesota events in St. Paul that, as she watches news reports, she wonders how she made it out of Iraq with her life: "It's hard. It's very difficult. Lots of times I ask: 'Why me?' 'Why was I spared?' "

Taste of Minnesota officials invited Johnson to be part of Sunday's Fourth of July celebration on Harriet Island, and St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly welcomed the 31-year-old from El Paso, Texas, calling her a "true American hero."

Johnson, whose story eluded the spotlight as the media focused on fellow captive Pvt. Jessica Lynch, was captured March 23, 2003, during an ambush when the 507th Maintenance Company that supported the Army's 3rd Infantry took a wrong turn in the Iraqi desert.

I want to express my happiness that this American solider was retrieved from the clutches of her Iraqi captors. And I sincerely wish to thank her for her service to this country, much of it done under difficult, harrowing circumstances.

But (there's always a but with this guy) defining the term "hero" down to getting lost and getting taken prisoner, and basing it exclusively on a gender and race qualification, well, its simply not American. Heroism, like any achievement, is based on what you do, not who you are.