Giants among us...

Harry Truman almost made it a personal doctrine to read about the great men of history, and he tried to incorporate their best traits into his own life. In 1953 Truman said "Learn from those who have gone before you, and in choosing your case studies, your exemplars, set the bar high, preferably far above what you think you yourself can achieve." Truman understood the value of history — of studying great men and striving to absorb the better angels of their character.

In this day and age we have few good and true role models to look up to. We have precious few great men from whom we can be inspired, emulating their better traits and ways. I am a student of history, albeit an amateur one. Looking at American history, I have a few suggestions.

The great men of history are exemplary men, but not perfect men. Some among you will question some of my choices, and that's good. We need to be certain of those we choose to emulate. We must be certain of the good traits we choose to assimilate. Giants among men have flaws, but that doesn't take away from the greatness of the man.

In some instances, I've included prolonged quotes from the men themselves, for in most cases their own language far exceeds my ability to describe their state of mind in the unique circumstances and times they found themselves in. Words have a certain power all their own, and many of these great men have inspired many by their oratory to great heights in great struggles in times of despair. I relay to you my interpretations of their lives as it has affected my own, and in many cases still does.

Giants among us...

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: I was recently watching a program on the History Channel covering the life and death of Abraham Lincoln. I then went out and bought some books on Lincoln. What a man! No doubt he deserves great stature for his work in freeing the slaves, but he has other lesser know traits that we can learn from.

Lincoln achieved the presidency, having come from basically nowhere. However, that was not unusual in the first eighty years or so after the Revolution. The country was new and many leaders came from nowhere, since nowhere was basically everywhere. I'm talking about another achievement of Lincoln: he overcame tremendous failure. I too have failed in some areas of my life, so this has great significance to me. Just a few of his more notable failures include:

In 1832 he lost his job and was defeated in his bid for the state legislature.
In 1833 his business failed.
In 1835 his sweetheart died.
In 1836 he had a nervous breakdown.
In 1838 he was defeated in his bid for Speaker of the House.
In 1843 he was defeated for nomination for Congress.
In 1848 he lost re-nomination for Congress.
In 1849 he was rejected for position of Land Officer.
In 1854 he was defeated for the U.S. Senate.
In 1856 he was defeated for the nomination for Vice President.
In 1858 he was again defeated for the U.S. Senate.

Yet in spite of all this, he persevered and was elected President of the United States of America in 1860. Some times, as my pastor John Sullivan says, "You just have to hang in there because God blesses the man who perseveres." I guess so, as Lincoln's life demonstrates. Sometimes we look around us and the clouds of life are blown about by the winds of adversity. We fret, we worry, and we may even wonder "Where is God?" He's there, enthroned in the Heavens — He still rules over all of life's events. Like the clouds, He is still above all our problems and circumstances. No matter what happens, no matter what changes, He's still there — over all — nothing escapes His gaze. Nothing happens apart from His will, for who can stand against the counsel of the Lord? If we set our sites on Him who is higher than all, and though we may be occasionally tossed about, we will remain steadfast, as Lincoln was in times of great trial.

In the Bible, Daniel 4:17 says "...the Most High rules in the affairs of men." Lincoln believed this. There is a lot to learn by hanging in there and putting our faith in the One who rules over the whole world. I think the main reason that Lincoln persevered after failure upon failure is that being a religious man, he knew that nothing happens — good or bad — apart from God's knowledge. His faith, coupled with a resolute steadfastness, sustained him. We are all beneficiaries of his perseverance.

I quote Lincoln below, in what may seem like too long a segment for this article, but the weight of its power resonates through the years and is worth reading:

"The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party; and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to affect His purpose. I am almost ready to say that this is probably true; that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By His mere great power on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And, having begun, He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds. In the very responsible situation in which I am placed, as a humble instrument in the hands of my heavenly Father, I have desired that all my words and actions may be in accordance with His will; but if, after endeavoring to do my best with the light which He affords me, I find my efforts fail, then I must believe that, for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it otherwise. If I had had my way, this war would never have been; but, nevertheless, it came. If I had had my way, the war would have ended before this; but, nevertheless, it still continues. We must conclude that He permits it for some wise purpose, though we may not be able to comprehend it; for we cannot but believe that He who made the world still governs it."

