Bob Howard, Medal of Honor Winner Dies

Normally I write about emergencies and disasters. We train and we prepare for the worst, but few of us, perhaps none of us, will have lived a life that was full of danger and service as was the life of Bob Howard.

I heard him speak this past Veterans Day at the Seattle 4 Rotary meeting. He was full of vigor and strong opinions about our military and today's society. Not one to mince words he told it like he saw it. In most normal circumstances he should have been killed many times over during the Vietnam War. Cancer finally did kill him--I'm sure he fought hard to the very end.

At the time, after reading his bio, I figured he had earned the right to say what he pleased. Having faced death numerous times in battle and always sacrificing his personal safety for the lives of others--someone as brave as he deserved the right to say what he thought.

When we as a people stop serving our country and instead just serve our self-interests we will stop being a great nation. Each generation worries about the ones following it. But somehow I think the baton has been past today, but wonder who will pick it up? Who is willing to serve as Bob Howard did? Who will put others before themselves? Who is willing to sacrifice all for another person, and for a cause called America?