Valor

The story is told of a young man who, for his final examination in Philosophy, was given just one question that he needed to answer. This question represented 1/3 of his overall grade. The question was, "What is courage?" His reply, which he submitted and then immediately left the classroom was, "This is."

Courage is probably the most important of all virtues, because without it, all others get trampled by the pressures we all endure. When faced with a moral dilemma, it is courage that helps us define our convictions and then hold fast to our decisions, come what may.

I was in the Army for 8 years, and I had the opportunity to compete for "Soldier of the Quarter" for the entire 7th Infantry Division. I had already won the accolade of Soldier of the Quarter for the Battalion and had prepared strenuously for this prestigious event. I didn't win. I missed one question, and the winner did not. The question that I was unable to answer satisfactorily was, "What is the definition of valor?"

Standing in front of the review board, my quick and ready reply was, "Courage." My answer hung there for a few moments and one of the officers pressed, "Have you anything to add to your answer?" I puzzled for a moment about what he was seeking, and not finding any better response, I replied, "No Sir." He then said, "Sergeant Jessen, valor is courage - but it is courage under fire or in the face of mortal danger."

I have never forgotten that incident. I often reflect how many times in my life I should have shown valor and did not. And for the moment, I would like to redefine valor to say that it is, indeed, courage under fire - under the fire of ridicule, criticism, and scrutiny. For most of us, this type of valor is the hardest of all to muster.

Most soldiers and marines who are awarded medals for valor often say that they didn't think, they just acted and did what they thought was right. And that, I believe, is the lesson. They didn't think because they didn't have to. They had trained, rigorously, on what to do in combat situations. In other words, they had decided long before they ever saw combat how they would react under fire.

And perhaps that is the easiest way to summon courage in difficult circumstances - to have already decided what is right for you - before you are ever faced with ridicule, criticism and scrutiny. To have determined that you would not surrender your values under pressure.

I remember in junior high school an incident that taught me why it is important to have courage in defending your values - you see, I failed to do so. Throughout grade school and most of junior high school, I was picked on and ridiculed by most of the other kids - violently, at times. There was one boy, named Brian, who did not. He accepted me the way I was - poor and unclean in appearance. He did not label or criticize or make fun, and I considered him a friend.

One day, in gym class, we were to begin learning about wrestling. Much to the surprise of the other boys, I was unbeatable. Not because I was massive or strong, but because I had an older brother who was much bigger than I and who constantly tried to pin me down. I had learn to be quick and how to use leverage to my advantage - the two traits of a good wrestler.

In the locker room, many of the boys who had been my tormentors in earlier years look at me with newfound respect and congratulated me on my skills. It felt wonderful! Brian, however, failed miserably and was unable to pin or even escape from any of his opponents.

As we stood at the door of the gym waiting for the bell which would release us for lunch, the boys who normally tormented me began to make fun of Brian. Quickly, I remembered that he had stuck up for me many times before, and that I should do the same for him. Instead, I joined in the taunting about his lack of ability as a wrestler. I was glad that, for once, I was not the object of scorn. My courage evaporated in my need to be accepted.

The next day, Brian failed to get on the school bus. That was not unusual - most kids missed the bus at least once or twice. However, when we settled into our desks in home room - first period, the principal came over the intercom system to make his usual morning announcements. That day, however, he was very somber and said, "We would like to offer our condolences to the family of Brian _______ who died last night. Funeral services will be held on...." I will never remember the rest of the announcement because I ran to the bathroom to throw up.

Never surrender your courage when you know what is right. The consequences can have dire affect. Most of the time, the consequences will go unseen, but what they do to you inside can weaken you to a point where you no longer know what your values are.

Decide ahead of time what you will stand up for and what you will not stand for. Stick to your decision, and if worse comes to worst, you will always be able to look back and say, "I did what was right, no matter what."