Few men have matched Lincoln's simple eloquence in word. Consider his second inaugural address where he said "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds." In his Gettysburg Address, he defined the Civil War as a rededication to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence. If you have not read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, read it. It is one of the most moving and inspiring pieces I have ever read. After hearing it, one of the leading orators of the day, Edward Everett, told Lincoln "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes."

In the end, all words aside, Lincoln preserved the union of the states and freed the slaves. A true Giant.

Failures can make us stronger, and we're less apt to make the same mistakes twice. In a sense then, Lincoln's failures were really valuable learning experiences to prepare him for the great trials of the Civil War to come. These learning experiences may not have seemed valuable to Lincoln at the time — in fact, I'm sure they were difficult and painful. However, I believe that had Lincoln not failed in many of his earlier ventures, we'd have seen a different, less courageous president. We'd have seen a president less resolute in his mission. Possibly the Emancipation Proclamation would never have been written.

From Lincoln we learn sincerity, moral certitude and the need to follow your convictions.

Giants have walked among us.

WINSTON CHURCHILL: Few men have been as dauntless in the face of overwhelming odds as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Most would be familiar with his words "Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." He spoke that on June 4, 1940, when England was besieged by the mighty German Air Force in what has come to be known as the Battle of Britain. The country's future was literally at stake. At one point, because of the almost daily German bombing and constant German U-Boat attacks, Churchill thought that the end for Britain was only five to six weeks away. From September 3, 1939, when Britain declared war on Germany, England stood alone until the United States entered the Second World War after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Churchill was not perfect. He also had vices. He drank a lot. This would be front-page news for a politician today. Churchill failed miserably in 1915 as First Lord of the Admiralty when the British military venture at Gallipoli in World War One failed completely. Thousands were killed. He was forced to resign as a result, since Gallipoli was his idea. Nevertheless, the country turned to Churchill for leadership two decades later as the Nazi menace directly threatened Britain in the opening months of W.W.II. After the catastrophic failure twenty-some years earlier at Gallipoli, why choose Churchill now? There was something in his character that inspired people and gave them hope. Churchill was able to get the best out of men under the worst possible circumstances. Consider Churchill's stirring words from July 14, 1940:

"Now it has come to us to stand alone in the breach, and face the worst that the tyrant's might and enmity can do. Bearing ourselves humbly before God, but conscious that we serve an unfolding purpose... we await undismayed the impending assault. Perhaps it will come tonight. Perhaps it will come next week. Perhaps it will never come. We must show ourselves equally capable of meeting a sudden violent shock — or what is perhaps a harder test — a prolonged vigil. But be the ordeal sharp or long, or both, we shall seek no terms, we shall tolerate no parley."

Those words were spoken from his inner character, a character that had known great defeat and public failure. They are not the words of a perfect man, but they spring from the heart of a lion. His words ring true to America's citizens and soldiers today, as they join together to fight the war on terror, which is a new and different war for America and her allies. This new war is as threatening for us as the Battle of Britain was to England. We would do well to make Churchill's words from his oratory in June of 1940 our own,: "Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: 'Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valour, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.' "

From Churchill we learn inspiration, leadership, and more importantly, the necessity of resisting evil.

Giants have walked among us.

RONALD REAGAN: "We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology." I love that quote. Reagan was purposeful. With Reagan you always knew where you stood. He called things as they were.

