I was only a gun captain on the battleship Alabama for 34 months. People have called me a hero for that, but I'll tell you this - heroes don't come home. Survivors come home.
Bob FellerRead
The soldiers that didn't come back were the heroes. It's a roll of the dice. If a bullet has your name on it, you're a hero. If you hear a bullet go by, you're a survivor.
Interpretation
This quote honors fallen soldiers and emphasizes the unpredictable nature of survival in warfare.
Bob Feller's quote reflects on the bravery of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in battle, stating that those who do not return are the true heroes. It highlights the randomness of life and death in combat—suggesting that if fate has marked you for death, you are a hero, while those who escape bullets are merely survivors. This duality recognizes both the honor of sacrifice and the sheer luck involved in surviving conflict.
In practice
A speech at a veterans' gathering to honor those who served.
I was only a gun captain on the battleship Alabama for 34 months. People have called me a hero for that, but I'll tell you this - heroes don't come home. Survivors come home.
I'm no hero. Heroes don't come back. Survivors return home. Heroes never come home. If anyone thinks I'm a hero, I'm not.
The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat.
Always do the right thing even when the right thing is the hard thing
Nuclear terrorism is one of the most serious threats of our time. Even one such attack could inflict mass casualties and create immense suffering and unwanted change in the world forever. This prospect should compel all of us to act to prevent such a catastrophe.
I am not a courageous person by nature. I have simply discovered that, at certain key moments in this life, you must find courage in yourself, in order to move forward and live. It is like a muscle and it must be exercised, first a little, and then more and more. All the really exciting things possible during the course of a lifetime require a little more courage than we currently have. A deep breath and a leap.
The courage to be is rooted in the God who appears when God has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt.
(Was he talking about a polar expedition, or marriage?) -Jorge Men Wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.
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