When growing up in Goleta, one of my best friends lived a block away. Chris Maxwell’s Father was Joseph Maxwell, who worked as a Real Estate agent and Broker.
Joe Maxwell was a pilot during the war. Flew a bomber.
In taking enemy fire on a bombing run, the plane was badly damaged and caught fire. Joe waited as long as he could, so his crew would not be behind enemy lines, and then ordered them to bail out.
With the windscreen having been shot out, and crew now having bailed, Joe had considered the options, and decided to try to make it back.
He flew the burning plane right into a safe landing, clambered out as fire crew went to work. Within a few minutes he was blind from the wind damage to his eyes. It took awhile, but his vision eventually returned.
I had several men like this in my life growing up. They rarely, if ever, spoke about their exploits. My own Father was such a man. One of his best friends, was General Patterson, who oversaw the Op in Vietnam and counseled me about the Draft and going to war. Another was Lt Col. Alex Witmer, a wartime pilot as well. Some of my friends had Fathers missing, who had perished in that war.
The thought occurs to me, that we would do well as a Nation, to understand what Honor actually means, and how we, in the process of being citizens of this great Nation, could grow into a position of strength, upon which Honor may potentially be bestowed, and by whom Honor might be bequeathed.
That could be a good thing for a great many, as we learn best, when under example and precept both.
Here is a video I put together for the Witmer Family. https://www.youtube.
Here is another which I created for a K38 Rescue project called the Never Quit Challenge. It honors Col Lewis Millet MOH, and some of the people who I now know as friends, who not only survived war, but restored their lives and went on to establish themselves in an honorable series of acts. https://www.youtube.com/
Honored – to know you.
Rock sharpens rock Chief. Thank you for always holding the bar high. That has helped me more times than I can count.