From most people who knew President Ronald Reagan over the course of his long life, the one thing they all say about him was that he was consistent, and that he always endeavored to do the right thing, no matter the situation and no matter what the cost to himself. We do not often see that in politicians today. A few good ones stand out in recent times: George W. Bush, Dr. Alan Keyes, Rudy Giuliani, the late US Senator Paul Simon from Illinois, and even Zell Miller, among others. Some are ridiculed for it like Bush and Keyes. A prophet is without honor in his hometown, yet we'll all listen intently to the man who travels a hundred miles with a suitcase,' so to speak. Another one of Pastor Sullivan's pearls of wisdom. It's true — we seldom listen to our own. Reagan stayed the course.

Reagan didn't waver in the face of great opposition. Many of his advisers and close family members told him that America couldn't win the Cold War. The media thought him dull, yet the people loved him! I loved him. They thought that we should not provoke the Soviet Union, but rather that we should pursue some form of passive coexistence. Reagan thought otherwise because he knew that the Soviet Union was an evil empire. Public opinion was against him and his political career seemed to be at stake. Yet he believed in his heart that he was put on earth to defeat communism and restore America's morale. After the assassination attempt on Reagan just a few weeks into his presidency, he devoted the rest of his life to God's purpose for him. Reagan then followed through on this commitment as God gave him the light. The end result — in what was once thought to be against all odds — was the fall of the Soviet empire a few months after he left office.

Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan says of Reagan: "In a time of malice, he was not malicious; in a time of lies, he did not falsify; in a time of great pressure, he didn't bend or break; in a time of disingenuousness, he was clear and candid about where he stood and why; and in a time when people just gave up after a while and changed the subject, he remained on the field through the long haul." In the current fight against assembly-line style abortion, special gay 'rights,' gay marriage and the overall secularization of America, etc, we must not let the occasional victories won by the other side overwhelm or deter us. We must not let the current tide of moral relativism in America hinder us. That is the opposition's goal. Intimidation is their tactic. If we abandon the fight, our enemies win. It's as simple as that. According to Exodus 14:13, we, like President Reagan, are encouraged to "Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord." Hang in there.

Reagan was truly a heroic president, but he was first a heroic and gallant man. That was one of the keys to his greatness. He never forgot that first and foremost he was a common man. He put his wife and family first. As president, he continued to write hundreds of letters to everyday Americans. He never forgot his humble beginnings as the son of an alcoholic father and a devoted Christian mother. He never forgot his roots.

Most importantly, Reagan overcame evil with good. He said he wanted to extend the "hand of friendship" to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. This opened the path for much reconciliation. A few years ago I heard Reverend Charles Simpson say "It's hard for a man to resist mercy." Indeed it is. Reagan knew that and he tempered mercy with firmness and accountability. He told Gorbachev "Trust, but verify." He was willing to extent to him the hand of friendship, but he was sending the additional message that 'we will also hold you accountable.' He expected a compatible response

Reagan was a good and decent man with the heart of a lion, the fortitude of a bulldog, and the decency of the common man. From Reagan, we learn to overcome evil with good while remaining firm in our convictions. From Reagan we learn consistency and humility. June 5, 2004 was a sad day for America. It was a very sad day for me.

Giants have definitely walked among us.

HARRY TRUMAN: We're all familiar with the statement on his desk in the Oval Office that read "The Buck stops here." Truman took responsibility for his actions. He was a model of accountability. Upon FDR's death, Truman was made aware of the development of the atomic bomb. FDR's penchant for not delegating authority kept Truman out of the loop. Truman knew nothing of the bomb until FDR's death. Nevertheless, Truman saw the need for the bomb and signed the order to drop it. Never mind whether you think the atomic bombing of Japan was right or wrong, but rather ask yourself "How did Truman see it in light of the times and circumstances of his day?" The experts of his day told Truman that upwards of a half a million American casualties could result from an invasion of Japan, maybe even a million; not to mention the millions of Japanese civilian deaths.

