Let me tell you about Joe Clark (name changed to protect anonymity).
I first met Joe at a facility I worked at some years ago. He stood about 5 foot 4 inches and was in his late seventies, and did not appear imposing at all. I had the chance on many occasions to converse with him during the course of my duties, and over the course of several months, got to know him fairly well.
Now, Joe was a janitor, a d**n good one at that, and always did his job well. He was not well liked by the powers that be, due in large part to his tendency to shoot from the hip and tell it like it is, no holds barred. He got along great with the general office population, however, for he always had a greeting for everyone he met and possessed a great sense of humor. Joe was one of the friendliest men one could meet, unless someone got on his bad side, and even then he would treat the offending party politely.
If you had never met him before and passed him by in the hallway while he was busy, you might get the impression that he was a bit on the slow side, mentally speaking. I know of several who made that mistake. Joe possessed a sharp, active mind that put many to shame.
As I got to know him better and he shared details of his life with me, I added him to my list of men that I would strive to emulate, for Joe was every bit a hero.
Joe served in the United States Marine Corps and fought for his country against the Chinese in Korea under the command of "Chesty" Puller. He served his country well.
Joe also was a hero in some smaller ways to me. At the age of 78, he was still in great shape. Every morning, Joe got up and ran for two miles and did his pushups and situps. He did this regardless of the weather. At the time I met him, I knew of many guys my age (37) who could not boast that, including myself. I was out of shape at the time. Joe inspired me to get myself back in shape and stay there.
One fact I learned as a result of meeting Joe was this: In our modern world, we are often too busy to really take the time to meet new people and get to know them well. We need to slow down a bit and open our eyes wider. There are heroes all around us, men and women, and they have lives that would inspire us greatly if we but take the time to get to know them.