The resoluteness required of Truman as hundreds of thousands of lives depended on his decision was astounding. How this must have weighed heavily on his mind. Either way, he alone would bear the burden. Most modern politicians would weigh this decision in light of their reelection potential and would probably decide to not drop the bomb. I'm sure Truman weighed all these things too, but decided to drop the bomb anyway because he believed that the right thing to do was to end the war with the least loss of American and Japanese lives. In Truman's mind then, this was the correct thing to do given the military circumstances of the time. As a law enforcement officer, I would have a hard time pulling the trigger on just one person, but I can barely imagine how Truman must have felt as he held the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese in one hand and the most powerful weapon ever developed in the other. No president was ever faced with a more heart-wrenching decision. We must see Truman's decision in the light of those times.

From Truman we learn fortitude, honesty, responsibility and accountability.

Giants have walked among us.

JFK: October, 1962. The fate of the world lay in the hands of a young American president. John Fitzgerald Kennedy had many problems. He was on heavy doses of painkillers for a severe back problem and we now know that he was an adulterer. In spite of these and other flaws, our future now literally lay in the hands of JFK as he decided how to deal with the placement of Soviet nuclear tipped missiles ninety miles off our coastline in Cuba. It's hard to imagine the tension of the day. McNamara wondered "If I'd live to see another sunrise." I can't imagine the fear in my parents minds, wondering if their six-year old son would see another day. That was the nature of the superpower confrontation of the day. In the end, JFK made the extremely difficult and correct decision not to capitulate to the enemy: the Soviet missiles must be withdrawn. And the diplomacy behind the scenes was worthy of James Bryce.

Dauntless. You may recall the 26 year old Kennedy courageously rescued some of his PT-109 shipmates and later swam out three miles to another island in a shark infested sea to try to obtain rescue for them, all the while enduring a severe and excruciating back injury. Here JFK displayed courage amidst pain and great personal risk, without the prospect of personal gain.

JFK and his brother Robert made great strides for civil rights. Real strides, not the modern day fluff. He launched this nation's exploration of space. He gave birth to the public's engagement in the arts and humanities. JFK also inserted America into Vietnam, but it's hard to believe that he envisioned the mangled prosecution of the war that President Johnson eventually inflicted on America and her soldiers.

Amidst all this, JFK inspired a nation to go to the moon. Not until Reagan would our country's morale be as high.

Thank God that JFK patiently and quietly endured these earlier trials that prepared him for such a crucial presidency later on. He had no idea what benefit his personal trials would later yield — nor do we.

From JFK we reawaken to the fact that it's okay — even good — to dream. We learn about concern for others. We learn about perseverance and courage under pressure. In JFK we realize out that some things require us to take great risks.

Giants have walked among us.

GEORGE WASHINGTON: What a great American! He was a true and humble public servant.

Like the Roman general Cincinnatus, Washington showed us how to decline the lust for power and ambition. Also like Cincinnatus, Washington never sought power or position and repeatedly gave it up early and voluntarily. Before there were presidential term limits, he retired after two terms so that he'd set the example that American politicians are servants of We the People — not glory seekers pursuing reelection. Washington is a study in humility.

Washington did not want to attend the Philadelphia convention that gave us the United States Constitution, after which he could have parlayed his attendance there into great monetary gain. He did not even want to be president. Many of the leaders of the day wanted to make Washington king, yet he resigned his office as an elected president with all it's power before he had too. He was a true public servant. His humility made him great. We see too little of that today, but George Washington's example endures centuries later.

In the Revolutionary War, General Washington inspired the men under him to continue to fight despite many setbacks. Pay did not always arrive. Supplies were scarce or nonexistent. One third of Americans did not even support the war. Despite all this, Washington took a band of undisciplined and poorly-trained troops and entered into a war that lasted over eight grueling years... and won.

Washington was the first convention delegate to sign the Constitution, the first President of the United States, and the only President to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College (he received 69 out of 69 votes). We must also not forget the service of his wife Martha, who loaned us this great man at personal expense to herself, during what should have been their golden years together.

From Washington we learn humbleness, virtue and commitment to principle.

Giants have walked among us.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT: The things that TR accomplished stagger the mind. The Panama Canal was built because of his vision and drive. While in office, Roosevelt became a "trust buster" by forcing the great railroad consolidation in the Northwest to break apart. This set the trend for the anti-monopoly laws we have today that allow new and small businesses to thrive. He was the father of the conservation movement, setting aside large amounts of the beautiful American landscape to preserve it for future generations. He flew an airplane, rode in a submarine, and won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was Governor of New York and the New York City police commissioner. He was Assistant Secretary of the Navy and was a colonel in the "Rough Riders" Cavalry. The image of him leading the charge up San Juan Hill on his horse became a beloved and historical icon.

What makes this all the more remarkable was that TR had severe asthma and other health problems as a child. He would not let these illnesses hold him back. He forced himself to walk long distances as a child, then he pushed himself to run, and later on he hiked and went on extended safaris. TR was always growing and improving as a person. He was never content with himself and did not let other people's opinions of him constrain him. He was always redefining and pushing his limitations.

From TR we can learn to overcome — to press on in spite of great difficulty. We also learn that limitations are sometimes God's way of spurring us on to higher levels of achievement.

RICHARD NIXON: Controversial, problematic. Nixon was a great man with great flaws. We've probably all heard the 'secret' White House tapes of Nixon's racial remarks and of his cursing or his Watergate scheming, but what about the good qualities of the man — did he have any? Is there anything positive that we can learn from this good yet seriously flawed man?

What a conundrum we have here. Despite his flaws, why do so may Americans still love and forgive Richard Nixon? Was it his ability to rebound after so many setbacks? Maybe. Possibly it was his ability to connect with the average American. Could be. We saw a president who was handed a poorly conducted Vietnam War managed by politicians instead of the military. This was made all the worse by the multiple errors of a micromanaging president, Lyndon Johnson. Did Nixon inherit a bad situation and exit a hero? No, I won't go that far. Because of outside pressures Nixon ended the war sooner than what would have been acceptable to ensure peace in that region. America did not get "peace with honor" and South Vietnam obtained no peace at all. We probably could have won the war, and the 58,000 brave Americans who died there certainly deserved better. We abandoned Vietnam and in doing so we also abandoned those who fought there. Eighteenth century British scientist and religious reformer Joseph Priestley said that "No vice is universally as hateful as ingratitude," and the way that America at large treated her returning Vietnam veterans was disgraceful. Despite all that, in Nixon, we saw some memorable moments as he struggled to maintain dignity amidst a country in chaos.

Some people maintain that when Nixon covertly left the White House one night to talk with students at the Lincoln Memorial, that it was the result of some strange psychological compulsion. I see it as the attempt of a good man in turmoil reaching out to the everyday person. His mother was an everyday person with Christian morals and traditional values. So Nixon recognized that the everyday American knew what was right. Does that make him great? No, but I think that it shows that the notion for 'doing the right thing' is found within the everyday American, and at heart Nixon was one of them. Did Nixon really leave the White House to talk with those students? I don't know, some say it did, but I can easily imagine it happening. It sounds like Nixon.

From Nixon we can learn to search for greatness in the everyday American. The heartland American was raised on Christian principles, and who in the end is committed to doing what's right. That's why there's no shortage of young American men and women clamoring to go fight the war on terror. I personally know two of them and I can tell you there's no shortage of the great American spirit, despite the fact that Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin and Nancy Pelosi, would have you believe that America is the bad guy. We're not.

We can also learn how to rebound after a fall. Nixon fell greatly and he fell in front of the whole nation. Nevertheless, a nation cried when he was buried — I know I did — partly because he never gave up the struggle to be an honorable and decent man, despite his many publicly exposed flaws. Like the Phoenix rising after its fatal fall, Nixon's rebound was a feat to behold.

From Nixon we also uncover a part of the human condition: achieving great things but failing at others. And we re-establish that honesty is still the best policy. We learn about consequences and we learn about recovery.

After his gubernatorial defeat in 1962, Nixon said "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference." I'll miss him.

THE AMERICAN SOLDIER (May God bless them):

The names of some giants will never be known, and no article about great men would be complete without mentioning the brave soldiers and patriots who have fought and died for this country. Some of their names we know. Others died anonymously on previously unknown beaches or in the thick forests of Europe, or on some other unheralded battlefield not embraced by public glory. My heart honors them beyond my ability to say. I think of places like Omaha Beach, when on D-Day, June 6, 1944, many young men took their last steps. We owe everything to them, as does France and most of Europe. Some took no more than a step before being cut down as they stepped out of their landing craft. Some took a few more steps before being cut down by withering machine gun fire. Some took many more steps before their young lives ended making a way for their buddies following behind them. Their courage amazes me.

Some giants were suddenly thrust into their situation, like the thousands of inexperienced young American GIs in the Battle of the Bulge who where unexpectedly woken up in the early morning hours of December 16th by the thousands of enemy artillery shells that rained down upon their positions. I imagine these cold and startled young Americans being quickly overwhelmed by waves of German infantrymen who were supported by vast amounts of tanks and artillery — and yet they stood firm, as everything within them told them to run. Yet most did not. And many died. One thing many of these Giants had in common was that they gave their all — or were willing to give all — for country, freedom, and for their fellow soldier. I am in awe of their sacrifice.

Surely Giants have walked among us.

Giants come in many colors. Some are surprisingly noble, like the all black crew of the USS Mason in W.W.II, which was the only ship to voluntarily go back out into a raging sea in October of 1944 to rescue other Allied ships in distress, all the while having a severe crack in her own hull! They were truly courageous. Some Giants fly, like the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all black fighter unit to fly in W.W.II. They all realized the extraordinary nature of their singular opportunity and they knew that they had to excel beyond that of their contemporaries in order to be recognized. Not one Allied bomber was lost while being escorted by these brave airmen, which included Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. It was an accomplishment unequalled to this day.

9/11. I think that the brave firefighters and police officers who ran up the stairs of the World Trade center were Giants. They had to know that the building might collapse, yet they ran up the stairs as everybody else ran down. I think that Pat Tillman was a Giant of another kind. He had everything: money, fame, fortune — and a future — yet he chose to go fight for his country instead.

Maybe your Giant was a father or mother who sacrificed so that you could go to college. Maybe they bought you your first car when you were just starting out, as mine did. Maybe your Giant was a teacher whose care and guidance changed your life. Giants come in all types, and sometimes they walk with us.

Reagan, Washington, Churchill and Lincoln — we all know their names. But what of some other relatively unknown heroes who gave up much for family and country? What about Rosie the Riveter, who assumed a role much more difficult and different than she was used to doing? Yet she rose to the challenge to supply the desperately needed weapons for those whom she dearly loved. She did a good job too. Many soldiers owe their lives to her.

Choose your heroes carefully. They may include your parents, a teacher or historical figures you've never met. Examine them and then take into yourself the character traits that you most admire about them, rejecting the rest. They too had faults and flaws. We have all made mistakes. View your heroes in this light for they were human too. Maybe you have not yet seen their flaws or maybe they haven't yet been revealed. But should their flaws come to your attention, like Nixon's, would that invalidate your favorable estimation of their better qualities?

Giants have always walked among us. American Giants come in many shapes and sizes, and they came at many times in our nation's history. Sometimes we recognized them, sometimes we didn't. At times they are the giants of history, while at other times they are less well known. Many times they are far removed from our time and place, but occasionally they cross our paths. Maybe you know one? If you are fortunate enough to personally know a Giant, infuse their better character traits into your own, but also let them know how you feel before the opportunity is lost forever.

In any case, we can all make an effort to do what Truman did, which was to "learn from those who have gone before you, and in choosing your case studies, your exemplars, set the bar high, preferably far above what you think you yourself can achieve." This is how Giants are made.

Giants have walked among us. Walk with them.